A 92-year-old man, Ryland Headley, has been convicted of raping and murdering a woman in southwestern England in 1967. The case is believed to be the UK’s longest-running cold case ever solved.
Headley was found guilty by a jury at Bristol crown court on Monday of attacking 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in June 1967. He had avoided justice for 58 years before being arrested in November over DNA evidence linked to his 1978 conviction for raping two women, aged 79 and 84.
Forensic scientists analyzed DNA from a blue skirt found at the crime scene, which matched Headley’s DNA. A palm print recovered from the window of Dunne’s home was also identified as belonging to him. The case reexamined in 2023 led to the garment being sent for forensic testing last year, resulting in the breakthrough.
Headley had previously pleaded guilty to raping two women in Ipswich in the late 1970s and was jailed for seven years. His trial highlighted the impact of his crimes on victims’ families, including Dunne’s granddaughter, who said she was stunned by the news of Headley’s arrest.
Detective Inspector Dave Marchant is now working with the National Crime Agency to investigate whether Headley may be responsible for other unsolved offenses over the years.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/man-92-convicted-murder-uks-longest-running-cold-123343346