DNA Testing Connects Ted Bundy to 1974 Cold Case Victim

Authorities announced Tuesday that DNA evidence has officially linked convicted serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith. The case had remained a cold case for over half a century after a hunter first discovered the teenager’s body. Although Bundy was executed in a Florida electric chair in 1989 for the 1978 murders of two Florida State University sorority members, the tally of his victims continues to rise as forensic technology advances. DNA connects serial killer Ted Bundy to the death of a Utah teenager, authorities announced Tuesday, more than 50 years after her body was discovered by a hunter. But the tally of his confirmed victims continues to grow due to advances in DNA testing, bundy has been dead since 1989.

Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson stated at a news conference that investigators are now satisfied Bundy was responsible for the crime.

Beyond the biological evidence, officials noted that Smith’s death matched Bundy’s specific pattern, motive, means, and opportunity. Utah County Sgt. Mike Reynolds explained that the breakthrough occurred by comparing DNA profiles from Smith’s autopsy to those found in the case of Laura Aime, another victim whose connection to Bundy was confirmed last April.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera remarked that the successful identification of Smith’s killer proves the vital necessity of preserving forensic evidence for decades. While the victim’s next of kin no longer reside in the area, officials have been in contact with them regarding the closure. Reynolds expressed a firm commitment to ongoing investigations, stating, “With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out.”

Before his 1989 execution, Bundy provided a series of confessions, some involving previously unknown crimes, though not every claim has been verified. Authorities maintain that he killed at least 30 women and girls across Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Florida during the 1970s, with many more individuals having survived attacks. Investigators are currently working to resolve the death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, who is considered another likely victim in Utah.