Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of Utah teenager, sheriff's office says

New DNA testing has "definitively" linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the unsolved death of a Utah teenager in 1974, the Utah sheriff's office said.

Laura Ann Aime, 17, went missing 51 years ago after she left a party alone. A month later, her body was found by hikers on the side of a highway in American Fork Canyon.

She was bound, beaten and without clothing.

Bundy had "verbally acknowledged" his culpability leading up to his execution in Florida in 1989 - but the case remained open until they could be certain.

US authorities decided to revisit Ms Aime's case by examining evidence from the scene to take advantage of the "evolution of criminal forensic science".

"Existing evidence was submitted to the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services so we could utilise the various forms of advanced forensic sciences and professionals," the sheriff's office said on Wednesday.

"The results were magnificent as they confirmed irrefutably that DNA evidence recovered from Laura's body verified the existence of DNA belonging to Bundy."

Bundy has been linked to at least 30 women and girls' deaths across several states in the 1970s, making him one of America's worst serial killers.

"In the days and hours leading to his execution, Bundy verbally acknowledged his culpability in the death/disappearance of Laura and others," the sheriff's office said.

"At the time of his admission, the Utah County Sheriff's Department and Utah County Attorney's Office both declined to accept Bundy's verbal accountability for Laura's homicide, as the open Utah County case was unable to satisfactorily convict Bundy based upon the evidence in possession and with the available investigative sciences for the time."

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"Laura Aime is the quintessential daughter of Utah County," Utah County sheriff's sergeant Mike Reynolds said.

"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, we can't really say closure."

Authorities said Ms Aime may have been kept alive for days or even more after her abduction.

"Laura is remembered by her family and friends to be a tall, beautiful, outgoing free spirit who enjoyed outdoor activities and shared a passion for riding horses, hunting, and caring for her several siblings," the sheriff's office said.

"Her family said that Laura was one who found joy in everything she did, making the most of her time with her family. Laura's younger siblings told stories of her abundant compassion and warmth for her family."

(c) Sky News 2026: Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to 1974 murder of Utah teenager, sheriff's office says