Show Notes
In June 1967, 75-year-old Louisa Dunne was found murdered in her home in Easton, Bristol. The widowed grandmother had spent the previous evening with a friend and appeared to be in good spirits, but sometime during the night, someone had entered her home and subjected her to a horrific attack. Despite an extensive police investigation, Louisa’s killer remained unidentified, and her murder became one of Britain’s long-running unsolved cases.
Detectives carried out thousands of enquiries and collected forensic evidence from the scene, but the investigation eventually stalled. As the years passed, the witnesses who might have helped solve the case died, and Louisa’s family were left waiting for answers. Yet evidence recovered in 1967 remained in police storage, raising the possibility that advances in forensic science could one day reveal what investigators had been unable to establish nearly six decades earlier.
In this episode of British Murders with Stuart Blues, I examine the murder of Louisa Dunne, the original police investigation and the decades-long search for her killer. We look at how a cold case was reopened, the crucial role of historical forensic evidence, and the painstaking work that brought new hope to an investigation that had remained unresolved for almost 58 years. It’s a story about the lasting impact of an unsolved murder, the importance of preserving evidence, and the possibility of finding answers when all hope seems lost.
Exclusive content: Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive Episodes
Follow the show: British Murders with Stuart Blues
Disclaimer: The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support. Got 5 mins? Fill in the Always True Crime survey for a chance to win a £100 restaurant voucher https://podcastsurvey.typeform.com/to/MMk0718T Closes 31st Oct 2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from British Murders with Stuart Blues
In March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard disappeared while walking home from a friend’s house in south London. Her disappearance sparked a desperate search by her family and friends, as detectives worked to establish what had happened during the short journey she should have been able to make safely. But as the investigation unfolded, it uncovered a deeply disturbing case that would shock the country and raise serious questions about trust, power and the safety of women.
In February 2019, three men were murdered in their homes in Exeter, Devon, in a series of attacks that appeared to have no obvious motive. Eighty-year-old Anthony Payne and 84-year-old twin brothers Dick and Roger Carter had lived ordinary lives, with no known connection to one another. So why had these three men been targeted, and what linked their deaths?
In October 2006, 77-year-old widow Tilly Campbell was found dead in her home in Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland. The fire brigade had been called to her property, but it soon became clear that Tilly’s death was not the result of a fire. She had been murdered, and what initially appeared to be a tragic accident would soon become a murder investigation, with her next-door neighbour emerging as the prime suspect.
In September 1965, six-year-old Margaret Reynolds disappeared while walking to school in Birmingham. Just a few months later, five-year-old Diane Tift vanished while making the short journey home from her grandma’s house in Walsall. Both disappearances sparked major searches, but neither girl was found until their bodies were discovered together on Cannock Chase in Staffordshire.
What does nearly 40 years of investigating serious crime teach you about murder? Tom Wood has spent almost four decades on the inside of Scottish policing, working as a detective on some of the country's most notorious cases before eventually becoming a senior-ranking police officer. Now a bestselling true crime writer, Tom joins me on British Murders to talk about the investigations, people and experiences that have shaped his extraordinary career.