Police use DNA advances to identify another Ted Bundy victim from 70s
Bundy was executed in 1989, but the tally of his confirmed victims continues to grow due to advances in DNA testing.
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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