New DNA testing has definitively linked the unsolved death of a Utah teenager in 1974 to the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, announced the local sheriff’s office on Wednesday.
Laura Ann Aime, just 17 years old, went missing on Halloween night 51 years ago after leaving a party alone to buy some snacks at a nearby convenience store. A month later, her body was found along the side of a highway, bound and beaten, without clothing.
Authorities long suspected Bundy's involvement based on various evidence, including his verbal admissions prior to his execution. However, the case remained unsolved for decades, waiting for definitive proof. Bundy, who was one of the most notorious serial killers in U.S. history, was linked to at least 30 murders of women and girls across several states during the 1970s. His horrific crimes often occurred in public spaces and targeted young women, leaving the nation in fear.
At the time of Aime’s murder, Bundy was living in Salt Lake City and attending law school at the University of Utah.
“Laura Aime is the quintessential daughter of Utah County. 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,” said Utah County sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Reynolds during a news conference.
