my own photograph of Lake Sammamish State Park, August 9, 2020, added belatedly to this post
What follows is an accessible guide to the estimated time table of key events on Sunday, July 14, 1974, and the women Ted Bundy approached that day at Lake Sammamish State Park. Most of the times given should be accepted as approximations, as lakegoers generally don't pay close attention to time on a leisurely summer Sunday. The primary source for this research are the individual eye-witness statements given to police. Note: In each of the eye-witness accounts, which are briefly summarized (sans the various suspect descriptions), Bundy was always observed as wearing an arm sling, which was part of the ruse he employed that day to lure unsuspecting women into his car. He requested assistance from at least six women at Lake Sammamish (possibly seven, counting an unidentified girl who has not been previously reported in Bundy biographies); the two who obliged lost their lives.
The names of those who interacted with Bundy at the park are in blue, bold print; observers are in bold red; the deceased in bold purple; friends/family of the deceased or of Bundy appear in bold green. Though Bundy was not known to any of the parkgoers, he is identified in this timeline as "Ted" during those events authorities and history attribute to him, rather than "the man" or "the suspect" per police reports of 1974. The whole of the witness statements in the Lake Sammamish Files suggests at least one other man fitting Bundy's description was also at the lake that day with his arm in a sling and possibly a cast; not all of those statements have been included in this article, but with those that have, the individual of interest is referred to as "the man" since identification is not confirmed as Bundy. (I have attempted to provide thorough information and analysis, but acknowledge that reading the voluminous 590-page Lake Sam Files PDF is an ongoing process; if I have overlooked important content that could enhance this piece, please notify me.)
TIMELINE
That morning (per The Phantom Prince): Ted drops by Liz Kloepfer's apartment as she's preparing for church and asks her plans for the day. He insists on knowing which beach she will be visiting; she decides on Carkeek Park.
After 11:30 A.M.: Janice Graham arrives at Lake Sammamish State Park.
12:00 P.M.: Renee Schoenhals observes a white male with his arm in a sling talking with a motorcycle group. Schoenhals and her family are sitting behind the concession stand near the restrooms, fifty feet away from the motorcycle gang and the man. Twice during the next twenty-five minutes, the man walks away and returns.
12:00-12:15 P.M.: Janice Ott arrives at the park riding her yellow, ten-speed, girls model Tiger bicycle. Her arrival on the beach is observed by DEA Agent Jerry Snyder, 15 year-old Sylvia Valint (now Sylvia Meixner), and housewife Theresa Sharpe, who were all lounging nearby on the beach, separately. Ott's location on the beach is described as "100 yards from the Rainier Brewing Company function," "200 yards directly in front of the east restroom," "very close to the water," and "between the two lifeguards, in front of the floating dock." Each witness later positively identified Ott from a photo.
12:20 P.M.: Janice Graham, 22 years old, is approached by Ted as she lingers at the bandstand. They exchange hellos, and Graham moves away slightly. Ted asks if she'll help him for a minute. He explains he is waiting for friends but can't find them, and wants to load his sailboat on his car. Graham agrees to help. During their walk to his car, Ted is chatty and asks some friendly, conversational questions of her, explains he injured his arm (which is in a sling, no cast) playing racquetball, and stops many times to hold his hurting arm against his body. At the car - which Graham observes as a newish-looking, metallic brown VW Bug parked in the lot between the bandstand and restrooms - Graham notices there is no sailboat and no trailer on the car. Ted explains, "It's at my folks' house; it is just up the hill." Graham declines to accompany him further, as she is meeting her parents and husband at the park. She inquires the time, and he responds, "12:20." Graham tells him she is already late to meet her family at 12:15. Ted breezily replies, "Oh, that's okay. I should have told you it wasn't in the parking lot," and thanks her. He walks her halfway back up toward the park, apologizes, and politely thanks her again. They part ways, with Ted turning right toward the bandstand, and Graham going left to the concession stand.
12:30 (per Sharpe, who regularly checks her watch): Janice Ott, 23 years old, is approached by Ted as she is lying on the beach. The five- to ten-minute conversation between Ted and Janice - as overheard by, pieced together, and paraphrased from the statements of primarily Sylvia Valint and Theresa Sharpe, with Jerry Snyder also observing the interaction - goes as follows:
Ted: Excuse me, could you help me put my sailboat onto my car? I can't do it by myself because I broke my arm.
Janice: Well, sit down. Let's talk about it.
