UK's oldest cold case solved after 6 decades 92-year-old man sentenced to life for 1967 rape and murder

By Sagaya Fernando | July 4, 2025

Bristol, England, UNITED KINGDOM: In what has become the United Kingdom’s oldest cold case ever solved, a 92-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday 1 July 2025 for the rape and murder of a 75-year-old woman in 1967 — a crime that lay unresolved for nearly six decades.

Ryland Headley, who was 34 at the time of the brutal attack, was convicted at Bristol Crown Court for the rape and killing of Louisa Dunne after breaking into her home in 1967. The court heard that Dunne endured “considerable pain and fear” before her death, which took place in what should have been the safety of her own home.

“You will never be released. You will die in prison,” said Judge Derek Sweeting, delivering the sentence. “This was a crime that violated the sanctity and security of Mrs. Dunne’s home, where she had every right to feel safe.”

The conviction follows a breakthrough in 2023, when police reopened the case and linked Headley to the murder through forensic testing. DNA recovered from Dunne’s skirt was matched to Headley using modern technology unavailable during the original investigation.

The judge described Headley’s crimes as part of a “chilling pattern of behaviour.” In 1977, a decade after Dunne’s murder, Headley was convicted of breaking into the homes of two elderly widows and raping them. He was initially sentenced to life in prison for those offences, but his sentence was later reduced to seven years on appeal. He served only about two years before being released.

At the time of the Dunne investigation’s reopening, Headley had already been linked to other crimes, but investigators were able to use preserved evidence and updated forensic techniques to finally solve the 1967 case.

Doughty Street Chambers, which represents Headley, acknowledged the historic nature of the ruling, noting that it marks the resolution of Britain’s longest-unsolved murder case.

Louisa Dunne’s family, many of whom never knew the full truth of her death, were informed of the outcome and thanked police for their persistence in delivering long-delayed justice.

“This case is a powerful reminder,” Judge Sweeting concluded, “that justice can prevail — no matter how many years have passed.”