DNA evidence connects Ted Bundy to 1974 Utah teenager's murder

Utah police announced in October 2026 that DNA evidence has connected serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith, who was 17 years old. A hunter found her body in the Utah woods 52 years ago. Scientists matched DNA from her body to Bundy's DNA, which was stored in Florida records. Investigators also noted that her death fitted Bundy's typical pattern of behaviour. Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989 after being convicted of multiple murders. He killed at least 30 women across several US states between 1974 and 1978. Police are now looking at the 1974 death of 16-year-old Nancy Wilcox as a possible Bundy case. DNA technology has already helped close another Bundy cold case earlier in 2026.