Ted Bundy, His Timeline, and Sotria Kritsonis' news -- Filling in a Gap

Author: Shane Lambert

Who really knows how many people convicted killer Ted (Theodore) Bundy disappeared? Conventionally, when he is looked at the number of victims that is mentioned is in the 30s. However, there could be scores more. Accordingly, his timeline is important to be aware of when it comes to missing person's cases.

The timeline for Bundy's life was looked at a number of years ago. the US Department of Justice commissioned the Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report 1992. At the time it was called an "exhaustive documentation of Bundy's activities...in the hopes that Bundy's suspected participation in crimes other than those he confessed to can be clarified" (from the report's "Director's Comments).

The full report can be found here: Ted Bundy's Timeline (if the link goes bad, comment and I can email you a copy of the report). It contains major events in his criminal career, such as the time and places of his known abductions. Furthermore, it contains banal day-to-day events -- like where he bought gas. 

In 2018 there was a news story from Kiro 7 News in the Seattle area. The topic of the story was a woman's recounting of an experience with Ted Bundy. She was named Sotria Kritsonis and the news piece is below.

Although it contains information regarding Bundy's double-abduction day at Lake Sammamish, there is information that was fresh as of 2018 and it could also be added to the Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report 1992. Please, take a few minutes to review the video, feeling free to skip the parts about Lake Sammamish.

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The news piece does not contain complete information. The exact date of Bundy's and Kritsonis's encounter is not mentioned, nor is the exact address. However, the time frame in question can be deduced, the location can be found, and certain other important probably-true assumptions can be made.

The time frame in question was described as the winter of 1972 in the news piece. That did make me wonder if we were talking about the late months in 1972 or the early ones. Technically, winter starts on December 21st and goes to March 20th so, as the only season that covers two separate calendar years, there's a bit of question as to what someone means when they say "winter of 1972."

In answering that, I think the story that Sotria Kritsonis is telling is for some time in the months of January, February, or March of that year. The news piece says that she was 22 at the time. At the tail end of 1972, she would have been 23 by my research.

Thus, the time frame in question is January to March of 1972 and that's actually an empty spot for Ted Bundy in the Ted Bundy Multiagency Investigative Team Report 1992. See the snipping below of that report which shows an entry on New Year's Eve of 1971 and then no entry until April 15th, 1972. The encounter between Bundy and Kritsonis appears to be somewhere in that gap and if we take her accounting as true, then it shows that he was active during this unknown period.

The location of Kritsonis's abduction would have been near the intersection of Rainier Avenue South and Orcas Street. The following still, taken from the Youtube video, shows her walking south on what would be the west side of Rainier Avenue South. She says she encountered Bundy at a place very near the point in the still below.

If we take everything she says as true, then there's something important to note. Bundy did not just happen upon her and offer her a ride. Kritsonis made a statement that would suggest that Bundy was familiar with her changing hairstyle. That suggests a degree of stalker behavior or it could just be that he saw her at the bus stop on many different occasions. Kritsonis claimed that she cut her hair about a week earlier so that would put Bundy in the area of Rainier Avenue South and Orca Street for a period of at least a week.

The news piece says that Kritsonis saw Bundy on television a year and a half later. It's not really clear what she would have been watching in the summer of 1973 regarding Bundy. Most of his known crimes are from 1974 onward.

By: Shane Lambert

Ricky Jean Bryant: The 1949 Wisconsin Missing Person Case

I recently explored the missing-person case of Ricky Jean Bryant using online newspaper databases. Initially, I considered the possibility that she was kidnapped and might still be alive. However, after thorough research, I believe Ricky Jean Bryant tragically died in a house fire on the day she disappeared in December 1949. I also think that further investigation by websleuths or amateur investigators may be futile.

Who Was Ricky Jean Bryant?

Ricky Jean Bryant, a four-year-old girl, vanished in December 1949 in Wisconsin during a devastating house fire on her family’s farm. According to Doenetwork.com, the case initially suggested a kidnapping by a "tall blonde lady in a new car" as the fire consumed the Bryant family home.

