Recent developments in a similar case and advances in forensic science linked the death of Melissa Ann Smith, 17, to one of the nation’s most notorious serial killers, officials said.

© Associated Press

Discovery comes months after Utah county detectives confirmed that Bundy had killed another Utah girl that year

The notorious serial killer Ted Bundy has been found responsible, through DNA evidence, for the murder of a 17-year-old Utah girl who went missing in 1974 before her nude body was found days later, state authorities announced at a Tuesday news conference.

The breakthrough in the investigation of Melissa Ann Smith’s death comes months after Utah county detectives confirmed in April that Bundy had killed another Utah girl, 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime, in 1974.

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© Photograph: Ken Hawkins/Alamy

© Photograph: Ken Hawkins/Alamy

© Photograph: Ken Hawkins/Alamy

More inclement weather forecast in rain-soaked Four Corners region after evacuations and rescues last week

Another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms were expected to hit the south-west US on Sunday after the region endured days of rain that forced evacuations, water rescues and multi-million-dollar damage.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the Four Corners – the meeting point of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah – even as local officials forecast further receding of swollen rivers that surged since rains picked up on Wednesday.

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© Photograph: Emilija Jefremova/Reuters

© Photograph: Emilija Jefremova/Reuters

© Photograph: Emilija Jefremova/Reuters

State veterinarian attempted to get help from federal government but was told USDA didn’t regulate mink farms

An outbreak of bird flu at a mink farm in Utah – and the response from its owner and regulators – have sparked concerns from infectious disease experts about the Trump administration’s ability to manage such viruses.

While the mink becoming sick is unlikely to produce a “tidal wave of human infections”, an apparent lack of transparency from government officials about the infections is very troubling, said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiology professor and director of the pandemic center at Brown University School of Public Health.

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© Photograph: Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters

© Photograph: Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters

© Photograph: Alexandros Avramidis/Reuters

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,588 cases across the country, more than double the tally in 2025

Federal health authorities reported an additional 178 cases of measles in the US this week, as the vaccine-preventable illness continues to sicken people across at least 43 outbreaks.

The new data reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) comes as experts criticize the agency for lack of transparency, and as health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr takes steps to further upend US vaccine infrastructure.

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© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

© Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

At least one injured after flooding in Four Corners region – which includes Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah

Severe flooding in the Four Corners region on Friday led to water rescues – some from rooftops – and impassable roads, with some residents being told to evacuate low-lying areas of Colorado and New Mexico and others advised to shelter in place until water levels go down.

It followed several busy days of flooding in the region that swamped dozens of homes in Utah. Earlier in the week, tornadoes blew off roofs, knocked trees on to houses and downed power lines in Arizona. At least one person was injured.

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© Photograph: South Fork Fire Rescue/AP

© Photograph: South Fork Fire Rescue/AP

© Photograph: South Fork Fire Rescue/AP

A police officer shoved a woman to the ground and arrested her after a protest against datacenters at a Utah county commission meeting. A statement from the Utah county sheriff's office said that the woman refused to leave the meeting and struck the officer in the groin before being arrested

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© Photograph: UT for the People Not Tech Billionaires!/Instagram

© Photograph: UT for the People Not Tech Billionaires!/Instagram

© Photograph: UT for the People Not Tech Billionaires!/Instagram

Newly released video by the Park City police department shows the moment K-9 dog Bruno jumped from a freeway overpass while inspecting a suspicious package on 15 September. An independent review found that the handler, officer Wayne Henderson, deployed Bruno in line with standard K-9 tactics. Bruno was air-lifted to a veterinary hospital after the incident and has been released to recover at home.

• Video shows moment Utah police dog seriously injured in leap from overpass

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© Photograph: Park City government

© Photograph: Park City government

© Photograph: Park City government

Bomb-sniffing dog Bruno is recovering after surgery having broken several bones while responding to suspect package

Video of the moment a police dog named Bruno leapt from a freeway overpass and received serious injuries has been released by authorities in Utah, as the animal continues to recover at home.

Bruno, a bomb-sniffing dog, suffered two broken legs and a fractured jaw in the September incident as he helped Utah state troopers investigate a suspicious package found abandoned on the roadside in Summit county.

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© Photograph: Park City Government via YouTube

© Photograph: Park City Government via YouTube

© Photograph: Park City Government via YouTube

El Niño will likely shift weather patterns to bring more rain, but much snow still isn’t forecast for the northern states

Winter in the United States looks like it will generally be wetter and warmer, but not necessarily snowier, according to the federal government’s seasonal outlook and other meteorologists’ forecasts. You can thank or blame El Niño.

El Niño is likely to shift weather patterns to bring more moisture, but with it higher temperatures. That should help erase persistent western drought, but it is unlikely to make northern snow-lovers happy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said on Thursday.

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© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

© Photograph: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/Getty Images

A fight over a datacentre in Utah has been a testing ground for citizens’ assemblies, paving the way to oversight

What’s your “(p)doom” – the percentage chance that rogue AI will create an existential catastrophe? Judging by their recent warnings, it is rising among tech bosses.

On 25 September, OpenAI paused training of its latest frontier models as reports of AI agents going rogue mounted. A day later, Australia’s Senate asked the bosses of OpenAI and Anthropic to appear before an inquiry after rogue OpenAI agents broke into US government websites and an Australian health portal. Both declined.

Richard Wilson is the CEO of Iswe Foundation and Clara Long is the co-executive director of the Bloom Project

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© Photograph: Erik Isakson/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

© Photograph: Erik Isakson/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

© Photograph: Erik Isakson/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

The five victims in Richmond, Utah, included four minors whose ages ranged from 5 to 16, the police said. The causes of their deaths were not immediately clear.