[Ted sits down on the beach.]
Janice: Where's the boat?
Ted: It's up at my parents' house in Issaquah.
Janice: Oh, really. I live up in Issaquah. Well, OK.
Janice: Can I bring my bike with me?
Ted: Sure, okay.
Janice: My name's Jan.
Ted: I'm Ted.
Janice: I don't know how to sail.
Ted: It will be easy for me to teach you.
Janice: Is there room in the car for my bike?
Ted: It will fit in the trunk.
(Janice pulls her other clothes over her bikini and gathers her knapsack.)
Janice: Under one condition: that I get a ride in the sailboat.
Ted: My car is in the parking lot.
Janice: Well, I get to meet your parents then.
Ted: Who do you know in Issaquah?
12:30: Janice Graham, at the concession stand eating a snow cone, observes who was later identified as Janice Ott pushing her bicycle while accompanying Ted to the parking lot. At 12:45, Janice Graham meets up with her parents.
1:00 (per Battema) or 1:30 (per Little and Sargent): Denise Naslund, 18 years old, arrives at the park with boyfriend Kenneth Little, their dog, and their friends, another couple Robert Sargent and Nancy Battema. The group choose a grassy picnic spot in "the main picnic area [. . .] halfway between the bathroom and the Rainier bandstand," "two hundred feet in front of the restroom near the end of the parking area."
1:00 (per Little), "en route to the park" (per Sargent), or "at the park" (per Battema): Denise Naslund consumes four valium, five milligrams each. (She also consumes some alcohol throughout the day and part of a marijuana joint.)
3:00: Patricia Turner arrives at the park with her boyfriend and another couple.
3:00: Renee Schoenhals again notices the man with his arm in a sling, this time while she is walking towards the kite flier. They meet each other on a path and he is about a foot from her. [see Bonus Material]; [see Notes]
3:00 or 4:00 (per Stewart) / 3:00-3:30 (per Culbertson): Tammie Stewart and Patrick Culbertson, a couple who are on the grass together by the concession stand, observe a white male with a sling on his arm walking around them for ten minutes. An unidentified girl, described as wearing blue jean cut-offs, a bikini top, and white earrings with her light brown hair in a shag cut, sits or lies down on the grass four to five feet away from Stewart and Culbertson. The man stares at both Tammie, who is also lying down, and the unidentified girl as he circles the area. The unidentified girl is approached by the man, who kneels down and spends about fifteen minutes (per Stewart)/three minutes (per Culbertson) talking to her, inaudibly. When Culbertson next notices the man five minutes later, the unidentified girl is gone and he doesn't see the man again. [Note: It is unclear by Culbertson's statement if he meant the man was also gone at this point.] Stewart later reported the girl was neither Ott nor Naslund. [see Bonus Material]
3:30 or 4:00 (which is erroneous timing): Betty Barry (a Seattle Police employee) observes Denise Naslund inside and leaving the ladies' restroom, exiting and talking with another, unknown girl. Barry later positively identified Naslund.
4:00: Sindi Siebenbaum, 16 years old, is approached by Ted one hundred yards from the restrooms as she's returning to her friends. He walks toward her and says, "Excuse me, young lady, could you help me launch my sailboat?" In the course of a five- to ten-minute conversation, Ted, who appears nervous, speaks rapidly, and gestures with his hand, explains he sprained his arm and can't find anyone to help him. Siebenbaum declines his request, as she has people waiting. Ted tells her the sailboat is up on the beach (but appears to mean up towards the restrooms) and that it will only take a few minutes. Siebenbaum again refuses, but Ted persists, tugging on Siebenbaum's arm [per the Files document "Summary of Events July 14 to September 7"]. She finally departs and sees him walking toward the restrooms.
4:00: Denise Naslund falls asleep on the beach. At the same time, her friend Bog Sargent returns to the group with concessions, and her boyfriend Ken Little wakes Naslund up. Little then dozes off at 4:15.
4:00: Janice Ott's husband Jim Ott, attending medical school in Riverside, CA, begins calling his wife at her apartment, unable to reach her [per Ann Rule's The Stranger Beside Me].
4:00-4:05: Jacqueline Plischke arrives at the park on her bicycle and notices Ted looking at her.
