DNA links Ted Bundy to 1974 Utah murder of Melissa Ann Smith
Utah investigators say DNA evidence confirms serial killer Ted Bundy was responsible for the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, adding another victim to his known tally.
Utah authorities announced Tuesday that DNA testing has linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was found in Summit County woods after a hunter discovered it. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said the DNA match, combined with similarities to Bundy’s known modus operandi, confirms his responsibility for the cold-case homicide.
The match was made possible by new technology at Utah’s state crime lab, which can extract usable DNA from small, degraded or mixed samples. The lab compared DNA from Smith’s case with that of Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was solved earlier this year, and with Bundy’s DNA profile stored in Florida.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera highlighted the significance of preserving evidence, stating, "This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence. We have to solve these cases to the best of our ability." Utah County Sergeant Mike Reynolds added, "With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out."
Smith’s relatives were notified of the findings but declined to comment. Her father, a former police chief in Midvale, had died years earlier.
Bundy, executed in Florida in 1989, was convicted of three murders and had previously confessed to additional killings. Detectives say the Smith case does not end investigations into Bundy’s possible involvement in other unsolved Utah murders, such as the 1974 death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox.