The serial killer Ted Bundy's spree of violence, which spanned at least four years, resulted in the deaths of at least 30 women and girls, with others surviving serious injuries. Advances in DNA testing have continued to expand the confirmed tally of his victims.
Law enforcement officials in Summit County, Utah, recently identified Melissa Anne Smith, 17, as one of Bundy's victims. This identification followed another cold case in a nearby county that was solved using Bundy's DNA.
Bundy is among the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history, though others, like Gary Ridgway (49 victims) and Samuel Little (over 60 victims), may have higher confirmed victim counts.
Bundy's crimes began in Washington state in 1974. An attack on an 18-year-old University of Washington student, who survived with permanent injuries, matched a pattern of Bundy breaking into young women's homes, bludgeoning and sexually assaulting them, and disposing of their bodies. The following month, Lynda Ann Healy, another University of Washington student, vanished from her home. Her remains were later found at Taylor Mountain, a site where remains of some of Bundy's other victims were also discovered.
Over the subsequent months, other women were abducted from Washington and Oregon. Witnesses reported seeing some of these women talking to a man wearing an arm sling. By October 1974, teenage girls in Utah also began disappearing, including Melissa Smith, whose body was found beaten with a crowbar. Carol DaRonch, 18, survived an abduction attempt by Bundy, who posed as a police officer, by jumping from his moving car. Her testimony was crucial in his eventual conviction.
Bundy was first arrested in August 1975 in connection with the disappearances. Police found items such as rope, handcuffs, and a ski mask in his vehicle. The following year, he was convicted of kidnapping and assaulting DaRonch and sentenced to 15 years in prison. While incarcerated, he faced charges related to the earlier death of a nursing student.
In 1977, Bundy escaped from custody in Aspen, Colorado, during a court hearing, only to be recaptured a week later. He escaped again six months later from a jail in Utah by breaking through the ceiling. He then fled across the country to Tallahassee, Florida.
On January 15, 1978, Bundy attacked the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University, killing two women and severely injuring two others. Shortly after, he abducted, sexually assaulted, and killed 12-year-old Kimberly Leach in Lake City, Florida. This is believed to be his final victim. Bundy was apprehended in Pensacola while driving a stolen vehicle.
His 1979 trial for the Chi Omega murders garnered significant attention, partly due to Bundy's charismatic demeanor in court. Spectators described him as "fascinating" and possessing "magnetism." The judge in the case, Edward Cowart, acknowledged Bundy's intelligence but ultimately sentenced him for "extremely wicked, shockingly evil and vile" crimes.
Bundy was executed in Florida on January 24, 1989. In his final days, he confessed to several crimes previously unknown to police, though not all have been confirmed.
In April, Utah authorities announced that DNA testing had confirmed Bundy's involvement in the death of Laura Ann Aime, who went missing in Utah on Halloween night in 1974. Her body was discovered a month later. While Bundy was a suspect, evidence was insufficient for charges during his lifetime. Advancements in DNA technology allowed investigators to match a profile from the preserved evidence to Bundy, officially closing Aime's case. This DNA profile was also used to confirm his responsibility for Melissa Smith's murder.