Husband Identified as Killer in “Lady of the Dunes” Cold Case

Prosecutors announced on Monday that the killer in the decades-old slaying of Ruth Marie Terry, known as “The Lady of the Dunes,” has been identified as her husband, Guy Muldavin.

Terry’s maimed body was discovered on a Cape Cod beach in Provincetown in 1974, and her identity was confirmed in 2021 through investigative genealogy. Muldavin, who died in 2002, was also a prime suspect in the disappearance of a previous wife and stepdaughter in the Seattle area in the 1960s.

The case marks the oldest unidentified homicide victim in Massachusetts’ history. Questions remain regarding Terry’s presence in Massachusetts at the time of her death. Terry’s body showed signs of a blow to the head, and her hands were missing, presumably to prevent identification through fingerprints.

The case has garnered national interest over the years, and District Attorney Robert J. Galibois expressed condolences to Terry’s family, emphasizing that victims are never forgotten.