Published

Crime02 April, 20261 min read

New DNA Tech Confirms Ted Bundy Killed Utah Teen Laura Aime

DNA testing definitively links Ted Bundy to Laura Ann Aime's 1974 Utah murder. Utah County Sheriff: case officially closed; Bundy identified as killer.

New DNA Tech Confirms Ted Bundy Killed Utah Teen Laura Aime
Image: WTAP

Cold Case Closed

Utah authorities closed the 51-year-old cold case of Laura Ann Aime. She disappeared on Halloween night 1974 after leaving a party to buy cigarettes. Her bound, beaten, and naked body was found less than a month later.

Bundy had confessed prior to his 1989 execution but no physical evidence previously tied him. New extraction techniques allowed isolation of a DNA profile that matched Bundy.

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Image: ABC
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Details of the Crime

Aime was found on Thanksgiving Day by hikers in American Fork Canyon. She had been strangled, raped, and murdered. Investigators believed she had been kept alive for several days after abduction.

Bundy’s modus operandi was consistent with the evidence. Bundy confessed but struggled to recall whether Aime was among his victims.

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Image: ABC News
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Impact and Reaction

Bundy was studying law at the University of Utah at the time of Aime's murder. He went on to kill at least 30 women and girls across several states.

The case underscores how advances in forensic science can solve long-cold crimes. The Sheriff's Office acknowledged the emotional toll on Aime's loved ones.