Ted Bundy has been dead for nearly four decades, but investigators are still uncovering answers about the women and girls whose lives he took. The notorious serial killer has now been officially linked to another murder in Utah, thanks to DNA evidence that helped authorities close a case that remained unresolved for more than half a century.
The victim was Melissa Ann Smith, a 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered on October 27, 1974. On Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Utah authorities announced that Bundy was responsible for her death, marking the 52nd anniversary of the discovery.
According to reporting from The Salt Lake Tribune and the Associated Press, investigators used advances in forensic technology to connect evidence from Smith’s case to Bundy. It is another reminder that even decades-old investigations can yield answers when evidence is preserved and new scientific methods become available.
A Teenager Disappears in Utah
Smith was the daughter of Midvale Police Chief Louis Smith. She disappeared on October 18, 1974, after reportedly visiting a pizza parlor in Midvale and a restaurant in nearby Murray. Nine days later, a hunter discovered her body in the Summit Park area near Park City.
Although Bundy eventually became a suspect in the investigation, authorities did not have enough evidence to officially identify him as her killer. The case remained open for decades, leaving Smith’s family without a definitive answer about who was responsible.
Bundy was active in several states during the 1970s, using his ability to appear charming and trustworthy to conceal his violent crimes. He escaped police custody twice while facing murder charges before eventually being captured in Florida. He was executed by electric chair on January 24, 1989, after being convicted of three murders in Florida.
DNA Technology Helps Close the Case
The breakthrough came after Utah’s state crime lab began using newer genotyping technology in 2023. These methods allow forensic specialists to obtain useful DNA profiles from samples that are old, degraded or mixed with genetic material from multiple people.
Earlier in 2026, investigators officially connected Bundy to the 1974 murder of another Utah teenager, 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime. Evidence from Aime’s case subsequently helped investigators establish the link to Smith.
According to KPCW’s report on the investigation, DNA recovered from the two victims provided a crucial connection. Authorities also considered the similarities between the crimes, along with motive, means and opportunity, before concluding that Bundy was responsible for Smith’s murder.
Smith’s relatives were notified of the findings but declined to speak publicly about the case, according to authorities.
More Cases Remain Unresolved
Closing Smith’s case does not mean investigators are finished examining Bundy’s suspected crimes. Authorities continue to investigate other unsolved cases, including the disappearance of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox, who vanished in Utah in October 1974. Bundy confessed to killing Wilcox, but investigators have not yet established the evidence needed to officially close her case.
That is one of the most unsettling aspects of cold-case investigations. A suspect may be long dead, but the work of establishing what happened can continue for generations. Evidence that once offered few answers can become meaningful as forensic science advances.
For Melissa Ann Smith, investigators have finally reached an official conclusion after 52 years. It cannot undo the tragedy or restore the life she should have had, but it gives her case something that had been missing since 1974: an answer supported by evidence.
Bundy has long been the subject of made-for-TV films and documentaries over the years. He is a fixture of American history, whether we like to admit it or not, and in some cases a product of the environment that raised him. Most recently, we saw Zac Efron portray Bundy in Netflix’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The film was definitely a must-see for true crime junkies but left many questions on the table.
Ted Bundy was executed in 1989. The work of identifying his victims continues.