New DNA testing links 1974 unsolved death of Utah teen to serial killer Ted Bundy, sheriff says

By — Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press By — Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Rebecca Boone, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter New DNA testing links 1974 unsolved death of Utah teen to serial killer Ted Bundy, sheriff says Nation Updated on Apr 1, 2026 4:09 PM EDT — Published on Apr 1, 2026 4:02 PM EDT SALT LAKE CITY — New DNA testing has definitively linked the unsolved death of a Utah teenager in 1974 to the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, the local sheriff's office said Wednesday. Laura Ann Aime, 17, went missing Halloween night 51 years ago after she left a party alone to go to a convenience store. About a month later, her body was found by hikers on the side of a highway in American Fork Canyon. Aime was bound, beaten and without clothing. Authorities said the evidence indicated that she had likely been kept alive for several days after her abduction. Investigators long suspected that Bundy was responsible — police said he verbally acknowledged his culpability leading up to his execution in Florida in 1989 — but the case remained open until they could be certain. Bundy was one of the nation's most prolific serial killers, with at least 30 women and girls' deaths linked to him in several states in the 1970s. His murders — which occurred in sorority houses, parks and elsewhere — set the nation on edge. Bundy's arrest drew widespread fascination, in part because many considered him to be charming and handsome. Aime's family described her as a free spirit who loved the outdoors and found joy in everything she did. "Laura Aime is the quintessential daughter of Utah County," Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Mike Reynolds said in a news conference earlier Wednesday. "We felt the pain the family feels when she was taken. We felt the pain that you felt this whole entire time, and we've had the desire to deliver to you some type of healing...