The 'Lady Of The Dunes' Was Killed By Her Husband, Cape Cod DA Says As Case Closes

CAPE COD, MA — The investigation into the death of Ruth Marie Terry, known better on Cape Cod as the Lady of the Dunes, has officially been closed.

Officials said that Terry, who was the victim of the gruesome 1974 murder at Race Point Beach in Provincetown, was likely killed by Guy Muldavin, who officials believe she married in either 1973 or 1974.

Massachusetts State Police announced they were looking for information into Muldavin in early November 2022, just days after Terry's identity was revealed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Before Terry's identity was released on Halloween of 2022, the "Lady of the Dunes" case was the oldest unidentified homicide case in Massachusetts.

Officials said the couple traveled after their wedding, stopping in Tennessee to see Terry’s family. Through investigative efforts, the Massachusetts State Police learned that Ms. Terry and Mr. Muldavin traveled during the summer of 1974.

When Mr. Muldavin returned from that trip, he was driving what was believed to be Terry’s vehicle and had indicated to witnesses that Terry had passed away. Terry was never seen by her family again, officials said.

Her brother tried to find his sister with Muldavin only stating that they had a fight during their honeymoon, and he had not heard from his wife again.

Muldavin, as it turns out, wasn't unfamiliar with the mysterious disappearance of family members. He was also the prime suspect in the disappearance of one of his wives and a stepdaughter in the Seattle, Washington area the 1960s, the Cape Cod DA's office said.

"Based on the investigation into the death of Ms. Terry, it has been determined that Mr. Muldavin was responsible for Ms. Terry’s death in 1974. Mr. Muldavin passed away in 2002," the office said.

What We Know About The "Lady Of The Dunes"

Ruth Marie Terry, of Tennesse, was revealed as the victim of the gruesome 1974 murder at Race Point Beach in Provincetown, according to a news release. She was 37 at the time of her death.

The FBI identified Terry using investigative genealogy, “a unique method that can generate new leads for unsolved homicides, as well as help identify unknown victims,” the agency said.

According to a case profile on the Provincetown website, the NAME was discovered in the dunes about a mile from the Race Point ranger station on July 26, 1974. Investigations determined that the cause of death was a "blow to the head," which they believe occurred weeks before her body was discovered.

The profile continues:

"The unidentified woman's hands were missing, presumably removed by the killer so she could not be identified through fingerprints and her head was nearly severed from her body with an instrument similar to a military entrenching tool. The left side of her skull had been crushed. No weapon was found at the crime scene. Her nude body was discovered lying on a beach towel with her head resting on folded jeans. There was no sign of a struggle and the woman lay on half the towel, as if she'd been sharing it with a companion."

Terry’s body was exhumed in 2000 in hopes that it would help investigators confirm the woman's identity. In 2010, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Smithsonian Institution created a new composite of the victim.