Mary Dainton was stunned to learn that, after nearly 60 years, advances in DNA technology allowed police to identify Ryland Headley as the suspect in her grandmother Louisa Dunne's rape and murder in 1967. Despite not having known her grandmother well due to a family rift, Dainton reflected on the enduring impact of the tragedy in her life. The arrest and forthcoming trial of Headley, who is now 92, has reopened old wounds for the family as they confront the horrors of their past.
I sat there completely stunned. I went off into this surreal space, said Dainton. I didn't feel anything in my heart. I just thought, this is not real.
Advances in DNA meant police had established that the killer was Ryland Headley. I said something to the effect of, my goodness, how old is he? They said: 92.
Dainton, 78, did not know her grandmother well—there was something of a family rift—but the impact of the murder never left her and other relatives.
I only met her once when I was a teenager. I remember my grandmother being very keen to be friendly with me and she held my hand very, very tightly.
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