Authorities in Utah have confirmed that Ted Bundy was responsible for the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, with DNA evidence closing a cold case that had remained unsolved for more than half a century. The announcement came exactly 52 years after a hunter discovered Smith's body in woodland, and adds another confirmed victim to the tally of one of America's most notorious serial killers.
DNA Evidence Connects Bundy to Cold Case
Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson told a news conference that investigators are satisfied Bundy killed Smith, pointing not only to DNA findings but also to what she described as the hallmarks of his "pattern, motive, means and opportunity." Crucially, the breakthrough came by drawing DNA connections between Smith and Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was resolved in Utah County last April.
Utah County Sergeant Mike Reynolds confirmed that a highly similar DNA profile linked to Bundy was recovered from evidence obtained during Smith's original autopsy. Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera used the moment to underline a broader lesson for law enforcement: "This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence," she said.
Officials confirmed they have contacted Smith's next of kin, though none of her surviving family members still reside in the area.
Bundy's Confirmed Victim Count Continues to Rise
Bundy was executed by electric chair in Florida in 1989 for the 1978 murders of two women at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University. He is known to have killed at least 30 women and girls across multiple states during the 1970s, with many more surviving attacks with injuries.
In the days before his execution, Bundy made a series of confessions that included crimes previously unknown to police. Not all of those cases have since been confirmed. Advances in DNA technology, however, continue to allow investigators to revisit decades-old evidence and formally close cases that had long gone cold.
Beyond Florida and Utah, authorities have linked Bundy to victims in Colorado, Idaho and Washington state.
More Utah Cases Still Under Investigation
Investigators indicated that their work in Utah is not finished. Authorities said they are continuing to examine the death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, who is considered another likely Bundy victim in the state.
Sergeant Reynolds struck a defiant note as the Smith announcement was made. "With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out," he said.
The resolution of Smith's case is the latest example of forensic science giving long-overdue answers to families of victims, even decades after the crimes were committed and the perpetrator put to death.
