The cold case was solved through a DNA match from evidence collected nearly six decades ago.
A 92-year-old man, Ryland Headley, has been convicted of the 1967 rape and murder of 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in her Bristol home. The verdict, delivered at Bristol Crown Court on June 30, 2025, concludes one of the UK’s longest-running cold cases.
Forensic breakthroughs played a key role in the case. A DNA profile was retrieved from a blue skirt Dunne wore during the attack and matched against Headley’s database entry from 2012. A palm print found at the crime scene also matched his.
The jury returned a unanimous verdict for rape and a majority 10–2 verdict for murder.
Detective Inspector Dave Marchant said: “The brutal murder and rape of Louisa Dunne has been solved after almost six decades.”
He added: “Crimes of this magnitude should never go unpunished.”
Headley, who denied the charges throughout the trial, is due to be sentenced on July 1. He is expected to receive a life sentence.