What We Know
Ted Bundy: What We Know
Video · 2:26 · Watch on YouTube
Fifty-two years later, Utah authorities say DNA and other evidence connect Ted Bundy (convicted, executed 1989) to the 1974 death of Melissa Ann Smith, 17. Summit County closed her case on Oct. 27, 2026. Bundy was never tried in this case; no court will rule on it.
What's confirmed
- Oct. 27, 2026Summit County, Utah, closed the 1974 case of Melissa Ann Smith, 17, saying DNA and other evidence connect Ted Bundy to her death. (AP; ABC4 Utah; Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification)
- Bundy was convicted and executed in 1989. He was never tried in Melissa Ann Smith's death, and no court will rule on it. (AP; Florida Department of Corrections)
Chapters
- 0:00Summit County closes the case
- 1:10Ted Bundy: the record
- 1:34Laura Ann Aime: April 2026
- 1:49What we know, what we don't
Sources
- AP, ABC4 Utah, Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification, Florida Department of Corrections
The record · as of Nov. 9, 2026
How we know
Primary records are court and agency documents; reporting is news coverage we checked against them. How we report.
What happens next
Verified timeline
- 1974-10-27A hunter found Smith's remains near Toll Canyon in Summit Park, Summit County, Utah, nine days after she vanished.TownLift; ABC4 (via search snippet/Fox21)
- 1974-10-31Laura Ann Aime, 17, left a Halloween party and disappeared; found about a month later in American Fork Canyon.KTVU/Fox; AP via WRAL; TownLift
- 1976-03-01Bundy was convicted in Utah of kidnapping Carol DaRonch. He was never tried for the Smith or Aime killings.Deseret News timeline; Seattle Times
- 1978-01-15Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy were killed at the Chi Omega house, Florida State University; Bundy was convicted and sentenced to death (July 1979).Deseret News timeline; AP 2026
- 1989-01-24Bundy was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison.Deseret News timeline; AP via WRAL
- 2023-01-01Utah State Crime Lab acquired technology that can recover DNA from tiny or degraded samples (month not reported).TownLift; KTVU/Fox
- 2026-04-01Utah authorities announced new DNA testing linked Bundy to Aime's 1974 killing; case closed. Announcer reported inconsistently: KTVU says DPS Commissioner Beau Mason; our draft script says Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith.KTVU/Fox; AP via WRAL; TownLift
Also in our research file
- Utah BCI cold case: Melissa Ann Smith Primary recordbci.utah.gov
- Florida Memory: Bundy 1978 (State Archives of Florida) Primary recordfloridamemory.com
- Florida Memory: Bundy mug shot 1980 Primary recordfloridamemory.com
- Florida Memory: Bundy in court (Donn Dughi) Primary recordfloridamemory.com
- Utah authorities are connecting serial killer Ted Bundy to another 1970s homicide ReportingAP via WRAL · Oct. 27, 2026
- Ted Bundy linked to unsolved 1974 death of Utah teen after new DNA testing ReportingKTVU/Fox · April 1, 2026
- Ted Bundy timeline ReportingDeseret News · Feb. 13, 1999
- Survivors haunted by memory of Ted Bundy 10 years after execution ReportingSeattle Times · Jan. 24, 1999
- AP: Utah to link Ted Bundy to 1974 Park City teen homicide Reportingkwtx.com
- TownLift: Summit County to close 50-year-old murder case Reportingtownlift.com
- ABC4: Summit County connects cold case to serial killer Ted Bundy Reportingabc4.com
- Salt Lake Tribune (via KIRO 7): new DNA profile of Ted Bundy Reportingkiro7.com
- ABC4/NBC4: Utah teen killed in 1974 identified as Bundy victim (Aime) Reportingnbc4i.com
- Daily Herald: Utah County SO confirms Bundy murdered Laura Ann Aime Reportingheraldextra.com
Updates and corrections
Photo of Melissa Ann Smith published by Utah BCI. Bundy photo: Florida Department of Corrections.
Spot an error? Email corrections@undercurrentdaily.com. See our corrections policy. Have information about this case? Contact the investigating agency first.
