Cold case rapist and killer, 92, jailed for life

A 92-year-old man has been jailed for life for the rape and murder of a woman in a case that took 58 years to solve.

Ryland Headley was 34 when he strangled 75-year-old widow Louisa Dunne at her home in Easton, Bristol, on 28 June 1967.

She was found lying on her living room floor by a neighbour, Bristol Crown Court heard. A pathologist confirmed that she had died from asphyxia due to strangulation and pressure on her mouth.

The judge, Mr Justice Sweeting, said the attack was “pitiless and cruel” and that Headley, of Ipswich, Suffolk, had shown “no remorse” for his actions.

At the time of her death, Mrs Dunne was living alone.

Mr Sweeting told the court that Headley had been planning to rape Mrs Dunne when he broke into her home and “brutally” attacked her.

“The nature of these offences demonstrates a complete disregard for human life and dignity.

“Mrs Dunne was vulnerable, she was a small elderly woman living alone. You treated her as a means to an end,” he said.

“The violation of her home, her body and ultimately her life was a pitiless and cruel act by a depraved man.

“You may not have intended to kill, but you did rape her and you brutally attacked her,” he added.

Mrs Dunne’s granddaughter, Mary Dainton, took to the witness box to give a victim impact statement. She spoke about the “far-reaching” devastation left by Headley’s actions.

She said that it fell to her to “speak for the people who are no longer here”.

Ms Dainton, now 78, was 20 years old when Mrs Dunne was killed.

She told the court that people “withdrew” from her family when they found out about the circumstances of her death.

Ms Dainton said: “I have struggled emotionally in ways I did not anticipate.

“There is a stigma attached to rape and murder.

“It has turned my life upside down. I feel sad and very tired, which has affected the relationships I have with those close to me.

“It saddens me deeply that all the people who knew and loved Louisa are not here to see that justice is being done.”

The case is thought to be the UK’s longest-running cold case to be solved.

Avon and Somerset Police’s Major Crime Review Team assessed the evidence archives in 2023 and found the skirt Mrs Dunne was wearing at the time of the attack.

After it was sent for forensic testing, a full DNA profile was obtained and indicated a “billion to one” match to Headley.

The 92-year-old was previously convicted of two counts of rape in October 1977, where he attacked two lone elderly women after breaking into their homes overnight, similar to the attack on Mrs Dunne.

Senior Investigating Officer Det Insp Dave Marchant, from the force, said: “Ryland Headley is finally facing justice for the horrific crimes he committed against Louisa in 1967.

“The impact of this crime has cast a long shadow over the city and in particular Louisa’s family, who have had to deal with the sadness and trauma ever since.

He also praised Ms Dainton’s “remarkable resilience and courage” throughout the investigation and trial.

Charlotte Ream, from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said the “horrifying attack” on Mrs Dunne continues to have a “traumatic impact” on her family.

“The passage of time has not lessened their pain.

“For 58 years, this appalling crime went unsolved and Ryland Headley, the man we now know is responsible, avoided justice.

“This case is a demonstration of the commitment of the CPS, and our partners in the police, to relentlessly pursue justice for the victims of crime, no matter how many years – or decades – have passed,” she added.

Headley, who had denied the rape and murder, will spend a minimum term of 20 years in prison.

After sentencing, Mr Sweeting told him: “You will never be released. You will die in prison.”