Kathy Kleiner Rubin

Kathy Kleiner Rubin
Born
Kathy Kleiner

(1957-12-29) December 29, 1957
Miami, Florida, U. S.
EducationFlorida State University
Occupations
  • Author
  • Motivational speaker
  • Advocator
  • Human rights activist
Years active2017 – present
SpouseScott Rubin
Children1

Kathy Kleiner Rubin (born December 29, 1957) is an American author, motivational speaker, and a survivor of the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.[1] She is primarily known for surviving a brutal 1978 attack at the Florida State University (FSU) Chi Omega sorority house, an event that became a focal point in the prosecution and eventual conviction of Bundy.[1]

Early life and education

Born in Florida to a Cuban-American family, Kleiner Rubin grew up in Miami and Fort Lauderdale.[2] At age 13, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, a life-threatening autoimmune disease that severely impacted her kidneys.[3] She underwent experimental chemotherapy treatments that caused hair loss and forced her to be homeschooled during the seventh grade.[4]

She attended high school in Fort Lauderdale, where she was active in the theater department, and graduated in 1976.[5] Later that year, she enrolled at Florida State University in Tallahassee.[6]

Chi Omega Attack (1978)

In the early morning hours of January 15, 1978, Ted Bundy entered the FSU Chi Omega sorority house through a door with a faulty lock.[7] After murdering two residents, Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, he entered Room 8, which was shared by Kleiner Rubin and her roommate, Karen Chandler.[8]

Bundy struck Kleiner Rubin with a heavy oak log, shattering her jaw in three places and nearly severing her tongue.[9] He then attacked Chandler.[10] Both women were saved when the headlights of a car arriving to drop off another sorority sister Nita Neary shone through their window, startling Bundy and causing him to flee.[11]

Kleiner Rubin underwent extensive surgery and had her jaw wired shut for nine weeks.[12] She later testified against Bundy during his 1979 trial in Miami.[13]

Later life and advocacy

Following the attack, Kleiner Rubin briefly worked at a lumberyard—a deliberate choice to confront her fear of the smell of oak, which she associated with the log used in the attack.[14] In her early thirties, she survived another major health crisis after being diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, which required further chemotherapy.[15] For decades, Kleiner Rubin has worked as a hospital buyer and motivational speaker.[16] In 2023, she published her memoir, A Light in the Dark: Surviving More than Ted Bundy, co-authored with Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi.[17] Her advocacy focuses on entering the voices of victims rather than the perpetrators and challenging media portrayals that romanticize Bundy as charming or brilliant also supporting trauma survivors in their long-term healing journeys.[18]

Personal life

Kleiner Rubin is retired and lives in South Florida with her husband, Scott Rubin, a neuroscientist.[7] Kleiner Rubin is married and has one son, Michael, born after doctors initially told her she would never be able to conceive due to her childhood lupus.[19]

Published works

  • A Light in the Dark: Surviving More Than Ted Bundy (2023)

See also

General and cited sources

  • Michaud, Stephen; Aynesworth, Hugh (1983). The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy. New York City: Linden Press / Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0-671449-61-2.
  • Michaud, Stephen; Aynesworth, Hugh (August 1999) [1983]. The Only Living Witness: The True Story of Serial Sex Killer Ted Bundy (Paperback; revised ed.). Irving, Texas: Authorlink Press. ISBN 978-1-928704-11-9. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  • Rule, Ann (1980). The Stranger Beside Me (First ed.). New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-01399-5.
  • Rule, Ann (1989). The Stranger Beside Me (Paperback; revised and updated ed.). New York City: Signet Books. ISBN 978-0-451-16493-3.
  • Rule, Ann (2000). The Stranger Beside Me (Paperback; updated 20th anniversary ed.). New York: Signet Books. ISBN 978-0-451-20326-7.
  • Rule, Ann (2009). The Stranger Beside Me (Paperback; updated 2009 ed.). New York City: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-5959-7.
  • Sullivan, Kevin M. (2009). The Bundy Murders: A Comprehensive History (Paperback ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland and Co. ISBN 978-0-7864-4426-7.
  • Sullivan, Kevin (2020). The Enigma of Ted Bundy: The Questions and Controversies Surrounding America's Most Infamous Serial Killer (ebook ed.). Denver, Colorado: WildBlue Press. ISBN 978-1-952225-37-6. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 2, 2024.

References

  1. ^ a b Rule 2009, p. 332.
  2. ^ "Kathy Kleiner was attacked by Ted Bundy — and lived to tell her story". New York Daily News. April 18, 2020.
  3. ^ "She Survived an Attack by Ted Bundy — and Rejects Killers Glamorized Portrayal: 'Sad Little Man'". People Magazine. October 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "Surviving a serial killer". BBC. January 8, 2026.
  5. ^ "Episode 69: Kathy Kleiner Rubin, Ted Bundy Survivor". NYU. December 22, 2025.
  6. ^ "Surviving Ted Bundy: Women attacked by notorious serial killer share their stories". CBS News. June 5, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Telfer, Tori (January 29, 2019). "Ted Bundy's Living Victim Tells Her Story". Rolling Stone. New York City: Jann Wenner. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Wilson, Amy (January 15, 1989). "Bundy the memories will not die". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  9. ^ "Chi Omega survivor of Ted Bundy murders: 'I was asleep' when evil opened door 'and attacked me'". ABC News. July 29, 2020.
  10. ^ "Ted Bundy Almost Took My Life. I Refused to Let Him Haunt My Son's Childhood". Good Housekeeping. October 14, 2023.
  11. ^ "Ted Bundy's living victim didn't let traumatic attack ruin her life". New York Post. March 20, 2019.
  12. ^ Rule 2009, pp. 334–343.
  13. ^ "Ted Bundy's Living Victim Tell Her Story". Rolling Stone. January 27, 2019.
  14. ^ "Ted Bundy tried to kill her, but she survived. Here's the one thing she's sick of being asked". USA Today. January 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "Surviving Ted Bundy: How Kathy Kleiner Found The Light". Fox News Radio. November 28, 2023.
  16. ^ "Ted Bundy attacked and tried to kill her. She survived and now Kathy Kleiner is sharing her story". East Idaho News. September 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "Ted Bundy survivor bringing new memoir to Georgia". Fox 5 Atlanta. May 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "I survived an attack by serial killer Ted Bundy. Here's what saved me". The Independent. July 29, 2024.
  19. ^ "Ted Bundy bludgeoned and almost killed me. I resolved he would not ruin my life". The Guardian. February 27, 2024.
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