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Crime & Safety

Utah officials say DNA shows Ted Bundy killed a 17-year-old in 1974

Officials announced on the 52nd anniversary of the day hunters found Melissa Ann Smith's body that DNA from another Bundy victim matched DNA from her body.

10 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsCenter5 outletsConservative2 outlets
Published 4 min read
Overview

Utah authorities announced on Tuesday, Oct. 27, that serial killer Ted Bundy murdered 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in 1974. Hunters found her body in Summit County on Oct. 27, 1974, 52 years earlier to the day. Officials from several Utah agencies spoke at a news conference.

Her case had never been officially closed. Investigators said DNA from the case of Laura Ann Aime, another 17-year-old whom officials tied to Bundy in April, matched DNA from Smith's body. The Summit County attorney said that DNA, together with pattern, motive, means and opportunity, shows Bundy was responsible.

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the case shows why evidence must be preserved. Smith's next of kin, who no longer live in Utah, were told of the result. Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989 and is linked to at least 30 murders in several states.

Salt Lake County detective Ben Pender said the result "does not close the book" on Bundy. The case of Nancy Wilcox, 16, remains open. Outlets differ on two details: the year Aime's body was found, and whether Bundy confessed to killing Aime.

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

The Independent frames the story as Bundy's victim count growing as DNA testing improves. It notes that he killed at least 30 women and girls, and that his last-days confessions included crimes unknown to police, not all of them verified. It adds that a Salt Lake County homicide detective interviewed Bundy before his execution about Smith, Aime and others.

Citing KTVX, it reports that Bundy could not recall encountering Smith or Aime. The Guardian centers on the DNA chain. It says a Y-STR profile, a type of DNA marker, from Aime's body matched one from Smith's body, and that this year's DNA testing in Aime's case backed Bundy's own account of killing her.

Both outlets quote Rivera on preserving evidence and Utah County Sgt. Mike Reynolds on stomping out Bundy's memory. The Guardian also quotes Reynolds on the victims' voices. Both include background on Bundy's wider crimes.

The Guardian describes his 1974 to 1978 attacks across the American west and Florida. The Independent lists the states where he had victims and notes his Florida execution.

Center5 outlets

Centrist outlets present the announcement as the closing of a local cold case and focus on the officials who announced it. Deseret News gives the most local detail. It reports that Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates announced the closure, that several agencies worked together, and that Lt. Alan Siddoway of the Summit County Sheriff's Office, who died of cancer on Oct. 11, was recognized.

It adds that Smith's next of kin declined to attend and that Salt Lake County detective Ben Pender said the Wilcox case continues. UPI gives a short timeline from Aime's DNA to the July comparison with Smith's DNA, and notes Bundy was convicted of three murders. BBC adds that Smith was the daughter of a local police chief, that her body showed signs of rape and torture, and that Bundy escaped custody twice.

It also cites a figure of 444 unsolved death investigations in Utah, reported to the Salt Lake Tribune. Deseret News and BBC quote Rivera on hope for other families. UPI quotes her on remembering victims of cold cases.

Conservative2 outlets

Fox News, the only right-side outlet here, presents a detailed true-crime account. It explains the investigative route step by step. Aime's DNA produced a hit to Bundy in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and investigators then compared it with evidence preserved from Smith's case.

It says Utah County contacted Summit County in May 2025 about similarities between the killings. It gives more detail on Aime's case, including that she was raped and strangled, and notes Bundy began law studies at the University of Utah two months before she vanished. It quotes Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson and Pender, who said homicide evidence is kept indefinitely.

It reports that a relative of Smith was "very, very gratified" but declined to speak publicly. It also lists Bundy's , including one for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, and says not all of his confessions are confirmed.

All sources: 10 articles from 10 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (5)

Conservative (2)

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