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DNA Links Ted Bundy to 1974 Murder After 52 Years

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Utah authorities linked Ted Bundy to Melissa Ann Smith’s 1974 murder.
Y-STR DNA from Smith matched Bundy’s Florida profile and Laura Ann Aime’s case.
The match was announced on Oct. 27, 2026, 52 years after the body was found.
Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said the case proves preserving evidence matters.
Detectives continue probing Nancy Wilcox’s 1974 disappearance, noting Bundy’s confession but lacking proof.

History

Sir Alec Jeffreys’ 1985 breakthrough in DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester allowed police to match Colin Pitchfork’s DNA to semen from two 1980s murders, securing the first conviction using genetic profiling in 1987. The technique’s evolution into STR-based databases, which held about 5.6 million profiles by 2020, now underpins worldwide cold-case investigations.

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Sir Alec Jeffreys’ 1985 breakthrough in DNA fingerprinting at the University of Leicester allowed police to match Colin Pitchfork’s DNA to semen from two 1980s murders, securing the first conviction using genetic profiling in 1987. The technique’s evolution into STR-based databases, which held about 5.6 million profiles by 2020, now underpins worldwide cold-case investigations.

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