Community
Utah authorities are connecting serial killer Ted Bundy to another 1970s homicide
By Katherine Langford
Serial killer Ted Bundy is linked to another Utah teenager’s 1974 murder through DNA testing
Marcus Chen
Marcus Chen
Managing Editor · St. Paul, MN
Marcus manages the day-to-day editorial workflow across all brands, coordinating coverage assignments and ensuring editorial standards are met. He previously served as city editor at the Pioneer Press and holds a degree in Political Science from Carleton College.
More from Marcus →Managing Editor · Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 3:29 PM · 1 min read
DNA connects serial killer Ted Bundy to the death of a Utah teenager, authorities announced Tuesday, exactly 52 years after her body was discovered in the woods by a hunter. Bundy has been dead since 1989, but the tally of his confirmed victims continues to grow due to advances in DNA testing. He killed at least 30 women and girls in multiple states in the 1970s, and many more escaped or survived with injuries. Investigators are satisfied that Bundy was responsible for killing 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in 1974, a death that had long been listed as a cold case, Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said at a news conference. Besides DNA evidence, Smith’s death had the hallmarks of Bundy’s “pattern, motive, means and opportunity,” Olson said. Investigators were able to close the cold case by making crucial DNA connections between Smith and Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was resolved last April in Utah County. A highly similar DNA profile linked to Bundy was found in ev
Up nextUtah authorities are connecting serial killer Ted Bundy to another 1970s homicideCommunity · 1 min read
