Timeline of eventspublished at 10:11 British Summer Time 1 July
Louisa Dunne’s rape and murder is thought to be the UK's oldest cold case.
Here is a timeline of how the case has evolved over the past 58 years.
- On 28 June 1967, the 75-year-old was found dead in her front room. She had bruising on her neck indicating she had been strangled with a scarf.
- An investigation was launched but with a lack of forensic evidence, police had no leads and the case went cold.
- Avon and Somerset Police’s major and statutory crime review team revisited the Louisa Dunne evidence inventory in 2023.
- In November 2024, Ryland Headley was arrested on suspicion of rape and murder at his home in Ipswich. He was subsequently charged and later denied the crimes.
- Throughout the trial at Bristol Crown Court, the jury was told how detectives found a “billion to one” DNA match to Headley.
- After nine hours and 53 minutes of deliberations, the jury found him guilty of raping and murdering Mrs Dunne.

Louisa Dunne's home on Britannia Road in Easton, Bristol