92-year-old man arrested and found guilty of mur.ering woman born 133 years ago due to new DNA evidence

A 92-year-old man, Ryland Headley, has been convicted of raping and murdering 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in what is believed to be the UK’s oldest cold case to go to trial. Louisa, a mother of two, was killed nearly 60 years ago in 1967.

Her neighbors grew worried when she wasn’t seen outside her home as usual. Upon checking, they discovered her body inside, with visible injuries and signs of sexual assault, including her underwear around her ankles and blood from her ear.

At the time, investigators found semen and palm prints at the scene, but the lack of DNA testing in 1967 meant the case went unsolved. A postmortem revealed abrasions on her face, indicating she had been smothered.

Detective Inspector Dave Marchant noted that the initial investigation was extensive, involving over 19,000 palm print checks and thousands of interviews. However, Headley was overlooked because he lived outside the primary search area.

The case was revisited in 2024, and advancements in forensic technology allowed police to identify Headley through a DNA match, showing it was billions of times more likely the DNA belonged to him than anyone else. His palm prints also matched.

Headley, arrested in November 2024, had previous convictions for two rapes committed roughly ten years after Louisa’s murder. Prosecutors argued this pattern demonstrated a disturbing tendency toward similar crimes.

A jury found Headley guilty of both rape and murder. DI Marchant emphasized the value of reopening cold cases, saying this case proves justice can still be achieved decades later.