This Week in True Crime: A 1967 murder finally solved. A cult escape exposed. And drones that hunt for blood.

92-year-old Ryland Headley convicted in 1967 cold case

On the morning of June 28, 1967, Louisa Dunne was found raped and strangled in her modest Bristol home. The 75-year-old widow had lived a quiet life, known for her gentle nature and daily walks to the corner shop. That summer day, neighbors grew concerned when she missed her usual routine. Police arrived to find a deeply unsettling scene—her clothing torn, signs of a violent struggle, and her body left behind by a killer who vanished into thin air.

Despite an intensive investigation, Louisa’s murder soon joined the ranks of the era’s cold cases. The trail faded. Witness memories blurred. And yet, one vital clue: biological evidence taken from her skirt was stored, preserved as if waiting for science to catch up.

That day finally came. In 2021, detectives with Avon and Somerset Police reopened the case, turning to modern DNA analysis and forensic fingerprinting. The results pointed to Ryland Headley, now 92 and living in sheltered housing. At the time of the murder, he had no prior convictions and lived in Bristol. His palm print, found near the scene, matched one preserved in police files. Coupled with the DNA match, prosecutors argued there could be no doubt: Headley was the man who took Louisa’s life.

In June 2025, a jury agreed. After a brief trial, he was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years, effectively a life sentence for a man his age. Headley showed no emotion as the verdict was read. For Louisa’s descendants, many of whom never got to meet her, the verdict brought a solemn, overdue peace.

Still, questions linger. Could Headley be linked to other unsolved cases from the 1960s? How did he avoid suspicion for so long? Police are reviewing similar cases in the area for possible connections.

But for now, the message is clear: Time may pass. Evidence may gather dust. But with persistence and progress, justice can still speak, even after 58 years of silence.

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Imagine entering a crime scene too dangerous, delicate, or confined for human investigators, and sending in a palm-sized flying assistant instead. That’s no longer science fiction.

This year, researchers unveiled a nano-drone system designed to map indoor crime scenes with remarkable precision. Developed by a team including Kevin Cooney and Aravind Ponrajan, the drone is equipped with cutting-edge sensors and AI vision software that allows it to detect blood smears, map evidence, and even identify key forensic details like drag marks and body positioning, all without disturbing a single inch of the scene.

What sets this innovation apart isn’t just the size, it’s the intelligence. These drones are designed to operate autonomously in cramped spaces, from hallways to closets, and to gather real-time 3D reconstructions. In preliminary trials, they achieved accuracy rates of up to 85% when identifying simulated blood evidence, outperforming many handheld devices currently in use.

For now, they're still in prototype phase. But the implications are vast: safer, faster investigations in dangerous zones (think arson scenes or active shooters), less evidence contamination, and a digital record of the scene that can be preserved forever.

It’s the kind of leap that could quietly reshape forensic work as we know it by adding a pair of wings to every investigator's toolkit.

A quiet crisis is unfolding inside women’s prisons: the treatment of incarcerated pregnant people. Last month, a UK watchdog report revealed that women in HMP Bronzefield were being sent to give birth without proper medical oversight, one even gave birth alone in a cell in 2019, and her baby died. In the U.S., similar stories abound: shackled births, inadequate prenatal care, and medical neglect are all too common.

Across both sides of the Atlantic, the legal system has lagged behind medical reality. Pregnancy in prison often means fewer appointments, delayed responses to emergencies, and limited access to mental health support, despite clear evidence that incarcerated women face higher rates of trauma and complex pregnancies.

Some advocates are pushing for reform, including the introduction of “mother-and-baby” units, prenatal care standards, and alternatives to incarceration for pregnant offenders. Critics argue these reforms are too slow and too rare.

This isn’t about soft-on-crime arguments. It’s about what it says when the state chooses custody over care, even when two lives are at stake.

Crime+Investigation’s brand-new original podcast exploring the psychology of stalking, featuring interviews with survivors, clinicians, and even convicted stalkers

Ongoing 10‑episode series (since February 20, 2025) hosted by Tamron Hall, featuring chilling revelations from former cult members on manipulation, indoctrination, and survival

A three‑part documentary releasing July 16, 2025, that revisits the baffling 1998 disappearance of 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley from a Royal Caribbean cruise. Featuring family interviews, eyewitness accounts, and a renewed investigation into possible human-trafficking links

Premiering May 6, 2025, commissioned by Robin Roberts and directed by Lisa Cortés, this three‑part docuseries re-examines lesser-known homicides that were overshadowed by higher-profile cases and asks, “Why were these victims forgotten?”