A 92-year-old man British man was found guilty on Monday for a rape and murder that happened almost 60 years ago, marking one of the UK’s longest unresolved cases.
A UK court convicted Ryland Headley for the rape and murder of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne, after he broke into her home in Bristol, located in the southwest of England, in June 1967 when he was 34 years old.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which brings criminal prosecutions, said it is “one of the oldest cold cases to ever be solved in the UK.”
In 2023, local law enforcement reopened the investigation and connected DNA found on the victim’s skirt and other items from the original inquiry to Headley, who had previously served time in prison for raping two elderly women in 1977.
He is set to be sentenced by a judge at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday.
During the original investigation, authorities discovered a left-hand palm print at Dunne’s residence, where her body was found with signs of strangulation. The palm print was analysed against 19,000 men but yielded no results.
At that time, Headley was employed as a railway worker and lived outside the area where men and boys were required to provide their prints.
After reaching a standstill, police preserved the forensic evidence for 50 years. Advances in DNA testing and a match with Headley’s palm print ultimately led to his identification.
When apprehended at his home last November, he told the detectives, “I don’t know what you are talking about. It’s very strange, very strange.”
Police have indicated that they are investigating other cold cases with which Headley may be associated.
