An unsolved death has now been linked to one of the world's most infamous serial killers.
New DNA testing has conclusively proven that the death of Laura Ann Aime, a 17-year-old teenager from Utah who went missing on Halloween night in 1974, was at the hands of Ted Bundy.
Bundy was an active serial killer primarily between 1974 and 1978, kidnapping, raping and murdering numerous young women across various states, before his final arrest in 1978. He was executed in Florida in January 1989.
Here's what to know about the latest development.
© InstagramWhat happened to Laura Ann?
Laura went missing on Halloween night 51 years ago, when she left a party alone to go to a convenience store. Her body was found one month later by hikers on the side of a highway in American Fork Canyon.
She was found bound, beaten and without any clothing, and authorities indicated at the time that she had likely been kept alive for several days after her kidnapping.
For a long time, investigators suspected Bundy as a suspect — he is responsible for approximately eight other women's deaths in the state, and at the time, was studying law at the University of Utah — and police said he confessed to the crime prior to his 1989 execution, however the case remained open until it could be definitively proven.
© Getty ImagesHow was it proven?
Evidence from Laura's disappearance and subsequent murder was carefully preserved, and, per the Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner, forensic investigators were able to analyze that evidence to select the portions that seemed most likely to have usable DNA samples.
In 2023, Utah got new lab technology that allows investigators to extract DNA from samples, even if they are small, degraded from age, or containing DNA from more than one person. It is that technology that ultimately allowed them to identify a single male DNA profile, which was submitted to a national law enforcement database, which had Bundy's DNA, leading to a match.
Moreover, that very profile can now be used by other law enforcement agencies to tie Bundy to other unsolved killings long suspected to have been committed by him.
© Getty ImagesWhat has been said
Laura's sister Michelle Impala, who was only 12 years old when her older sister died, speaking during a news conference on Wednesday, shared: "It's really quite amazing that people are even still interested in Laura's case," adding: "Know I speak for my family when I thank you, and thank you media, too, for even caring."
Utah County sheriff's Sgt. Mike Reynolds, also speaking during the news conference, said: "Laura Aime is the quintessential daughter of Utah County," maintaining: "We felt the pain the family [felt] 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."
Bundy's victims
Before his death, Bundy confessed to 36 murders, across Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Florida, and California, however some criminologists have suspected his murder count to be upwards of 100.
