The Utah Sheriff’s Office said new DNA testing has “definitely” linked serial killer Ted Bundy to the unsolved death of a Utah teen in 1974.
Laura Ann Aimee, 17, disappeared after leaving a party alone 51 years ago. A month later, his body was found by hikers along a highway in American Fork Canyon.
He was tied, beaten and kept without clothes.
Bundy “verbally accepted” his sentence, which led to his execution Florida in 1989 – but the case remained open until they could be certain.
We Authorities decided to re-examine Ms. Aim’s case by examining evidence from the scene to take advantage of “advances in criminal forensic science.”
“The existing evidence was turned over to the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services so we can utilize advanced forensic science and a variety of professionals,” the sheriff’s office said Wednesday.
“The results were spectacular because they indisputably confirmed that the DNA evidence recovered from Laura’s body confirmed the existence of DNA belonging to Bundy.”
Bundy has been linked to the deaths of at least 30 women and girls in several states in the 1970s, making him one of America’s worst serial killers.
“In the days and hours before 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, both the Utah County Sheriff’s Department and the Utah County Attorney’s Office refused to accept Bundy’s verbal accountability for Laura’s murder, because the open Utah County case was unable to satisfactorily convict Bundy based on the evidence in possession and the investigative science available at the time.”
Ted Bundy is seen in cuffs after his recapture in 1977. File image: AP
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“Laura Aimee is the quintessential daughter of Utah County,” said Utah County Sheriff’s Sergeant Mike Reynolds.
“We felt the pain the family went through when he was taken. We felt the pain you felt the whole time, and while we had a desire to give you some kind of healing, we can’t really say anything about closure.”
Authorities said Ms. Aimee may have been kept alive for several days or longer after her abduction.
“Laura is remembered by her family and friends as a tall, beautiful, outgoing free spirit who enjoyed outdoor activities and was passionate about horseback riding, hunting and caring for her many siblings,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Her family said Laura was someone who found joy in everything she did, spending most of her time with her family. Laura’s younger siblings told stories of her abundant compassion and warmth for her family.”
