Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
National World - LocalTV
  • 20/06/2025
Louisa Dunne, 75, was found strangled in her living room on Britannia Road in Easton on 28 June 1967. For decades, her death remained a mystery — until advances in forensic science led police to what experts describe as a "billion-to-one" DNA match.

Category

🗞
News
Transcript
00:00A chilling murder case that lay unsolved for nearly 60 years has returned to the spotlight
00:08in Bristol's Crown Court, where a 92-year-old man stands accused of raping and killing an
00:14elderly widow in 1967.
00:16Louisa Dunn, 75s, was found strangled in her living room on Britannia Road in Easton on
00:22the 28th of June, 1967.
00:24For decades, her murder remained unsolved, but the advances in forensic science led police
00:29to what experts described as a billion-in-one DNA match.
00:33That match pointed to Ryland Headley, now age 92 of Clarence Road, Ipswich.
00:39He's accused of forcing entry into Mrs Dunn's home before attacking her while she slept in
00:45her front room, which she used as a bedroom.
00:48At the time, swabs taken from her body tested positive for semen, but technology couldn't
00:55identify the culprit.
00:56In 2023, those same swabs were retested using modern DNA methods, and prosecutors say the
01:04results were conclusive.
01:06It was Headley's DNA.
01:08Adding to the gravity of the allegations, jurors heard that Headley had previously served prison
01:14time for the rape of two elderly women in 1977.
01:18He had also admitted to 10 burglaries between 73 and 78, all targeting people at their homes
01:25at night.
01:26The prosecution argues that this pattern of behaviour reflects a clear modus operandus,
01:32breaking into homes, preying on vulnerable elderly women, and resorting to violence.
01:38The trial is still ongoing.

Recommended

1:45
Up next
92 year old man sentenced to life in prison
National World - LocalTV
03/07/2025
1:15
TRNSMT 2025: Redolent take the BBC Introducing stage
National World - LocalTV
2 days ago
1:20
TRNSMT 2025: What’s on your Spotify playlist right now?
National World - LocalTV
2 days ago
1:53
TRNSMT 2025: What’s the wildest gig you’ve ever been to?
National World - LocalTV
2 days ago
2:00
Bristol World Discuss: What is on in the city this week?
National World - LocalTV
28/01/2025
1:00
Bristol man charged with manslaughter after 2022 incident
National World - LocalTV
03/10/2024
1:45
There’s growing concern tonight in the heart of Bristol
National World - LocalTV
01/07/2025
1:00
Strictly Come Dancing star opens UK tour at the Bristol hippodrome
National World - LocalTV
16/01/2025
1:00
Bristolians Discuss: What more can be done to reduce shoplifting?
National World - LocalTV
30/04/2025
1:45
A sharp rise in the number of people living in vans, caravans and motorhomes around Bristol’s Downs has sparked growing alarm among locals!
National World - LocalTV
04/07/2025
1:00
Bristol’s best performing schools for A-Levels released: Some schools average at a grade A
National World - LocalTV
20/02/2025
1:45
A body has been found in the search for a missing man: Luis Piovesana’s family update their social media that the 26 year old has sadly passed away
National World - LocalTV
06/03/2025
0:55
Bristol January 12 Headlines: Police appeal for witnesses after arson attack in Hartcliffe
National World - LocalTV
12/01/2024
0:55
Bristol February 02 Headlines: Major Crime Investigation Team charge a 44 year old man with murder
National World - LocalTV
01/02/2024
3:00
Bristol is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK: Do locals agree?
National World - LocalTV
03/04/2025
1:45
A street in South Bristol has been identified as one of the most dangerous in the country!
National World - LocalTV
09/06/2025
3:00
The worst areas for shoplifting in the city have been reported
National World - LocalTV
14/04/2025
1:00
Avon and Somerset police find suspected human remains in south Bristol
National World - LocalTV
13/11/2024
2:00
Bristol’s road speed averages at under 17mph: Are locals shocked?
National World - LocalTV
27/01/2025
1:00
The Bristol street that is 'one of the most dangerous in the country'
National World - LocalTV
18/09/2024
2:00
The Restore Trust: Helping Bristolians transition after a prison sentence
National World - LocalTV
16/01/2025
0:55
Bristol February 20 Headlines: A key bristol route will temporarily close
National World - LocalTV
20/02/2024
3:05
Top Five News Stories in Bristol this week: A Local Teenager killed in fatal stabbing
National World - LocalTV
15/02/2024
0:21
Race for Life at Temple Newsam, Leeds
Yorkshire Evening Post
yesterday
0:47
Pretty Muddy Race for Life 2025 at Temple Newsam, Leeds
Yorkshire Evening Post
yesterday