Police bodycam footage has revealed the moment 92-year-old Ryland Headley was arrested at his Ipswich home on suspicion of murdering 75-year-old Louisa Dunne in 1967 — one of Britain’s oldest cold cases.
The video shows a visibly shocked Headley questioning officers, asking, “Where are you getting this from?” as they arrest him in relation to the decades-old killing. Louisa Dunne was found dead in her Bristol home on 27 June 1967, and the trial into her murder is still ongoing.
The footage begins with police knocking on Headley’s door, where he responds confusedly, “Who are you?” and initially refuses them entry, saying, “No, no. You can’t come now. What do you want to come in for?”
A female officer calmly explains the sensitive nature of the visit and requests to come inside to speak with him privately. Headley responds, “I’m very sick. Not well at all.”
Once inside, the police formally arrest Headley on suspicion of rape and murder, explaining that new investigative material links him to the crime. Headley repeatedly asks where the evidence is coming from as officers read him his rights.
At Bristol Crown Court, jurors heard how Louisa’s body was discovered by neighbors the morning after the attack. Despite the time elapsed, no one had been charged until now. Crucially, preserved items from the crime scene, including the victim’s blue skirt, were recently re-examined.
Forensic evidence played a pivotal role. A scientist testified that DNA from semen samples found on Louisa’s skirt and pubic hair matched Headley with overwhelming certainty — making it “one billion times” more likely that the biological material belonged to him than anyone else.
Dr. Albert Hunt, who performed the original autopsy, concluded that Louisa Dunne died from asphyxiation caused by strangulation and pressure on her mouth.
Ryland Headley, now residing in Ipswich, denies all charges of rape and murder related to the 1967 case.
