Ted Bundy Linked to 17-Year-Old Girl’s Murder After 52 Years Through DNA Evidence

Authorities in Utah have linked convicted serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, using advances in DNA technology to resolve a case that remained unsolved for more than five decades.

Smith, the daughter of a local police chief, was found by hunters on October 27, 1974. Investigators reported signs of sexual assault and torture. Evidence from another case attributed to Bundy helped authorities make the connection, according to officials.

Evidence From Another Cold Case Helps Investigators

In April, Utah officials identified teenager Laura Ann Aime as another of Bundy’s victims. Evidence gathered during that investigation was subsequently used to help resolve Smith’s case.

Before his execution in 1989, Bundy had confessed to killing two other teenage girls in Utah. He has been linked to at least 30 murders across the United States.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Utah County Sergeant Mike Reynolds said authorities were still examining other cases that could be linked to Bundy.

“With every case closure may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out,” Reynolds said.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the case offered hope to families of other victims whose deaths remain unsolved.

“Every single day forensics is changing and we have the ability to take a look at these cases again and again,” Rivera said.

She also praised detectives for preserving evidence over the decades, saying the case demonstrated why evidence must be retained even when many years have passed.

Utah Has Hundreds of Unsolved Death Investigations

The investigation comes as authorities continue efforts to resolve other cold cases across the state.

In April, the director of the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services told The Salt Lake Tribune that Utah had 444 unsolved death investigations, including 258 homicides.

Officials say advances in forensic techniques can help investigators revisit older cases and examine evidence that may not have yielded answers when it was first collected.

Bundy’s History of Escapes and Murders

Bundy remains one of the most notorious serial killers in American criminal history. His attacks began in the Pacific Northwest, and he often approached women in public places, using charm or pretending to have an injury to gain their trust before luring them to secluded locations.

He was first arrested in 1975 for kidnapping a woman and sentenced to 15 years in prison. In 1977, he escaped by jumping from a prison library window.

After being recaptured, Bundy escaped again eight days later and continued killing before he was finally caught in 1978. He was executed in 1989.

The identification of Smith’s case adds to the list of killings linked to Bundy and underscores how preserved evidence and improved forensic methods can help investigators revisit crimes that have remained unresolved for decades.