FALLING FOR A KILLER

CRIMINAL EXPERT JAMES PHELPS SHARES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM A PSYCHOPATH

- Kylie Walters

Attractive and charismatic, Ted Bundy didn’t look like a predator. But his good looks and charm were his best assets and helped the serial killer lure over 30 unsuspecting women to their deaths during his murderous rampage through the United States in the ’70s.

The true stories of manipulative and deceptively dangerous criminals like Bundy, who used their appeal to lure, kill or steal from unsuspecting victims are being told in a new documentary series called Charmed to Death. Criminal expert James Phelps warns this type of psychopath is a lot more common than we realize.

“While there are hundreds of active serial killers in the US at the moment, there are hundreds of thousands more with the traits of a psychopath,” the crime writer tells WHO. “If a killer came across as someone who looked stereotypically dangerous, they wouldn’t get away with it for very long. They generally come across as calm and socially skilled. They look like normal people and use this to their advantage to win you over,” he explains.