The gruesome 'Lady of the Dunes' murder haunted America for decades. Then I discovered she was my mom

When Richard Hanchett yet learned who his biologic ma was, it was already excessively late.

It was October 2022, and constabulary had made a breakthrough successful a decades-old Massachusetts enigma - the mutilated assemblage of a 37-year-old pistillate recovered successful the dunes of Provincetown successful July 1974.

For years, the nameless unfortunate was known arsenic 'The Lady of the Dunes.' Then, DNA tests showed her to beryllium Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee, and aboriginal exposed her then-husband Guy Muldavin arsenic the killer.

Terry had fixed her lad to the Hanchett household successful Michigan soon aft his commencement successful 1958. He'd agelong struggled with her absence, but upon learning she was a homicide victim, his emotions were rocked erstwhile again.

'I inactive person a hard clip believing it. It's similar a dream,' Hanchett, 66, told DailyMail.com.

'I'm uncovering retired I'm a hillbilly raised arsenic a Yankee, and past to find retired she was brutally murdered similar that.'

The communicative of Hanchett, Terry and the 50-year quest to place her is chronicled successful Oxygen's true-crime bid Lady of the Dunes: Hunting the Cape Cod Killer, which begins connected November 29.

'For the longest time, cipher knew what happened to her and everybody thought the worst,' said Hanchett.

'The documentary gives backmost the dignity and respect to my mom.'

Terry's assemblage was recovered successful the dunes successful Provincetown successful July 1974. She was naked, with her hands severed - truthful she could not beryllium identified by her fingerprints, officials believe.

She was lying connected a formation broad with her astir severed caput and crushed skull resting connected her folded jeans.

There was nary motion of a struggle, nary execution limb near behind, and her assemblage was decomposing successful the heat, which near investigators with fewer clues.

Her long, reddish-brown hairsbreadth was held backmost with a barrette, and she had 7 golden crowns connected her teeth, worthy astir $5,000 to $8,000 astatine the time.

She had been sexually molested with a woody object, seemingly aft her death, The Boston Globe reported.

The origin of decease was determined to beryllium a stroke to the head, and authorities judge she was killed respective weeks earlier her assemblage was found.

For decades, the individuality of the 'Provincetown Jane Doe' eluded detectives.

Authorities tried to place her and her slayer by exhuming her remains, performing clay exemplary facial reconstruction, and releasing age-regression drawings of her face.

The macabre enigma roiled Provincetown's idyllic and close-knit community.

Theories astir serial killers, a mob hit, and adjacent that the unfortunate was an other from the movie Jaws, which was filmed nearby, made headlines.

Then successful October 2022, the FBI in Boston revealed she'd been identified arsenic Terry done investigative genealogy - the usage of DNA investigation successful operation with accepted genealogy probe and humanities records.

The techniques mirrored those utilized successful California to place a serial slayer known arsenic the Golden State Killer.

Previous attempts to hint the DNA had proven unsuccessful.

Investigators past honed successful connected the beingness of Terry, who had ne'er been reported missing.

Massachusetts State Police investigators learned she'd near Tennessee to enactment astatine a car works successful Michigan.

She gave commencement determination to her lad Richard, but was excessively mediocre to enactment him and helium was adopted by the Hanchetts.

She past moved to California, and successful 1973 oregon 1974 joined Muldavin, an antiques dealer, successful Reno, Nevada.

The mates traveled aft their wedding, including stopping successful Tennessee to spot her family.

Friends astatine the clip noted Muldavin's possessive and controlling behaviour implicit Terry.

Police besides learned that Muldavin returned from the travel successful the summertime of 1974 driving what was believed to beryllium her vehicle.

He told the Terry household that she'd near him aft a fight.

Her member James Terry travelled to California and hired a backstage detective to way her down.

But his efforts were unsuccessful, and determination were reports that she'd joined a cult.

In August 2023, months aft they'd identified Terry arsenic the Lady of the Dunes, they determined that Muldavin was liable for the death.

But it was excessively precocious for justice. Muldavin had died successful 2002.

He was besides a premier fishy successful the disappearance of a erstwhile woman and his stepdaughter successful the Seattle country successful the 1960s, prosecutors said.

'The feline got distant with it. He killed aggregate people,' said her son, Hanchett.

'You get to a constituent wherever you recognize you there's thing you tin do.'

The caller docuseries features interviews with Hanchett and different relatives, and details astir contaminated DNA samples and mislaid carnal grounds from the crime scene.

Provincetown detective Meredith Lobur besides lifts the lid connected a constabulary main who tried to enactment the brakes connected her investigation.

Hanchett's publication astir the saga - Through His Eyes: the Lady of the Dunes, Ruth Marie Terry's Story - besides comes retired this month.

He talks astir his conflict with abandonment and his regret implicit a clip successful 1974, erstwhile Terry contacted his household successful the anticipation of seeing her then-teenage son.

He declined, due to the fact that helium was recovering from a cause overdose astatine the time.

He ever wondered what had happened to his biologic mom, imagining her surviving a 'rock star' beingness successful California, helium says.

In 2018, Hancett utilized an at-home DNA genealogy work that enactment him successful interaction with his maternal family, who told him that his ma went missing successful the 1970s.  

Four years later, the FBI contacted Hanchett and his Tennessee kin upon identifying the Lady of the Dunes. 

As good arsenic learning the shocking information astir what happened to Ruth Terry, they were quizzed astir Muldavin, the premier fishy successful her death.

'It wounded down successful my stomach,' helium says. 'And that's gonna fuss maine to the time I die.' 

Hanchett says these past six years person been eye-opening.

Still, the jigsaw of his beingness is not complete, helium adds.

'The lone portion that we can't verify is the why. Why did helium termination her?' helium says.

He wonders whether Terry walked successful connected Muldavin successful a transgression act, oregon of immoderate different crushed helium needed to soundlessness her.

'I was hoping the past 2 years idiosyncratic would travel forward, and archer maine why,' helium says.

'That was the lone happening that I didn't get answered.'