The Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office announced the “Lady in the Dunes” case has officially been closed.
District Attorney Robert Galibois says based on the investigation into the death of Ruth Marie Terry, it was determined her husband was responsible for her death in 1974.
The body of Terry was found in the Race Point Dunes in Provincetown, about a mile east of the ranger station.
At the time, the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma to the skull. Her hands were missing, and her head was nearly severed from her body.
It was one of the oldest unidentified homicides in the state, until the FBI announced in October 2022 that they identified Terry.
Through DNA analysis, genealogy research, and investigation, police learned Terry was 37 at the time of her death. She was born in 1936, and had ties to California, Massachusetts, and Michigan.
With an identification after nearly 50 years, State Police learned Terry married Guy Muldavin in 1973 or 1974. They traveled during the summer of 1974. When Muldavin returned from the trip, investigators say he was driving what was believed to be Terry’s vehicle, and indicated to witnesses that she had passed away.
Terry’s brother tried to find her, but Muldavin stated they had a fight during their honeymoon, and he had not heard from her since.
Investigators say Muldavin was a suspect in the disappearance of one of his wives and a stepdaughter in Seattle, Washington in the 1960s.
Based on the investigation, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office determined that Muldavin was responsible for Terry’s death. He died in 2002.
WATD’s Christine James filed this report on the investigation:
Prior WATD coverage can be found here.
