Investigators have formally closed a 51-year-old cold case after breakthrough DNA technology was used to link a murdered teenager to notorious serial killer Ted Bundy.
Laura Ann Aime, 17, vanished after leaving a Halloween party in 1974. She had been studying law at the University of Utah and was living in Salt Lake City.
Hikers in the American Fork Canyon found her body a month later and the case remained cold.
Between February 1974 and February 1978, Bundy killed at least 30 women. He has also been linked to more killings throughout the US.
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In 1979, he was convicted of the deaths of two women, Margaret Bowman and Lisa Levy, and was given the death penalty twice. He was later given a third death sentence for the murder of Kimberly Leach - he was executed by the electric chair in 1989.
On Wednesday, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced that new testing ‘confirmed irrefutably that DNA evidence recovered from Laura’s body verified the existence of DNA belonging to Bundy’.
Ted Bundy's confession to killing Laura Ann Aime
The serial killer confessed he killed Laura before his execution, however, he would not elaborate or give any further details about his involvement.
In a statement, the sheriff said: "The Sheriff’s Department elected to keep this case open until investigators could prove, without a shadow of doubt, that he was her killer.”
The sheriff said if Bundy were still alive, prosecutors would pursue the death penalty.
“The case is now officially closed,” Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith said during a news conference, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Laura is remembered as an ‘outgoing free spirit who enjoyed outdoor activities and shared a passion for riding horses, hunting, and caring for her several siblings,’ the sheriff’s statement said.
Ted Bundy's heinous crimes and capture
Bundy was known for approaching women in public places, often using charm or feigned injury to gain their trust before luring them to secluded areas where he would attack and kill them.
His crimes went largely unnoticed until 1975, when he was arrested following a suspicious traffic stop.
Later that year, he was convicted of kidnapping in Salt Lake City and sentenced to prison. However, in 1977, while awaiting trial on more serious charges in Colorado, Bundy escaped from custody by jumping out of a courthouse library window.
He was recaptured after several days, but later that year escaped again.
After fleeing to Florida, Bundy resumed killing before being arrested once more in 1978, bringing an end to his time on the run.
Topics: Ted Bundy, True crime, Crime, US News, Technology
Greg Harris