Utah to close decades-old case linking Ted Bundy to 1970s killing

On Oct. 27, 2026, Summit County authorities announced Ted Bundy killed 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in 1974, closing the case at a news conference exactly 52 years after hunters found her body. Her mother reported her missing Oct. 18, 1974. Utah County investigators contacted Summit County in May 2025. Aime, also 17, disappeared Oct. 31, 1974 after a Halloween party; her body was found near American Fork Canyon. The Utah State Crime Lab matched preserved Smith DNA to the Aime profile. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said DNA with pattern, motive, means and opportunity establishes Bundy was responsible. Utah County Sgt. Mike Reynolds said a highly similar Bundy-linked DNA profile was found in Smith's autopsy evidence. Rosie Rivera said the case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence. Bundy, who began law studies at the University of Utah two months before Aime vanished, has been linked to at least 30 killings across several states from 1974 to 1978 and was executed in 1989. Ben Pender said it does not close the book on Ted Bundy. No contested claims found.