DNA evidence links Ted Bundy to 1974 Utah teen murder
Utah prosecutors say DNA testing confirms serial killer Ted Bundy was responsible for the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, closing a decades-old cold case.
Utah authorities announced Tuesday that DNA analysis has linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, a case that had remained unsolved for more than five decades. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said the DNA match, together with the victim’s profile fitting Bundy’s known pattern, motive, means and opportunity, confirms Bundy’s involvement.
The breakthrough came after investigators compared DNA from Smith’s autopsy with that of Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was resolved earlier this year in Utah County. Utah County Sergeant Mike Reynolds noted that a highly similar DNA profile was found in the evidence from Smith’s case.
"This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence," said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera.
"With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out," Reynolds added.
Bundy, who was executed in 1989 for the 1978 murders of two women at Florida State University, has had his victim count increase as DNA technology advances. Officials have contacted Smith’s surviving relatives, none of whom remain in the area.
The DNA profile was entered into the FBI’s national database after a 2011 discovery of Bundy’s blood sample, enabling investigators to link him to additional cold cases across multiple states.