Authorities in Utah claim to have discovered new DNA connecting serial killer Ted Bundy to the death of a teenage girl found dead by a hunter more than 50 years ago.
Authorities have already confirmed Bundy killed at least 30 women and girls in multiple states in the 1970s. The number of his victims have only increased due to new advancements in DNA testing.
On Tuesday, October 27, the Summit County, Utah, prosecutor said investigators believe Bundy was responsible for killing 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in 1974 after her death had previously been considered a cold case.
“This case demonstrates the importance of preserving evidence,” Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said in a statement while announcing the discovery, according to ABC News.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office’s Sergeant Mike Reynolds explained that authorities identified similarities between Melissa Smith and Laura Aime’s cases. (Aime was 17 years old when she was abducted and murdered by Bundy in Utah in 1974. Bundy was connected to the case in April after advanced DNA testing matched evidence from her autopsy to the serial killer.)
For both cases, the DNA was matched to Bundy due to the Y-chromosome that is only present in biological men. Authorities said that a highly similar DNA profile to Bundy was found in evidence obtained from Smith’s autopsy, which ultimately linked him to the recent case confirmation.
In light of the discovery, officials have been in touch with Smith’s next of kin. Authorities added that none of her family members currently live in the area.
Utah County officials presented the DNA evidence linking Bundy to the crime to the Summit County Sheriff’s office on October 7.
“With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out,” Reynolds, who participated in the investigation, continued in his statement.
Bundy was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of the 1978 murders of Lisa Levy and Margaret Bowman at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University. He was then executed at the age of 42 by electric chair in 1989 in Florida.
In the days leading up to his execution, Bundy made several confessions and revealed he had committed crimes that were previously unknown to the police. However, not all of the crimes he admitted to have been confirmed by authorities.
In addition to Florida and Utah, authorities believe Bundy had victims in Colorado, Idaho and Washington state.
Authorities are currently working to solve the 1974 death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, who could potentially be another victim of Bundy.
