New Dna Testing Links Unsolved Death Of Utah Teen In 1974 To Serial Killer Ted Bundy

SALT LAKE CITY — New DNA testing has definitively linked nan unsolved decease of a Utah teen successful 1974 to nan infamous serial slayer Ted Bundy, nan section sheriff’s agency said Wednesday.

Laura Ann Aime, 17, went missing Halloween nighttime 51 years agone aft she near a statement unsocial to spell to a convenience store. About a period later, her assemblage was recovered by hikers connected nan broadside of a road successful American Fork Canyon. Aime was bound, beaten and without clothing. Authorities said nan grounds indicated that she had apt been kept live for respective days aft her abduction.

Investigators agelong suspected that Bundy was responsible — constabulary said he verbally acknowledged his culpability starring up to his execution successful Florida successful 1989 — but nan lawsuit remained unfastened until they could beryllium certain.

Bundy was 1 of nan nation’s most prolific serial killers, pinch astatine slightest 30 women and girls’ deaths linked to him successful respective states successful nan 1970s. His murders — which occurred successful sorority houses, parks and elsewhere — group nan federation connected edge. Bundy’s apprehension drew wide fascination, successful portion because galore considered him to beryllium charming and handsome.

Investigators had cautiously preserved nan grounds from Aime’s case, and forensic investigators were capable to analyse that grounds to prime nan portions that seemed astir apt to person usable DNA samples, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said.

The authorities crime laboratory sewage caller exertion successful 2023 that allows investigators to extract DNA from samples moreover if they are small, degraded from property aliases incorporate DNA from aggregate people, he said. That exertion allowed them to place a azygous antheral DNA profile, which they submitted to a nationalist rule enforcement database.

Bundy’s DNA was a match, Mason said.

Aime’s family described her arsenic a free tone who loved nan outdoors and recovered joyousness successful everything she did.

“Laura Aime is nan quintessential girl of Utah County,” Utah County sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Reynolds said successful a news convention earlier Wednesday. “We felt nan symptom nan family feels erstwhile she was taken. We felt nan symptom that you felt this full entire time, and we’ve had nan desire to present to you immoderate type of healing, we can’t really opportunity closure.”

It’s not known erstwhile Bundy first began his attacks, but by 1974, young women — galore of them assemblage students — began disappearing successful Washington state. Authorities were still investigating those cases erstwhile Bundy moved to Salt Lake City, and began sidesplitting group successful Utah, Idaho and Colorado.

At nan clip of Aime’s killing, Bundy was studying rule astatine nan University of Utah.

In August 1975, he was arrested for nan first clip successful relationship pinch nan attacks. Police pulled him complete and recovered incriminating items successful his conveyance including rope, handcuffs and a skis mask.

He was recovered blameworthy nan pursuing twelvemonth of kidnapping and assaulting a teen successful Utah who had managed to get away. Bundy was sentenced to 15 years successful situation for that crime, and while imprisoned he was charged successful relationship pinch nan earlier decease of a nursing student.

He was brought to Aspen, Colo., for a proceeding successful that lawsuit successful 1977, and he escaped custody by climbing retired a second-story courthouse model erstwhile he was near unsocial for a time. He was caught astir a week later, but escaped again six months later by breaking done nan ceiling of a jail.

That clip Bundy fled crossed nan country, yet making his measurement to Tallahassee, Fla. On Jan. 15, 1977, he entered nan Chi Omega sorority location astatine Florida State University, bludgeoning 2 women to decease pinch a ample branch and leaving 2 much severely injured. He past went to different location nearby, severely injuring different woman.

Less than a period later, he abducted, sexually assaulted and killed a 12-year-old woman successful Lake City, Fla. Kimberly Leach was believed to beryllium his last victim: Bundy was pulled complete successful Pensacola while driving a stolen vehicle, and arrested. His DNA was later collected successful Florida.

Schoenbaum and Boone constitute for nan Associated Press. Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.