Utah investigators link Ted Bundy to 1974 murder of teenager Melissa Smith
DNA testing has connected the late serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in Summit County, Utah, closing a decades-old cold case.
Utah authorities announced Tuesday that DNA analysis has linked the late serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was found by a hunter in Summit County. The identification was made using Y-chromosome DNA recovered from Smith’s autopsy, which matched a profile previously associated with Bundy.
Summit County prosecutors said the evidence satisfies them that Bundy was responsible for the homicide, which had been listed as a cold case for more than five decades. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera emphasized the role of evidence preservation in solving such cases.
"This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence," Rivera said.
Sergeant Mike Reynolds of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, who participated in the investigation, expressed relief at the closure of the case.
"With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out," Reynolds said.
Bundy, who was executed in 1989 for murders in Florida, had previously confessed to additional crimes, though not all have been verified. Officials have informed Smith’s surviving relatives, none of whom remain in the area.