Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to murder of police chief’s 17-year-old daughter

Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to murder of police chief's 17-year-old daughter Utah authorities linked Bundy to the 1974 death of Melissa Ann Smith, 17, months after confirming he was responsible for the death 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime that same year.

Key points

• Additionally in November 1974, Bundy kidnapped and murdered 17-year-old Debra Kent north of Salt Lake City in Bountiful.
• Utah authorities linked Ted Bundy to the 1974 death of Melissa Ann Smith, a case that was unsolved for over 50 years.
• Salt Lake County Detective Ben Pender remarked during Tuesday's news conference that office-holders additionally believe Bundy may be responsible for the killing of 16-year-old cheerleader Nancy Wilcox.
• He's estimated to have killed anywhere between 20 and 100 women in at least seven states, including California, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Florida.
• Utah authorities definitively linked Bundy to Aime's 1974 murder for the first time in April.

More than 50 years after hunters discovered the body of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith in Utah, office-holders have determined that notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was responsible for her murder.

In practice, the announcement comes 52 years to the day after the hunters discovered Smith's body in a wooded area on Oct. 27, 1974. Smith, the daughter of the police chief of Salt Lake City suburb Midvale at the time, had last been seen at a restaurant just south of Salt Lake City in Midvale that month.

In practice, the Utah State Crime Lab concluded on July 14 that a DNA profile recovered from Smith's body matched a profile from the body of another Bundy victim, 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime, remarked Summit County Attorney Margaret Olson during a news conference on Oct. 27. Utah authorities definitively linked Bundy to Aime's 1974 murder for the first time in April.

"This DNA evidence, when considered alongside evidence related to pattern, motive, means, and opportunity, establishes that Ted Bundy was responsible for Melissa Ann Smith's murder, " Olson remarked. "Although Ted Bundy is no longer alive to face prosecution, advances in forensic science and the continued dedication of law enforcement professionals have helped provide answers in a case that has remained unsolved for over 50 years."

Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera remarked the case demonstrates the importance of retaining evidence, even decades afterwards. According to She, when a Summit County detective reached out to her agency in June 2025, a Salt Lake detective was able to locate original investigative reports and evidence that assisted connect the cases.

"It's super important for law enforcement to do their due diligence to solve a case, " Rivera remarked. "We owe that to the families of these cold cases."

Bundy confessed to regarding 30 murders, including Aime's and Smith's, but wasn't convicted of numerous of them since he declined to provide any details concerning crime scenes and authorities suspected he was lying to gain more infamy. He's estimated to have killed anywhere between 20 and 100 women in at least seven states, including California, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Florida.

Bundy was convicted of three of the murders, including that of a 12-year-old girl named Kimberly Leach. He was executed by the electric chair in Florida in 1989. In the days leading up to his execution, he created tearful last-minute confessions to authorities from a number of states in futile hopes of winning a delay, according to archived news reports.

On the eve of his execution, Bundy spoke with detectives from Utah, Idaho and Washington. But they weren't necessarily buying what he was selling.

"Ted Bundy is a conniver and he's a mass killer, " Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth remarked at the time, according to an archived story in the Washington Post. "He's trying to manipulate the system again."

Salt Lake County Detective Ben Pender remarked during Tuesday's news conference that office-holders additionally believe Bundy may be responsible for the killing of 16-year-old cheerleader Nancy Wilcox. This person was last seen alive in Bundy's yellow Volkswagen on Oct. 3, 1974. That case is still under investigation.

October and November 1974 was a particularly busy time in Utah for the prolific serial killer. Another woman, Carol Daronch, testified that Bundy kidnapped her from a shopping center parking lot on Nov. 8, 1974. She remarked he handcuffed her and had her in his Volkswagen when she escaped by jumping out of the car.

Bundy, a law school dropout, questioned Daronch himself for hours during his Colorado trial for the 1975 murder of Caryn Campbell, according to an archived news report by United Press International.

"Miss Daronch, " he informed her at one point, "I feel very sorry for you but you've made a mistake."

Daronch didn't flinch and informed Bundy she was certain that he was her kidnapper: "You can't change your face."

Additionally in November 1974, Bundy kidnapped and murdered 17-year-old Debra Kent north of Salt Lake City in Bountiful. Kent had been with her parents at a high school play when she left during intermission to pick up her brother and was never seen again.

Authorities stated Smith's remaining living relatives declined to attend Tuesday's news conference or otherwise speak to reporters.

Smith was the daughter of Midvale's police chief, Louis Smith. This person resigned from the department six years after his daughter's murder and died three years after that. His other daughter, Jolene, died in 2014 and his wife, Joan, died in 2024, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

Utah County Sheriff's Office Sgt. According to Mike Reynolds, "the hearts and minds of our county mourn" Smith's loss.

One thing remains after all these decades after the murders of the teenage girls, Reynolds stated, and that's "the wake of pain and sorrow that was left behind for the victims' family and community members."

He continued: "With every case closure, may we stomp the memory of Ted Bundy out." This story has been updated to add new information.

Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime and courts reporter who covers the death penalty, cold cases and breaking news for USA TODAY. Follow her on X at @amandaleeusat. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, serial killer Ted Bundy linked to murder of police chiefs 17-year is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.