The Aporia · Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of Utah teenager

Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of Utah teenager

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NBC News. (2026, October 27). Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of Utah teenager. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/serial-killer-ted-bundy-linked-to-1974-murder-of-utah-teenager-272375365653

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On October 27, 2026, Utah law enforcement officials linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith, a 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered nude on October 27, 1974. The breakthrough came after DNA evidence from another Bundy victim, Laura Aime, was matched with Bundy's profile, allowing investigators to connect DNA found at both crime scenes. This development closes the cold case of Melissa Smith, who had been reported missing on October 18, 1974, in Midvale, Utah.

Summit County and Salt Lake County officials initially led the investigation, but they recently collaborated with neighboring Utah County, which had solved another Bundy-related murder earlier that year. The new DNA profiling technology enabled investigators to build full profiles from degraded samples, confirming Bundy's involvement despite decades-old evidence.

Cold-case detective Ben Pender of the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office suggested that there might be additional unidentified victims of Bundy based on this successful use of preserved evidence.

Written for “Ted Bundy Linked to More Murders Through DNA” on 2026-10-29, grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges an unknown share of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy linked to death of another teenager in 1974 due to DNA evidence Same event

Daily Mail

Hedges 4 of 26 claims Outlet record 68/100

Utah officials tie Ted Bundy to 1974 murder of 17-year-old Melissa Smith Same event

Washington Examiner

Hedges 0 of 3 claims Outlet record 70/100

Serial killer Ted Bundy linked through DNA to 1974 murder of Utah girl Different event

The Guardian

Hedges 1 of 12 claims Outlet record 67/100

“Article A specifically discusses the DNA link to Melissa Ann Smith's murder, while Article B does not mention this case and likely refers to Laura Ann Aime.”

Ted Bundy could have more undiscovered victims after DNA links him to murder of chief's daughter: detective Different event

Fox News

Hedges 8 of 50 claims Outlet record 70/100

“While both articles discuss DNA evidence linking Ted Bundy to a murder from 1974 in Utah, they describe different aspects of the investigation and findings.”

What to know about serial killer Ted Bundy and his rampage of violence Different event

Toronto Star

Hedges 0 of 50 claims Outlet record 64/100

“Article A discusses Bundy's overall rampage and mentions a recent identification of Melissa Anne Smith as one of his victims, while Article B focuses specifically on linking Bundy to the murder of a Utah teenager in 1974.”

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60/100

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NBC News · 1858 article(s) · 1 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 1 correction(s)

2026-10-29

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