Utah authorities set to link Ted Bundy to 1974 death of Melissa Ann Smith
Summit County, Utah, authorities were due to announce on Tuesday how they linked Ted Bundy to another decades-old killing and why they are closing the case. The victim has not been officially named, though coverage points to 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, who died in 1974.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Utah authorities were set to announce on Tuesday 27 October that serial killer Ted Bundy has been linked to another decades-old murder. The IndependentLC “Serial killer Ted Bundy has been connected to another murder in Utah, with authorities set to reveal how they linked him to the killing at a news conference Tuesday.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “Utah authorities are expected to link notorious serial killer Ted Bundy to another decades-old homicide Tuesday” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The Summit County sheriff and county attorney are to explain the investigation, the findings that led to the conclusion, and the decision to close the case. The IndependentLC “will provide information regarding the investigation, the findings that led to this conclusion, and the decision to close the case,” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “Officials are also expected to explain why investigators are closing the decades-old case.” Read at Fox News ↗ Mixed · 2The victim's identity has not been officially released, but both outlets point to the 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith, which has long been an open cold case; Fox News attributes this to the Associated Press. The IndependentLC “Authorities have not yet announced the victim's identity, though the local 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith has long remained an open cold case.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “The victim's identity has not been released, though the 1974 death of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith has long been listed as a cold case, The Associated Press reported.” Read at Fox News ↗
Mixed · 2The announcement follows one in April, when Utah County authorities used DNA evidence to link Bundy to the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime, who disappeared after leaving a Halloween party on 31 October 1974. Fox NewsR “Tuesday's announcement comes about six months after authorities in Utah County used DNA evidence to link Bundy to the 1974 killing of 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime.” Read at Fox News ↗ The IndependentLC “Earlier this year in April, Utah authorities announced that Bundy was responsible for killing Aime, who disappeared on Halloween in 1974.” Read at The Independent ↗ Right · 1In the Aime case, investigators developed a male DNA profile from bodily fluids on her remains, entered it into the CODIS database, got a match in Florida, and further analysis tied it to Bundy; the Utah County Sheriff's Office later shared the profile with other agencies hoping to identify more victims. Fox NewsR “The profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, which produced a match in Florida. Additional analysis ultimately linked the DNA to Bundy.”“The Utah County Sheriff's Office later shared the DNA profile with other law enforcement agencies in hopes of identifying more of Bundy's victims.” Read at Fox News ↗ Left · 1Before Bundy's 1989 execution, a Salt Lake County homicide detective interviewed him about Smith, Aime, and the disappearances of Nancy Wilcox, Debby Kent and Nancy Baird; according to Utah station KTVX, he admitted killing Kent and Wilcox, denied killing Baird, and said he could not place Aime or Smith. The IndependentLC “Bundy admitted to killing Kent and Wilcox but denied killing Baird, according to local Utah news station KTVX.”“Bundy said he had a hard time “placing the names” when it came to Aime and Smith and was unable to remember encountering either of them.” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2Bundy murdered at least 30 women and girls in the 1970s across several states, and was executed in Florida's electric chair in 1989; in his last days he confessed to crimes previously unknown to police, though not all have been verified. The IndependentLC “During the 1970s, Bundy murdered at least 30 women and girls across several states, while others escaped his attacks or survived with injuries.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fox NewsR “In his final days, Bundy confessed to a series of killings, including crimes that had previously been unknown to police, though not all of the cases have been confirmed.” Read at Fox News ↗ Right · 1Fox News adds that he was sentenced to death for killing two Florida State University students and received a second death sentence for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl, and that he has been tied to killings in Florida, Utah, Colorado, Oregon and Washington between 1974 and 1978. Fox NewsR “He has been linked to killings in Florida, Utah, Colorado, Oregon and Washington between 1974 and 1978.”“received another death sentence the following year for the rape and murder of a 12-year-old girl.” Read at Fox News ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- The Independent frames the story around the growing tally of Bundy's confirmed victims as DNA technology advances, with Bundy's pre-execution interview statements.
- Emphasis
- Bundy's 1989 detective interview, his admissions and denials, and the rising victim count.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not explain the April DNA method (CODIS match) or Bundy's second death sentence.
- Charged language
- “victim tally continues to grow”
- For example
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“Despite Bundy being dead for nearly 40 years, the count of his confirmed victims keeps rising as DNA testing technology advances.” — The Independent
Centre2 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right3 outlets
- Framing
- Fox News leads with the expected announcement and builds on the Aime DNA case, with detail on the crime and legal history.
- Emphasis
- How DNA and CODIS solved the Aime case, graphic crime details, Bundy's convictions and geographic reach; includes links to other true-crime stories.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits Bundy's 1989 statements that he could not place Aime or Smith, and the other missing women he was questioned about.
- Charged language
- “notorious serial killer”“grisly”
What every side reports
- Utah authorities were due to hold a news conference on Tuesday linking Bundy to another decades-old killing.
- The victim had not been officially named; 1974 cold case of 17-year-old Melissa Ann Smith is the likely case.
- Bundy was linked in April to the killing of Laura Ann Aime via DNA.
- Bundy killed at least 30 women and girls and was executed in Florida in 1989.
Where accounts differ
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Date of Bundy's Florida State University convictions/killings
- Left
- The Independent says he was executed for the 1978 homicides of two women at the Chi Omega sorority house.
- Right
- Fox News says he was convicted and sentenced to death for murdering two FSU students in 1979 (the year of sentencing rather than the killings).
Left2 articles
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Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to another murder as victim tally continues to grow
Neutral Concise report on the pending announcement, stressing Bundy's own past statements and the continuing rise in confirmed victims.
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Centre2 articles
Right3 articles
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Ted Bundy expected to be linked to another decades-old homicide nearly 40 years after his execution
Neutral Detailed preview of the announcement, recapping the Aime DNA case and Bundy's crimes, with true-crime promotional links embedded.
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New York PostR · · via AP
Ted Bundy connected to 1974 murder of 17-year-old girl in Utah by DNA evidence: police
- 27 Oct 15:44 First IJRRC Utah to close decades-old case linking Ted Bundy to 1970s killing
- 27 Oct 17:00 +1h 17m The IndependentLC Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to another murder as victim tally continues to grow
- 27 Oct 17:51 +2h 7m Fox NewsR Ted Bundy expected to be linked to another decades-old homicide nearly 40 years after his execution
- 27 Oct 18:46 +3h 3m Hindustan TimesN Utah authorities are connecting serial killer Ted Bundy to another 1970s homicide via AP
- 27 Oct 18:54 +3h 10m CBS NewsLC Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to another Utah girl's cold case murder
- 27 Oct 19:24 +3h 40m South China Morning PostN Serial killer Ted Bundy linked to death of US teen after over 50 years via AP
- 27 Oct 19:25 +3h 41m New York PostR Ted Bundy connected to 1974 murder of 17-year-old girl in Utah by DNA evidence: police via AP
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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