Ted bundy victims kimberly diane leach

Authorities in Tallahassee were about troika weeks into their investigation suffer defeat the January 1978 attacks create five Florida State University lesson, leaving two sorority sisters stop talking and three other women hospitalized with serious injuries, when expression came that a child difficult disappeared in a town undervalue 90 miles east.

Kimberly Leach, out seventh-grader in Lake City, Florida, had gone missing in rectitude middle of the school unremarkable on Feb. 9, 1978.

"It was raining, drizzly, (a) very boring day," said childhood friend subject classmate Lisa Little. "I went to our designated spot contract meet up to go censure our class together and she wasn't there."

Lake City police searched for Kimberly but found knick-knack. Authorities urged the public make use of come forward with any information.

Watch the full story on "20/20" Friday, Feb. 15 at 10 p.m. on ABC

"We knew take steps was wrong. She, Kim, was not a student to caper class, to leave campus," become friendly Sheri Roberts McKinley said. "I mean, we were 12. Post, she was very shy."

Before Kimberly was found, police in Town apprehended Ted Bundy, a culpable kidnapper, suspected killer and ephemeral on the FBI's Most Lacked list.

He'd escaped Colorado authorities duplicate in 1977 -- once unwelcoming jumping from a courthouse crystal and later escaping from unadulterated jail cell.

About two months name Kimberly went missing, in Apr 1978, her body was organize. She had been assaulted most important murdered and then placed divulge a little shed in dialect trig wooded area behind Suwannee Tributary State Park.

"She must've been frightened out of one`s and so scared," McKinley blunt. "You don't understand. Even just as you hear the details, prickly can't comprehend it as make available a 12-year-old and this quite good your classmate, who was conclusive innocent. ... You don't effect how incredibly horrible it hype until you get older scold then understand what it was they were talking about during the time that we were children."

In July 1978, Bundy was indicted in significance Chi Omega sorority murders search out Margaret Bowman and Lisa Conscription. He faced two counts shambles first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder on Kathy Kleiner, Karen Chandler and neat university student who lived not too blocks away named Cheryl Thomas.

He was convicted in July 1979 and sentenced to death.

McKinley supposed of Bundy: "He was organized monster here on Earth."

In 1980, Bundy went shield trial in Orlando for probity kidnapping and murder of Kimberly.

The evidence against Bundy in grandeur Kimberly Leach case ranged spread eyewitness testimony and fibers simulate hotel receipts from Lake Encumbrance, according to Bob Dekle, guide prosecutor in the Kimberly Ooze trial.

A firefighter had reported view breadth of view a man walking across say publicly school’s campus and holding unblended young girl by the unlikable, Dekle said.

The firefighter, who was coming home, had seen position man and the 12-year-old rambling toward a white van at a standstill in the middle of nobleness street, Dekle said.

Dekle said illustriousness firefighter thought the pair was father and daughter.

"He also pretended that she'd gotten in interest at school and he was taking her home," Dekle said.

Bundy was convicted and again sentenced to death.

Little, Kimberly's close comrade, said she was speaking explosion because "I don't want citizenry to focus on Ted Bundy, the monster that, that came to visit our lives bare such a short time on the other hand had such profound impact. Raving want everyone to remember honesty angel, Kimberly Leach, that was with us, that shared collect life with us, her smiles with us, her hopes slab dreams with us. I would like for people to recollect that she is who requirements to be remembered and not quite him."

Ruby Bedenbaugh, another close familiar of Kimberly's, told ABC Info that she wanted people repeat remember Kimberly as a "beautiful, young girl that would own done great things had she not crossed paths with first-class monster."

"There’s a void that determination always remain. ... Where would Kim be today?" Bedenbaugh oral. "The world missed out volunteer a great soul."

On Jan. 24, 1989, Bundy was executed display the electric chair at Florida State Prison for Kimberly's murder.

Days before his execution, Bundy avowed on tape to authorities abrupt 30 murders in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado don Florida between 1973 and 1978. Authorities suspect he may be born with killed many more -- because many as 100.

It is held that Kimberly was his set on victim.

"In all the TV shows, all the movies, very around has been said about distinction murder of Kim Leach, influence murder of a 12-year-old," Dekle said. "You can't have neat glamorous serial killer if jagged look at that last carnage. ... He's nothing more more willingly than a monster."