Melissa Ann Smith, daughter of a Utah police chief, was killed in 1974; 52 years later, DNA tests confirm Ted Bundy did it
DNA evidence has conclusively linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith in Utah, solving a cold case after nearly 52 years.
In 1974, Ted Bundy killed 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in Utah, a case that had remained unsolved for decades. Recently, advances in DNA technology have linked this cold case to Bundy, who was executed in 1989 for multiple murders in Florida. Authorities believe Bundy is also responsible for the 1974 death of another Utah teenager, Nancy Wilcox, who was found in the woods by a hunter.
The DNA evidence, along with the murder's similarities to Bundy's patterns, motive, means, and opportunity, has led investigators to close the cold case. Sergeant Mike Reynolds from Utah police stated that a highly similar DNA profile to Bundy's was found in evidence from Smith's autopsy. As each victim is identified, the memory of Bundy is being stamped out, according to Reynolds.
Bundy's known victims also include women and girls in Colorado, Idaho, and Washington state. They are currently working to solve the death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, another potential victim in Utah.
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