Stay with his wife in Bristol suburb Montpillier In 1967Rayyaland Headley must have thought that he had just gone away with murder. For more than half a century, he did.
Railway worker Forced entry Louisa Dunna’s terraced house, one mile-one-one-half away, where He brutally raped and murdered The 75 -year -old, who was a widow twice and was living alone.
But despite a huge manhint, Headley, then 34 years old, The net slipped Staying outside the geographical area for a careful operation, who saw 19,000 men and boys offering their palm prints after the left hand print Was found At one top window of Mrs. Dun’s house.
Probably shaken by a close beard, Headley overthrew his family after some time, then went to Ipswich.
And with the case, the police announced the cold in the Bristol, it appears that Headley survived justice.
It was in 2023, when a team of officers Avon and Summerset Police Got a big success in unresolved murder on reopening Proof In the hope that the future progress in science had been boxed for decades for decades.
First, use the latest technology Now available, she re -examined the blue skirt of Mrs. Dune, making a one. DNA Profiles matching Headley, whose DNA uploaded in 2012 to the National Database for an unrelated crime.
Then last year, after his arrest, Headley provided handprints that were judged by an expert, with more than 25 features that match the original 1967 print.
During his arrest, Headley, now 92, told the detectives: “I don’t know what you are talking about. Very strange, very strange.”
But till now the investigation was creating steam, with the harsh testimony of two other elderly women, who was raped by Headley, also helped to show cool equality between cases and Mrs. Duna murder.
Headley was convicted of raping the two victims in 1977 – 10 years after Mrs. Dunna’s death – SuffolkHe was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, but was reduced to just seven years on the appeal.
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Speaking after Headley, on Monday, Bristol Crown Court was found guilty of killing and raping Mrs. Dunna, Detective Inspector Dave Merchant of Avon and Summerset Police said that Headley had escaped from the beginning Murder Because he lived outside the area of household inquiries, which means that the family of Mrs. Dunna had to “wait a very long for the answer”.
But he said: “The comprehensive and careful work done by the authorities with the Bristol Constables in the 1960s has paved the way for us today.
“It was a comprehensive police investigation to find a print taken from more than 19,000 men in the dialect to find Louisa’s killer. It was in addition to 1,300 statements and more than 8,000 household records.
“Rales Headley left a legacy of sorrow and pain through her insults and possibly thought that she was away with Louisa’s murder until the authorities knocked on her door in the last November.
“Crimes of this magnitude should never be unaffected, and we remain tireless to ensure that we can all to carry forward other unresolved murder cases in the Avon and Summerset region.”
For Mrs. Dunna’s family, Monday’s jury judgment did justice, who was for some people who knew her that was unfortunately late.
His granddaughter, Mary Denton said: “It deeply hurts me that all those who know and love Louisa are not here to see that justice is being done.”
The DET Inspection march said that the force across the country was now investigating whether Headley could be associated with other unresolved crimes.