4:00-4:30: Jacqueline Craven goes to the women's restroom and, while waiting for her adult daughter, observes a man with his arm in a sling walking back and forth in front of the restroom. She and her daughter leave the restroom area about 4:30; she didn't recall if the man was still there. (Craven's time span at Lake Sammamish with her family: 3:30-4:45.) [see Bonus Material]
4:15: Patricia Turner, 18 years old, notices Ted heading toward her and following as she is walking alone on the sidewalk from the beach toward the concession stand. He approaches her and says, "I need to ask a really big favor of you. You can see I'm not very useful of my hand, would you please help me launch my sailboat? I normally wouldn't ask this favor, but my brother is busy and unable to help." Ted points in the direction of the parking lot. Turner replies that she is in a hurry, and Ted says, "That's okay." Ted lingers for a few seconds. Turner departs for the concession stand and sees Ted walk away into the crowd. (After an hour and forty-five minutes, the Turner party leave Lake Sammamish at 4:45.)
4:20: Jacqueline Plischke, 20 years-old, is approached by Ted on the beach at the water ski area.
Ted: "Hello, I was wondering if you could help me put my sailboat on my car?"
Jacqueline: "I'm not very strong."
Ted: "It's better that I asked someone who was alone."
Jacqueline: "I'm waiting for someone."
Ted: "Oh, I see."
Ted then turns and walks toward the bath house. Plischke's visit to the park lasts for only twenty minutes (4:00-4:20); she checks her watch ten minutes after this encounter with Ted and notices it is 4:30. She reported that Ted was not nervous, pushy, or disappointed.
4:20 or 4:30: Nancy Battema asks her friend Denise Naslund what time it is.
4:30-4:40 (per Sargent): Denise Naslund gets up, leaves her group of friends without a word (Ken Little is napping), and walks towards the restroom.
5:00-5:30 (per The Phantom Prince) / 6:00 (per Kloepfer's police interviews): Ted calls Liz to ask her out to dinner. He arrives at her apartment ten minutes later. Ted is famished, exhausted, and feeling sick with a cold. Following a hamburger dinner at a bowling alley, they have ice cream at Farrell's. Upon returning to Liz's apartment (although Kloepfer's police interviews state before they left for dinner), Ted insists on transferring Liz's ski rack - which they'd used to transport Ted's bike on their previous weekend's rafting outing to the Yakima River - from his car back to her own. Fifteen minutes later, Ted departs.
[Note: Kloepfer told police she arrived home from her afternoon at Carkeek Park at 6:00 P.M. In her book, she states she had just gotten out of the shower when Ted phoned. Therefore, it's a reasonable assumption that if Kloepfer's recall of the time to police in 1975 is more accurate than her 1981 book, she came home, took a shower, and Ted's call came sometime after 6:00, with his arrival at her apartment being around 6:30.]
8:30: Ken Little, Bob Sargent, and Nancy Battema abandon their search for the missing Naslund and depart Lake Sammamish.
9:00: Ken Little arrives at Eleanore Rose's house driving Naslund's car to tell her her daughter is missing.
BONUS MATERIAL
The eye-witness suspect descriptions varied as to Ted's height, weight, build, age, hair, voice, and, perhaps even, clothes. Investigators and news reports settled on the suspect's general apparel as dressed in all-white: white shorts, white shirt, white sneakers. However, take a look at this compilation of wardrobe identifications from each mid-afternoon eye-witness's statement and notice that several people remembered the man they encountered as being shirtless. Reiterating, it appears from other witness statements in the Files that a second, possibly third, man with his arm in a sling was also at the park that day. Decide for yourself if the additional descriptions provided of the shirtless stranger match Ted - or if we can altogether strike these witnesses' testimonies from the Timeline. (Again, the arm sling was noted by every witness, even though recall of its specific characteristics fluctuated.)
That morning, Kloepfer (per police interviews): white T-shirt, yellow shorts
12:20 P.M, Graham: a white, short-sleeved tee shirt with red trim (crew-type neckline) and blue jeans (possibly long length)
12:30 P.M, Sharpe: white T-shirt with some type of design, white shorts similar to a swim suit
12:30, Valint: white tennis shoes, white socks, white shorts, white T-shirt
12:30, Snyder: white, boxer-type shorts; beige pull-over shirt
3:00, second encounter by Schoenhals: no shirt, long pants. (No description was provided for the first encounter.)
Additional description: "5'10", medium build, dark blonde hair, curly, not long or bushy, average looking, medium tan, [. . . .] clean shaven."
3:00 or 4:00, Stewart: wore cut-offs; a white or yellow shirt was tied around his waist; white low-topped tennis shoes.
