Utah links Ted Bundy to 1974 murder of teen

Utah law enforcement officials are scheduled to hold a news conference on Tuesday to confirm that serial killer Ted Bundy committed a 1974 homicide in Summit County. The sheriff and county attorney will present the evidence that led to the decision to close the case. While authorities have not yet released the victim's name, the case involves the 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, which has been a cold case for decades.

Bundy died in 1989, nearly 40 years before this latest identification. His confirmed victim count has increased in recent years due to improvements in DNA testing technology. He was executed by electric chair in Florida for the 1978 murders of two women at the Chi Omega sorority house at Florida State University. Police records indicate that Bundy killed at least 30 women and girls across multiple states during the 1970s. Many other victims survived his attacks with injuries.

The new finding follows a similar announcement made by Utah authorities in April. At that time, officials stated that Bundy was responsible for the murder of Laura Ann Aime, a 17-year-old who disappeared on Halloween in 1974. The current investigation adds another name to the list of victims linked to the notorious killer.

In the days before his execution, Bundy provided a series of confessions to police. He admitted to several crimes that investigators had not previously identified. Not all of the cases mentioned in those confessions have been confirmed through scientific testing. The upcoming briefing will detail the specific findings that connected Smith's death to Bundy.