Utah authorities announced on April 1, 2026 that advanced DNA testing has definitively linked notorious serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 abduction and killing of 17-year-old Laura Ann Aime. Aime disappeared after leaving a Halloween party on Oct. 31, 1974; hikers found her bound and beaten near State Road 92 in American Fork Canyon on Thanksgiving Day that year. Investigators preserved evidence from the original probe and used forensic technology acquired by the Utah Bureau of Forensic Services in 2023 to extract a single male DNA profile from degraded, mixed samples. That profile matched Bundy’s DNA held in a national database. Bundy, executed in Florida in 1989, had previously given a verbal admission that investigators declined to accept as sufficient; with the new results the Utah County Sheriff’s Office formally closed the case. Officials said the newly obtained profile will be available to other agencies reviewing unsolved killings suspected to involve Bundy, and family members expressed relief that decades of uncertainty have ended.

President Donald Trump made a historic and contentious appearance at the U.S. Supreme Court on April 1, attending oral arguments in a landmark case challenging birthright citizenship. Trump, the first sitting president known to attend Supreme Court arguments, sat in the public gallery amid protests, then left partway through the session. The case centers on his 2025 executive order seeking to deny automatic U.S. citizenship to children born on U.S. soil to noncitizen parents — a policy blocked by lower courts. Solicitor General D. John Sauer, arguing for the administration, faced fierce questioning from justices including Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Neil Gorsuch, and struggled with hypotheticals about Native Americans and the scope of “jurisdiction.” ACLU lawyers invoked long-standing precedent including United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898); ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, who sat behind Trump, said the president appeared “fidgeting” and requested a seat move. Observers said the justices’ skepticism suggested a likely defeat or narrow ruling against the administration. The court is expected to rule by early summer, a decision with major legal and political stakes.

The BBC has dismissed long‑time presenter Scott Mills after obtaining “new information” linked to a historical police investigation. Mills’ contracts were terminated on March 27, the corporation said, and the decision was publicly addressed by outgoing director‑general Tim Davie during an all‑staff call on April 2. Davie said recently revealed details — including that the complainant in a police probe dating back to the late 1990s was under 16 — made the action “very clear.” Police records show an allegation was first referred in 2016, Mills was interviewed under caution in 2018 and the Crown Prosecution Service concluded in 2019 there was insufficient evidence to charge. Mills has said he “fully cooperated” with the inquiry and issued a statement via lawyers. The BBC has begun reviewing what senior staff knew about the earlier investigation. The fallout has seen Mills removed from upcoming projects, a charity ending a partnership and the removal of a commemorative plaque at Fleet Services on April 2. The broadcaster has named replacements for affected programmes and says it acted in line with its culture and values.

A seven-month-old girl, identified by local media as Kaori Patterson-Moore, was fatally shot on Wednesday afternoon in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, police said. The child was in a double stroller with her two-year-old brother when two men on a moped opened fire at a group near the corner of Humboldt and Moore streets at about 1:15–1:20 p.m. The infant was struck in the head and later pronounced dead at Woodhull Hospital; her brother suffered a graze wound and was treated and released. Surveillance footage and witness accounts show the shooter firing from the rear passenger seat before the pair crashed the moped a few blocks away. A 21-year-old man was taken to hospital after the crash and is in custody; police said he will be charged with murder and attempted murder, while the driver remains the subject of an active manhunt. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said investigators believe the incident may be gang-related and are probing whether the infant’s father was the intended target. Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the killing a devastating reminder of the work needed to combat gun violence.

Investigators announced on April 1, 2026 that advanced DNA testing has conclusively tied serial killer Ted Bundy to the 1974 murder of 17‑year‑old Laura Ann Aime. Aime disappeared after a Halloween party on Oct. 31, 1974; hikers found her bound, beaten and unclothed near State Route 92 in American Fork Canyon on Thanksgiving Day that year. Evidence preserved from the original investigation was re‑examined using forensic technology acquired by Utah’s crime laboratory in 2023 that can extract profiles from small, degraded or mixed samples. Analysts isolated a single male DNA profile from bodily fluids and matched it to Bundy’s genetic record in national databases. Bundy, executed in Florida in 1989, had previously given a vague confession that Utah prosecutors declined to accept without physical proof. Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith said the case is now officially closed; the new profile will be available to other agencies investigating unsolved killings suspected to be Bundy’s work. Family members, including Aime’s sister Michelle Impala, expressed relief at long‑awaited answers after more than five decades.

A widely shared social media post on April 1 falsely announced the death of Jonathan, the Seychelles giant tortoise long resident at Plantation House on St Helena. An account on X impersonating Jonathan’s veterinarian, Joe Hollins, posted that the 193‑year‑old had died and solicited cryptocurrency donations; the message attracted nearly two million views and was picked up by multiple news outlets before being debunked. Hollins (who does not use X) and St Helena governor Nigel Phillips later confirmed Jonathan was alive and photographed on the governor’s grounds. Guinness World Records lists Jonathan as the oldest known living land animal; he was brought to St Helena in 1882 and is believed to be about 193–194 years old. Platform context notes have been added to the fake account, and several publishers updated or corrected initial reports as the story unfolded.