Additional description: "twenty-four to twenty-five years old, 5'6", medium build, 150 pounds, blondish-brown curly hair covering ears and down the back of his neck, dark tan. [. . .] no glasses."
3:00-3:30, Culbertson: pants, white shirt hanging out back pocket.
Additional description: "5'7", 145 pounds, thirty years, medium build, thin frame, light brown hair, parted in the middle, wavy down to back of his neck, blue eyes, thin nicely shaped nose, cheeks were hollow, pointed chin, hair over ears, nice tan [. . . .] he was foreign-looking, like British, and he was good looking. He walked slowly and lightly. [. . . .] he bent over a little bit when he walked. [. . . .] He was not real hairy."
4:00, Siebenbaum: "[. . . .] wearing sort of a bleached-white boxer swimming suit and elastic for a waist band." [She doesn't mention a shirt in her statement, but says:] "His body had a full tan, not real dark, but he was tan. [. . . .] I don't recall him having any noticeable body hair."
[Note: Though Siebenbaum's statement omits any reference to Ted's shirt, a Files document entitled "Summary of Events July 14 to September 7" states Siebenbaum's description of the suspect included, "His shirt was long sleeved, left arm rolled up, in sling, faded light green, unbuttoned." Perhaps this addition was provided on an information sheet as of yet unlocated in the Files.]
4:00-4:30, Craven: wore boxer-style swim trunks with Hawaiian print, with possibly a white waist band; no shirt.
Additional description: "5'7"- 5'8", 170 lbs., good build, tan, but fair complected. [. . . .] He had some hair on his chest, but was not 'hairy'. [. . . .]"
4:15, Turner: white shorts, a white T-shirt
4:20, Plischke: [no description of clothes.]
6:30, Kloepfer (per police interviews): gray turtleneck, long pants
NOTES
Regarding "3:00, Renee Schoenhals" above in Timeline: On pg. 16 of the Lake Sammamish Files PDF, on a document entitled "Facts Regarding Janice Anne Ott," the following information, as summarized from Renee Schoenhals's police statement, is misleading and, likely, inaccurately recorded:
3pm Schoenals [sic] walking toward kite flier met on path. one hour later - 4:00 P.M. - seen with long hair girl. girl had on blue halter-top, seen jumping on motorcycle. Driver had on leather jacket and dirty long stringy hair. Schoenals [sic] heard girl say no I cant leave let me off.
The report is not implying the motorcycle driver is the suspect - Schoenhals had given a clear, very different description of the suspect [see Bonus Material]; but Schoenhals's report does imply that at 4:00, the suspect is seen "with long hair girl" (who matches Naslund's appearance). Conversely, according to Schoenhals's statement on pg. 554 of the PDF, after she encounters the man on the path at 3:00, "I did not see him after that."
Quite possibly, it is this incorrect report which accounts for the sighting often mentioned in Bundy biographies of Denise talking with Ted outside the restrooms. Furthermore, despite Schoenhals's description of a girl resembling Denise, her police statement - unlike Betty Barry's - does not include a positive identification of Naslund. In fact, the only two witnesses (Barry and Jacqueline Craven) who observed significant activity in closest proximity to the restrooms, never cite an interaction between Naslund and "the man."
Another important factor in possibly invalidating Schoenhals's testimony as it connects to Bundy is that she describes the man she encountered as shirtless [see Bonus Material].
If I have overlooked an eye-witness report that does reveal interaction between Bundy and Naslund, or if anyone can provide clarification to or correction of my assertions, please notify me.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- The PDF "Ted Bundy - Lake Sammamish - All Files in One" courtesy of The Ted Bundy Research Group on Facebook
- "The Police Interviews, Liz Kloepfer, 1975" courtesy of "Hi, I'm Ted: A Killer In The Archives" blog and Facebook page
- The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, Elizabeth Kendall (a.k.a, Liz Kloepfer)
- Jerry Snyder testimony supplemented by Kevin M. Sullivan's The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History
That morning, Kloepfer (per police interviews): white T-shirt, yellow shorts
12:20 P.M, Graham: a white, short-sleeved tee shirt with red trim (crew-type neckline) and blue jeans (possibly long length)
12:30 P.M, Sharpe: white T-shirt with some type of design, white shorts similar to a swim suit
12:30, Valint: white tennis shoes, white socks, white shorts, white T-shirt
12:30, Snyder: white, boxer-type shorts; beige pull-over shirt
3:00, second encounter by Schoenhals: no shirt, long pants. (No description was provided for the first encounter.)
