How I knew the priest who ministered to Ted Bundy & his victims
Monsignor William Kerr has died. Among other things, he was famous for having administered the last rites to one of serial killer Ted Bundy’s victims and then became a spiritual counselor for Bundy on death row.
I met Monsignor Kerr in 1994, I believe, when he was president of La Roche College, outside Pittsburgh. I was a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville and I’d been preparing for the Total Consecration to Mary according to St. Louis de Montfort with some of my friends. One of them was my roommate,
Kevin Gillen, now
Fr. Gabriel Gillen, OP, who knew the monsignor. Kevin arranged for Msgr. Kerr to lead us in the final consecration following Mass at La Roche. I don’t remember too much about the day, but I do remember Msgr. Kerr was kind and gracious to us.
Kevin told us the story Msgr. Kerr told him about that awful night in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1978. He said Kerr got the call from the police in the middle of the night to rush out to the sorority house. When he arrived he was told that all but one of the girls in the house were dead or near death, killed by a serial killer who was later to be known to the world as Ted Bundy. After giving those last rites to the dying college girl, then-Fr. Kerr was asked by the police on the scene to talk to the girl who survived unscathed. They wanted to know how she survived the brutal attacks, because Bundy had stopped right inside the door to her room, dropped his weapon, and left without touching her. But the girl would talk to no one but a priest.
When Fr. Kerr approached the near-catatonic girl, she told him that her mother had made her promise before going off to college for the first time that she would pray the Rosary every night before bed for protection; even if she fell asleep praying the Rosary, which she had that night so that when Bundy came into her room with murder on his mind, the beads were still clutched in her hands.
Later, Bundy would tell Monsignor that when he entered the girl’s room, he just couldn’t go on, he dropped his weapon, and he fled. Such is the power of our Mother’s protective mantle.
Rest in peace, Msgr. Kerr, and thank you for your small part in my faith journey and for your witness.
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Posted by [Domenico Bettinelli](http://www.bettnet.com/) on 05/14/09 at 09:27 PM •
This was posted by Domenico Bettinelli on his website. The only apparent incongruity is that of Bundy “dropping his weapon” as it is reported he left the sorority with weapon in hand. Reminds me of Padre Pio’s calling out for “his weapon” when they were taking his soutane to be cleaned. His Rosary, “his weapon” was in the pocket…“Pray the daily Rosary for peace.” Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, Portugal, 1917
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