[REVISION HISTORY]

Ted Bundy DNA links to Utah cold cases

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2026-10-29 04:41 UTC → 2026-10-29 14:27 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Forensic DNA technology has enabled investigators to posthumously link serial killer Ted Bundy to murders committed in Utah in 1974. Initially, authorities in Summit County announced that advanced testing had connected Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson and Sheriff Kacey Bates stated that the investigation into the 52-year-old cold case was closed based on genetic matches and established criminal patterns. Subsequent developments revealed that the DNA breakthrough also applied to a second 1974 case involving another 17-year-old victim found in Salt Lake County. Officials from both counties held a joint press conference to confirm that forensic comparisons linked Bundy to both homicides. New details indicate the breakthrough in the Melissa Ann Smith case occurred after investigators used DNA evidence from a separate case involving victim Laura Ann Aime to identify a match in Smith’s remains. Smith had disappeared in October 1974 and was later discovered in a wooded area near Park City. This discovery increases the confirmed victim count for Bundy to 32, surpassing the 30 murders he confessed to prior to his 1989 execution. Law enforcement officials noted that the resolution of these cases highlights the importance of preserving forensic evidence for future re-examination as technology evolves.

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