Jeannie and two of her siblings were home with their grandparents, who lived on the farm. Ricky's brother, Forrest, aged five, recalls leaving Jeannie and their younger sister outside when a tall blonde woman in a new car instructed him to run to a neighbor’s house for help. She directed him to a farther house, claiming the nearby phone was out of service. When Forrest returned with a neighbor, Jeannie was gone, and the woman and car had vanished. The neighbor placed the children in the family car and searched the house, finding the grandmother collecting canned goods in the kitchen. The grandmother stated Jeannie was gone. As the fire worsened, the neighbor continued searching, but the grandmother insisted Jeannie was with relatives.

After the fire, Jeannie’s father enlisted local authorities, state police, and the FBI to search the ruins for human remains. No remains were found, and he conducted three additional searches himself, finding nothing. He never believed Jeannie perished in the fire.

Analyzing the Timeline and Evidence

The account raises questions about the timeline. Forrest ran to a neighbor’s house for help while the grandmother, Mrs. Casper Halverson, was reportedly collecting canned goods inside the burning house.

A 1949 article from The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, December 21, 1949) referred to Jean Bryant as "the little girl who lost her life as fire destroyed the Bryant farm dwelling." This suggests that, at the time, authorities believed she died in the fire.

The Grandmother’s Actions and the Fire

Mrs. Halverson reportedly evacuated the children before rescuing her invalid husband from an upstairs bedroom, sustaining burns in the process. This rescue likely demanded her full attention, leaving Jeannie and her two-year-old sibling unsupervised. A four-year-old might have wandered back into the house, perceiving parts of it as safe, especially if the grandmother re-entered to retrieve items.

The Doenetwork claims no human remains were found, but The Daily Tribune noted that "bone particles" were sent to the state crime laboratory for testing, and the fire was intense enough to melt metal. This intensity could explain the absence of identifiable remains, particularly for a young child with less developed bones.

NamUs MP #5890 · Wed, Dec 21, 1949 – 9 · Eau Claire Leader (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com

Why the Kidnapping Theory Seems Unlikely

The kidnapping narrative hinges on a mysterious woman abducting Jeannie during the chaos of the fire. However, this scenario seems improbable. A kidnapper would need to act swiftly in the presence of witnesses, including family members and neighbors converging on the scene. The fire’s intensity and the grandmother’s focus on rescuing her husband make it more likely that Jeannie was lost in the blaze.

Firefighters also reported hearing screams from inside the house, attributed to a "tyke," further supporting the theory that Jeannie perished in the fire. While skeletons typically survive house fires, the extreme heat and the small size of a four-year-old’s bones could have resulted in their destruction or fragmentation.

The Father’s Denial and Emotional Impact

Jeannie’s father’s refusal to believe she died in the fire is understandable. The loss of a child is devastating, and many cling to hope despite evidence of death. My experience with missing-person cases suggests that loved ones often favor unlikely scenarios over accepting a tragic outcome.

NamUs MP #5890 · Wed, Dec 21, 1949 – Page 1 · The Daily Tribune (Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com

Why Websleuths Should Move On

In my opinion, Ricky Jean Bryant likely perished in the 1949 fire, and her parents struggled to accept this tragedy. The kidnapping theory, while intriguing, lacks credible evidence and seems fanciful given the circumstances. Websleuths and amateur investigators should redirect their efforts to cases with more viable leads. Spending time on this case offers little chance of resolution.

NamUs MP #5890 · Wed, Dec 21, 1949 – Page 1 · Green Bay Press-Gazette (Green Bay, Wisconsin) · Newspapers.com

Final Thoughts

The case of Ricky Jean Bryant is a heartbreaking mystery, but the evidence points to a tragic death in the 1949 house fire. While the kidnapping story captures the imagination, the facts suggest otherwise. For those passionate about solving missing-person cases, focusing on mysteries with stronger leads may yield better results. My prediction is that Ricky Jean Bryant will remain lost for all time, unless the bone fragments are hers and someone looks at them someday, possibly with advanced technology.