LONDON – In a ruling that closes one of the UK’s oldest unresolved murder cases, a 92-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the rape and murder of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne, which occurred nearly six decades ago in 1967.
Ryland Headley, who was convicted by a jury on Monday, was handed the sentence on Tuesday by Judge Derek Sweeting, who told the court that Headley had shown a “complete disregard for human life and dignity.”
“You will never be released,” the judge said. “You will die in prison.”
A Crime Forgotten, Then Reopened
Louisa Dunne was found dead in her home just outside Bristol, England, on June 28, 1967. Neighbors grew worried after spotting her window left open and realizing she had not been seen that morning. What followed was one of the largest investigations of its time—over 19,000 fingerprints collected and 1,300 statements taken—yet the killer was never found.
Until now.
The Evidence That Changed Everything
The case was reopened in 2023 by Avon and Somerset Police, using modern forensic techniques. A blue skirt Ms. Dunne wore at the time of the attack was reanalyzed in May 2024.
What they found:
- Semen on the skirt, matched to Ryland Headley
- A palm print on her bedroom window matched to Headley after his arrest
- DNA entered into the system in 2012 from an unrelated incident was the match that cracked the case
Headley was not on the original suspect list, as he lived outside the area during the original investigation.
A History of Violence
In a chilling twist, police confirmed Headley had previously served time for two rapes in 1977, where he broke into the homes of elderly women in Ipswich, attacking and threatening them. He received a life sentence, which was later reduced—allowing him to walk free for years afterward.
A Granddaughter’s Relief and Pain
Mary Dainton, Louisa Dunne’s granddaughter, spoke outside the courtroom:
“I thought he would never be caught… It was quite a shock.”
She added that her mother—Louisa’s daughter—was never the same:
“The anxiety clouded the rest of her life. I don’t think she ever recovered from it.”
Final Words from the Court
Judge Sweeting described the victim as a “vulnerable, elderly woman living alone,” whose quiet life was shattered by a brutal act of violence. He emphasized that Headley’s force was enough to kill, and his actions “destroyed a family across generations.”