DNA linked Ted Bundy to the murder of a teenage girl in Utah

28.10.2026 08:01 HotInfo

After 52 years, American authorities have linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the murder of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in the state of Utah. Investigators were aided by modern analysis of a DNA sample that had been preserved since the original investigation. Der Standard ↗

Smith was murdered on July 18, 1974. Her body was later discovered by hunters. The girl was the daughter of the local police chief. The case remained unsolved for decades, with investigators not knowing the identity of the perpetrator. NOS ↗

DNA obtained from the evidence was used to compare against Ted Bundy's genetic profile. The result led authorities to conclude that Bundy was responsible for the murder. The analysis was made possible by a sample that had been preserved in order to identify other possible victims. BBC News ↗

Bundy was one of the most notorious serial killers in the United States. In 1974, two girls were murdered in Utah, and investigators worked on the cases for decades. The new finding comes a few months after detectives in Summit County confirmed Bundy's responsibility for the murder of another girl from Utah from the same year. The Guardian ↗

The case of Melissa Ann Smith has thus expanded the number of murders that authorities attribute to Bundy. It also shows that preserved biological evidence can, even after decades, help solve unresolved cases and identify the victims of serial offenders. El Pais ↗

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