Additional description: "5'10", medium build, dark blonde hair, curly, not long or bushy, average looking, medium tan, [. . . .] clean shaven."
3:00 or 4:00, Stewart: wore cut-offs; a white or yellow shirt was tied around his waist; white low-topped tennis shoes.
Additional description: "twenty-four to twenty-five years old, 5'6", medium build, 150 pounds, blondish-brown curly hair covering ears and down the back of his neck, dark tan. [. . .] no glasses."
3:00-3:30, Culbertson: pants, white shirt hanging out back pocket.
Additional description: "5'7", 145 pounds, thirty years, medium build, thin frame, light brown hair, parted in the middle, wavy down to back of his neck, blue eyes, thin nicely shaped nose, cheeks were hollow, pointed chin, hair over ears, nice tan [. . . .] he was foreign-looking, like British, and he was good looking. He walked slowly and lightly. [. . . .] he bent over a little bit when he walked. [. . . .] He was not real hairy."
4:00, Siebenbaum: "[. . . .] wearing sort of a bleached-white boxer swimming suit and elastic for a waist band." [She doesn't mention a shirt in her statement, but says:] "His body had a full tan, not real dark, but he was tan. [. . . .] I don't recall him having any noticeable body hair."
[Note: Though Siebenbaum's statement omits any reference to Ted's shirt, a Files document entitled "Summary of Events July 14 to September 7" states Siebenbaum's description of the suspect included, "His shirt was long sleeved, left arm rolled up, in sling, faded light green, unbuttoned." Perhaps this addition was provided on an information sheet as of yet unlocated in the Files.]
4:00-4:30, Craven: wore boxer-style swim trunks with Hawaiian print, with possibly a white waist band; no shirt.
Additional description: "5'7"- 5'8", 170 lbs., good build, tan, but fair complected. [. . . .] He had some hair on his chest, but was not 'hairy'. [. . . .]"
4:15, Turner: white shorts, a white T-shirt
4:20, Plischke: [no description of clothes.]
6:30, Kloepfer (per police interviews): gray turtleneck, long pants
NOTES
Regarding "3:00, Renee Schoenhals" above in Timeline: On pg. 16 of the Lake Sammamish Files PDF, on a document entitled "Facts Regarding Janice Anne Ott," the following information, as summarized from Renee Schoenhals's police statement, is misleading and, likely, inaccurately recorded:
3pm Schoenals [sic] walking toward kite flier met on path. one hour later - 4:00 P.M. - seen with long hair girl. girl had on blue halter-top, seen jumping on motorcycle. Driver had on leather jacket and dirty long stringy hair. Schoenals [sic] heard girl say no I cant leave let me off.
The report is not implying the motorcycle driver is the suspect - Schoenhals had given a clear, very different description of the suspect [see Bonus Material]; but Schoenhals's report does imply that at 4:00, the suspect is seen "with long hair girl" (who matches Naslund's appearance). Conversely, according to Schoenhals's statement on pg. 554 of the PDF, after she encounters the man on the path at 3:00, "I did not see him after that."
Quite possibly, it is this incorrect report which accounts for the sighting often mentioned in Bundy biographies of Denise talking with Ted outside the restrooms. Furthermore, despite Schoenhals's description of a girl resembling Denise, her police statement - unlike Betty Barry's - does not include a positive identification of Naslund. In fact, the only two witnesses (Barry and Jacqueline Craven) who observed significant activity in closest proximity to the restrooms, never cite an interaction between Naslund and "the man."
Another important factor in possibly invalidating Schoenhals's testimony as it connects to Bundy is that she describes the man she encountered as shirtless [see Bonus Material].
If I have overlooked an eye-witness report that does reveal interaction between Bundy and Naslund, or if anyone can provide clarification to or correction of my assertions, please notify me.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- The PDF "Ted Bundy - Lake Sammamish - All Files in One" courtesy of The Ted Bundy Research Group on Facebook
- "The Police Interviews, Liz Kloepfer, 1975" courtesy of "Hi, I'm Ted: A Killer In The Archives" blog and Facebook page
- The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy, Elizabeth Kendall (a.k.a, Liz Kloepfer)
- Jerry Snyder testimony supplemented by Kevin M. Sullivan's The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History
Copyright © (2020) Cynthia Walker. All Rights Reserved.
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