U.S. authorities said Tuesday that advanced DNA testing has linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith, whose body was found by hunters. Smith was 17 and in her final year of high school when she disappeared.
Investigators had already suspected Bundy was responsible. Summit County prosecutor Margaret Olson said the circumstances of Smith’s death were consistent with Bundy’s pattern, motive and methods. Authorities said they strengthened their inquiry by connecting Smith’s case with that of Laura Aime, another Bundy victim whose case was closed in Utah in April.
Sergeant Mike Reynolds said evidence collected during Smith’s autopsy contained a genetic profile highly similar to Bundy’s. He said investigations into crimes linked to Bundy are continuing, adding that he hopes each solved case can help diminish his legacy.
A new technology provided to the state crime laboratory in 2023 can recover DNA from samples that are small, degraded or mixed with genetic material from multiple people. Officials said the technology is helping investigators examine old evidence. In 2011, blood believed to be Bundy’s was found in a vial collected after his arrest.
Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said the case shows why evidence must be preserved and why forensic science can be valuable decades later. She also said authorities in Utah take the investigation of unresolved cases seriously rather than automatically attributing them to Bundy.
Smith’s relatives were informed of the findings but declined to attend a news conference or speak to reporters, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. Her parents have died.
Sources: Folha Mundo.