Utah Closes 1974 Melissa Ann Smith Homicide Case

Utah authorities have closed the 1974 homicide investigation into 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith’s death, saying DNA evidence and other investigative findings show Ted Bundy was responsible. Summit County officials announced the conclusion on October 27, 2026, 52 years after Smith’s body was found near Park City. Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson said DNA profiles from evidence in Smith’s case and the case of Laura Ann Aime, another 17-year-old Bundy victim, matched. Investigators compared evidence from the two cases after authorities linked Aime’s killing to Bundy earlier in 2026. Olson said investigators also considered pattern, motive, means and opportunity in reaching their conclusion. Smith’s homicide had remained open, with no suspect officially named. She was last seen on October 18, 1974, and her body was discovered by a hunter on October 27 in the Summit Park area. She was the daughter of Midvale’s police chief at the time. The comparison between the Smith and Aime evidence followed the earlier identification of Bundy in Aime’s case. Authorities said the DNA connection, alongside other evidence, allowed them to close Smith’s investigation. The reports describe the...