Serial killer Ted Bundy has been linked to the 1974 murder of a 17-year-old Utah girl after investigators used advances in DNA testing to solve a cold case that remained open for 52 years.
Authorities announced Tuesday, October 27, that DNA evidence connected Bundy to the killing of Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was discovered in Summit County, Utah, on the same date in 1974.
According to the Associated Press, Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said investigators are satisfied that Bundy was responsible for Smith’s murder.
The announcement adds another confirmed victim to Bundy’s record more than three decades after his execution in Florida in 1989.
Bundy confessed to killing at least 30 women and girls across multiple states during the 1970s, although investigators have continued examining other unsolved cases.
Investigators Reveal DNA Evidence That Connected Ted Bundy to Melissa Ann Smith
Authorities said they established the connection through DNA evidence recovered in Smith’s case and the murder of Laura Aime, another Utah teenager whose killing investigators linked to Bundy in April.
Investigators compared the evidence with Bundy’s DNA, which authorities had preserved in Florida following his conviction.
Olson said Smith’s murder also matched Bundy’s known “pattern, motive, means and opportunity.”
The breakthrough followed improvements in DNA testing technology introduced at Utah’s state crime laboratory in 2023.
The new technology allows investigators to extract genetic material from smaller samples, evidence that has deteriorated over time and samples containing DNA from multiple individuals.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the findings demonstrate why investigators must continue preserving evidence from unsolved cases.
“This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence,” Rivera said during the news conference.
“We have to solve these cases to the best of our ability,” she added.
“Nobody is just going to walk away and just blame everything on Ted Bundy, even though many cases have been that way. Here in the state of Utah, we take it very seriously.”
Melissa Ann Smith Disappeared After Visiting Two Utah Businesses in 1974
Smith disappeared on October 18, 1974, after visiting a pizza parlor and a restaurant, according to reporting published at the time by The Salt Lake Tribune.
Her father served as the police chief in Midvale, a community south of Salt Lake City.
Nine days after Smith disappeared, a hunter discovered her body in a wooded area of Summit County.
Investigators spent decades working to determine who killed the teenager.
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office said authorities contacted Smith’s surviving relatives about the latest findings.
The family declined to attend Tuesday’s announcement or speak with reporters. Both of Smith’s parents have since passed away.
Utah County Sgt. Mike Reynolds addressed Bundy’s legacy following the announcement.
“With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out,” Reynolds said.
Authorities Continue Investigating Another Teen’s Disappearance Linked to Bundy
Although investigators have closed Smith’s case, authorities said they are still examining other crimes that may involve Bundy.
One investigation concerns Nancy Wilcox, a 16-year-old Utah girl who disappeared in 1974.
Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office Detective Ben Pender said investigators have information suggesting Bundy may have been responsible, but they have not established a definitive connection.
Solving Smith’s murder “does not close the book on Ted Bundy,” Pender said.
“Information kind of leads to Ted Bundy but again we’re not for certain on Nancy Wilcox. We’re going to continue to work that case.”
Bundy was convicted of three murders in Florida, including the killings of two women at Florida State University’s Chi Omega sorority house.
Authorities executed him in the electric chair in January 1989.
Before his execution, Bundy confessed to numerous murders, including crimes investigators had not previously connected to him.
Authorities have identified victims in Florida, Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Washington state.
Investigators continue reviewing unresolved cases involving Bundy, including those where his confessions have not been independently verified.
Ted Bundy Linked to Cold Case Murder of 17-Year-Old Melissa Ann Smith in Utah