DNA breakthrough links Ted Bundy to another 52-year-old cold case

NewsTed Bundy linked to another killing as DNA cracks 52-year-old Utah cold caseSerial killer Ted Bundy has been linked through DNA evidence to the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Smith in Utah, allowing authorities to close the cold case 52 years later. (AP Photo/Mark Foley)APModern DNA testing has helped Utah investigators solve a teenager’s killing more than 50 years later, linking the cold case to serial killer Ted Bundy.Authorities announced that Bundy was responsible for killing 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in 1974, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. Her body was found in a wooded area in Summit County nine days after she disappeared. The case had remained officially unsolved for 52 years.Investigators got a major break after DNA helped them solve another 1974 killing tied to Bundy. In April, authorities linked him to the death of 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime. Investigators later compared evidence from that case with DNA preserved from Smith’s case and found a match. The Utah crime lab began using new DNA technology in 2023 that can develop profiles from samples that are old, damaged or contain genetic material from more than one person, according to KUER. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said investigators also considered evidence involving Bundy’s pattern, motive, means and opportunity before closing the case, CBS News shared. Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989. He was responsible for at least 30 killings involving women and girls across several states during the 1970s.The breakthrough shows why preserving evidence in cold cases can matter decades later as forensic technology improves. Chris Pugh covers trending news and national breaking stories, focusing on the moments, conversations, and cultural flashpoints shaping the national news cycle. Chris worked as a digital reporter for...This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by AL.com staff.