Authorities in Utah have utilized advanced DNA technology to connect notorious serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith, a 17-year-old whose body was discovered by hunters 52 years ago. The breakthrough was announced by Utah County officials.
Smith's body was found on October 27, 1974, showing signs of rape and torture. The evidence gathered from Smith's case was subsequently used to help solve the murder of teenager Laura Ann Aime, who Utah officials identified as another of Bundy's victims in April.
Before his execution in 1989, Bundy confessed to killing at least two other teenage girls in Utah and has been linked to a minimum of 30 murders across the United States. Sgt. Mike Reynolds of the Utah County Sheriff's Office stated at a press conference that more Bundy cases in the state are still under examination.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera emphasized that the resolution of this cold case offers hope to other victims' families. "Every single day forensics is changing and we have the ability to take a look at these cases again and again," Rivera said, praising detectives for preserving evidence over the decades, which she noted "demonstrates the need to preserve evidence even when decades pass."
In April, the director of the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services indicated that there were 444 unsolved death investigations in Utah, including 258 homicides. Bundy, who began his killing spree in the US Pacific Northwest, was known for luring victims by gaining their trust through charm or feigned injury before taking them to secluded areas.
His criminal history includes an arrest in 1975 for kidnapping, for which he received a 15-year sentence. Bundy escaped from prison in 1977, was recaptured briefly, and escaped again before his final capture in 1978.