TRUE CRIME. REAL STORIES.
THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE DECODER THE DAILY BRIEF
THE DECODER.

BEYOND THE HEADLINE.
INSIDE THE STORY.

// COLD CASES · 1 MIN READ

Utah authorities link Ted Bundy to Melissa Ann Smith's 1974 murder

Summit County officials announced the closure of the investigation on October 27, citing DNA analysis and other evidence linking Bundy to Smith's death.

THE DECODER NEWSROOM PUBLISHED 3 NOVEMBER 2026 · UPDATED 4 NOVEMBER 2026
Ted Bundy in a historical Florida Department of Corrections booking photograph.Ted Bundy · FILE PHOTO
Ted Bundy in a February 13, 1980 booking photograph. Historical image accompanying the Smith investigation.Photo: Florida Department of Corrections / State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory
Development
27 October 2026
Coverage
Cold-case development
Current status
Investigation updated
Source record
3 verified sources
Detailed case report · Facts are attributed to the linked court, agency and reporting records. Allegations remain allegations unless a court has returned a verdict.

Investigation closed

Utah authorities announced on October 27 that DNA analysis and other evidence had established Ted Bundy's responsibility for the 1974 murder of Melissa Ann Smith.

Summit County Sheriff Kacey Bates and County Attorney Margaret Olson presented the findings at a news conference, KPCW reported. Smith was 17 when she disappeared. Her body was found near Summit Park on October 27, 1974. [2]

DNA comparison followed another case

According to ABC4 Utah's report carried by AOL, investigators developed a DNA profile in the killing of Laura Ann Aime and matched it to Bundy's known DNA from Florida.

On July 14, 2026, the Utah State Crime Lab compared evidence from the Aime and Smith investigations. Authorities said the match, together with evidence about the crimes' circumstances, established Bundy's responsibility. The county attorney's office reviewed and cleared the Smith case in October, ABC4 reported. [3]

Smith disappeared in Midvale

Smith disappeared after leaving a Midvale pizza restaurant on October 18, 1974, and was found nine days later, according to KPCW. She was the daughter of the city's then police chief, Louis Smith.

ABC4 reported that investigators notified her next of kin about the resolution. Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989. [2] [3]

Sources & further reading

  1. Official cold-case press conference recording, linked by True Crime News ↗Summit County, Utah · Date not stated · Primary source
  2. DNA analysis solves Ted Bundy cold case in Summit County ↗KPCW · 2026-10-27
  3. Summit County connects 1974 cold case to serial killer Ted Bundy ↗ABC4 Utah, via AOL · 2026-10-27
// THE CONVERSATION

Reader comments.

Keep it respectful and relevant to the report. No personal information, harassment or unsupported accusations. Comments are readers’ views.

Loading your sign-in status…

THE DECODER.