Laura Ann Aime has been identified as the 17-year-old victim of serial killer Ted Bundy. She disappeared after leaving a Halloween party in 1974, and her body was discovered about a month later by hikers in American Fork Canyon. On Wednesday, the Utah County Sheriff's Office announced that new tests "conclusively confirmed that DNA evidence found on Laura's body matches DNA belonging to Bundy."
Between February 1974 and February 1978, Bundy killed at least 30 women and was linked to many other murders across the country. Before his execution in Florida in 1989, Bundy confessed to Laura's murder, but because he refused to provide detailed explanations of his actual involvement in her death, the sheriff's department decided to keep the case open until investigators could prove beyond any doubt that he was her killer.
"This case is now officially closed," Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith stated during a press conference. He added that if Bundy were still alive, prosecutors would seek the death penalty against him.
Bundy is among the most notorious serial killers in America, beginning his spree by attacking victims across the Pacific Northwest. He later killed victims in Colorado, Utah, and Florida. At the time of Laura's death, he was living in Salt Lake City and studying law at the University of Utah.
According to the sheriff's statement, Laura is remembered as a "social, free-spirited person who enjoyed outdoor activities and shared a passion for horseback riding, hunting, and caring for her several siblings."
Bundy was known for often approaching women in public places, gaining their trust with his charm or feigned injuries, then luring them to isolated locations and killing them. He was first arrested in 1975 for kidnapping a woman and sentenced to 15 years in prison but escaped in 1977 by jumping through a prison library window.
He was recaptured after eight days but escaped again, continuing to kill until he was finally arrested in 1978.