Lady of the Dunes: She is Ruth Marie Terry!
On February 14, 2023, Christopher Setterlund, an author and former film director, released Searching for the Lady of the Dunes. The book unpacks a 1974 mystery surrounding a woman brutally murdered in Cape Cod's isolated dunes outside Provincetown.
On Get a G.R.I.P. with Coach Elix, Setterlund shared how the story inspired him and how it parallels Frank Durant's 2022 true crime documentary.
Christopher Setterlund, Former Film Director Turned Author
A 12th-generation Cape Codder, Christopher Setterlund grew up as the oldest of five siblings in a family of mixed nationalities. He's always enjoyed hearing his relatives tell stories, but is also a natural-born storyteller himself. In his youth, he wrote adventure tales for friends, so his eventual pivot toward filmmaking was hardly surprising.
Setterlund’s passion for writing was rekindled when he started writing poetry. This passion progressed from poetry to eventually writing full-length books that cover multiple genres. He also hosts a podcast called In My Footsteps.
The Lady's Mystery Finally Resolved
The most well-known of Setterlund's books, Searching for the Lady of the Dunes, is the gripping story of an unsolved murder. Found mutilated and decomposing at the Race Point Dunes in Provincetown, Massachusetts, initial investigations verified that not only was the victim strangled, but also that the killer had removed her hands and brutally crushed her face. For almost 50 years, the case remained unsolved.
Her identity continued to elude the authorities until 2022. Her name was Ruth Marie Terry.
Christopher Setterlund's Documentary and Book
Documentary filmmaker Frank Durant spent two years creating his documentary: The Lady of the Dunes. The project took him to many of Provincetown's famous spots, cemeteries, and dune shacks. He also spoke with convicted serial killers.
Released in April 2022, Durant's documentary rekindled an interest in the investigation. Additionally, authorities finally identified the killer as her ex-husband, Guy Rockwell Muldavin, who died in 2002.
Christopher Setterlund's book details the wild west-like atmosphere of Provincetown during the 1960s and 1970s. It juxtaposes the intrigue of a true crime thriller with the relatability of historical fiction as it probes the mystery surrounding the Terry’s brutal murder.
As the Cape Cod author explained on Get a G.R.I.P. with Coach Elix, the documentary makers trawled through 50 hours of footage to create 90 minutes of documentary material. The book gave Setterlund far more freedom to weave together the intricacies of Ruth Marie Terry's tragic story.
Connecting with Christopher Setterlund
Christopher Setterlund's website
The G.R.I.P. Method
G.R.I.P. stands for "Greatness Requires Intention & Purpose," and many who have followed this method can attest to that. This strategy helps people find their goals, inspirations, and visions and execute them with clear intentions through planning, purpose, and integrity. It works with science and psychology to make dreams a reality.
It is a roadmap that guides you through struggles and hardships, with the final destination being the life you want to lead or the changes you wish to make. The G.R.I.P. Method offers a plan to go from fear to freedom and helps you break away from where past attempts did not work.
