After DNA evidence linked Ted Bundy to the murder of a Utah teenager in 1974, an investigator has cautioned that the infamous serial killer’s victim count may still rise.
Bundy was linked to the brutal murder of Utah 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith through DNA evidence, investigators announced on Tuesday, per the Associated Press. Bundy was executed by electric chair on Jan. 24, 1989.
The announcement came nearly seven months after Spanish Fork, Utah, authorities announced that DNA evidence connected Bundy to the murder of another 1974 murder of another 17-year-old Utah teenager, Laura Ann Aime.
After authorities linked Bundy to the murder of Smith, Detective Ben Pender of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office told Fox News Digital that there may be other victims of Bundy’s chilling murder that have yet to be identified.
“There may be more victims out there that we’re not even aware of, and I think there’s always been that speculation,” Pender said. “We’re gonna hold on to this evidence, and we’re gonna utilize it in cases that we believe may be connected to see if we can’t resolve not only our case, but anybody else who may have a case with Bundy.”
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Smith was spotted at a pizza parlor and later a restaurant in Murray, Utah, on Oct. 18, 1974. Nine days later, a hunter found her body in a wooded area in Summit Park.
Ted Bundy’s Confirmed Victim Count Is Still Unknown
(Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)
Officially, Bundy was only convicted of three murders before his 1989 execution. However, he confessed to committing more than 30 murders, reportedly implying that the number was 37.
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