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Cold case solved after five decades
Utah authorities have officially closed the 1974 murder of 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime after new DNA testing confirmed serial killer Ted Bundy as her assailant, the Utah County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday.
Discovery and investigation
Aime vanished after leaving a Halloween party in 1974. Hikers found her body a month later in American Fork Canyon. Despite Bundy's 1989 execution in Florida-where he confessed to the killing-authorities kept the case open, awaiting definitive proof.
"We elected to keep this case open until investigators could prove, without a shadow of doubt, that he was her killer," Sheriff Mike Smith said in a statement.
DNA breakthrough
Advanced forensic testing recently matched DNA evidence from Aime's remains to Bundy, the sheriff's office confirmed. "The DNA testing confirmed irrefutably that DNA evidence recovered from Laura's body verified the existence of DNA belonging to Bundy," the statement read.
Smith noted that prosecutors would have sought the death penalty if Bundy were still alive.
Bundy's killing spree
Bundy murdered at least 30 women between 1974 and 1978 across the U.S., with victims in Washington, Colorado, Utah, and Florida. At the time of Aime's death, he was living in Salt Lake City and attending law school at the University of Utah.
Known for his charm and deception, Bundy often lured victims by feigning injury or seeking help before attacking them in secluded areas.
Bundy's criminal history
Arrested in 1975 for kidnapping, Bundy received a 15-year sentence but escaped twice in 1977-first by leaping from a prison library window, then after a brief recapture. He continued killing until his final arrest in 1978.
Remembering Laura Aime
The sheriff's statement described Aime as an "outgoing free spirit" who loved outdoor activities, horseback riding, hunting, and caring for her siblings. Her case closure brings long-awaited resolution to her family and community.
"This case is now officially closed,"
Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith
