Ann Rule has been a world-renowned author of books that lie within the true crime genre. But she has been particularly popular for writing a biography on serial killer Ted Bundy.
On Sunday at 10:30 PM, Ann Rule passed away at the Highline Medical Center in Durien, Washington. Spokesman for CHI Fransiscan Health, Scott Thompson, says that the cause of death is still yet to be discovered. Rule was 83 years of age during her passing.
Her daughter, Leslie Rule, posted on Facebook (via Associated Press) about her ongoing health battles, including congestive heart failure, prior to her death. "My mom died peacefully last night. She got to see all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren."
Ann Rule was born in Lowell, Michigan with family members working in law enforcement. According to her website, those family members were what prompted her to pursue a career in the given field.
The true crime author has long been fascinated about what characteristics play into the minds of criminals. In fact, a lot of her research included looking into criminals' "upbringings and backstories."
In one interview, Rule said, "Sometimes people turn their noses up at true crime writing and readers wonder if there's something wrong with them for finding this subject so interesting."
"My readers tend to be very gentle people; it's just that we are all tremendously curious about what makes some babies grow up to be savage criminals and others law-abiding citizens," she continued.
Rule also added, "If we don't know what causes aberrant behavior, we will never be able to prevent it. I write about it because I love to, because it's my job, and because I'm curious about psychopathology, too. But I also want to help victims, their families, and to save potential victims."
Ann Rule has written more than 1,400 articles and has 30 New York Times Bestselling books. Her first bestseller was "The Stranger Beside Me," which profiled notorious serial killer Ted Bundy. The two were colleagues at Seattle's Crisis Hotline and met in 1971.
Ann Rule's first and most popular book, "The Stranger Beside Me," was published in 1980.