DNA evidence has linked notorious American serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of a 17-year-old Utah girl, helping investigators solve a case that remained unresolved for more than five decades.
Authorities announced on Tuesday that Bundy was responsible for the death of Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was discovered by a hunter in Utah in 1974.
Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said investigators were satisfied that Bundy killed Smith after reviewing DNA evidence and other details surrounding the teenager’s death.
Olson said the circumstances of the murder matched Bundy’s established pattern, motive, means and opportunity, strengthening the case against the serial killer, who was executed in Florida in 1989.
Investigators made a breakthrough by establishing crucial DNA links between Smith’s case and that of Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose murder was resolved in Utah County in April.
Utah County Sergeant Mike Reynolds said forensic testing revealed a DNA profile highly similar to one associated with Bundy in evidence recovered during Smith’s autopsy.
The discovery enabled investigators to connect the teenager’s death to Bundy decades after the original investigation had stalled.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the case highlighted the importance of preserving forensic evidence, noting that advances in DNA technology continue to help investigators revisit unresolved crimes.
Officials have since contacted Smith’s surviving relatives, although none of her next of kin still live in the area.
Bundy, who was executed by electric chair in 1989, was convicted of killing two women at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University in 1978.
He confessed to multiple killings before his execution, including crimes that had not previously been linked to him. However, authorities have not confirmed all the cases associated with his confessions.
Investigators have attributed at least 30 killings to Bundy across several American states during the 1970s, with additional victims surviving attacks or escaping.
Beyond Florida and Utah, authorities have linked him to crimes in Colorado, Idaho and Washington state.
Investigators are also continuing efforts to resolve the 1974 disappearance and suspected killing of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox in Utah, another case believed to be connected to Bundy.
