A 66-year-old man has admitted to murdering a woman nearly 30 years ago. Trevor Dunkley pleaded guilty to the murder of Patricia Lashley, who disappeared near her home in Dudley, West Midlands, in September 1998. He also admitted to preventing the lawful burial of her body. The case was brought to court based on a police interview with Dunkley, who had previously told authorities that he disposed of her decomposed body months after killing her. During the hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Dunkley showed no visible emotion while standing in the dock. His barrister, Balbir Singh, explained to the judge that the charges were based solely on Dunkley’s statements to police, as no physical evidence or body had ever been found. When asked by Judge Michael Chambers KC if the victim’s body had been located, Singh replied that it had not, as Dunkley had hidden it in a cellar where it decomposed. He said Dunkley later disposed of the remains in bins about nine months to a year after the murder. Dunkley, who appeared in court wearing round-rimmed glasses and a grey sweater, was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 6 November. The court heard that Patricia Lashley, who was 33 when she disappeared, was known to friends as Pat or Jade. She had connections to multiple cities, including Newcastle, London, Wales, and Scotland. She also used the names Vanessa, Tricia, and the surname Bradford, according to West Midlands Police. The case has remained unsolved for nearly three decades, with no physical evidence or sightings of Lashley after her disappearance. Dunkley’s admission comes after years of investigation without a resolution, and it marks a significant development in the case. The sentencing hearing will determine the consequences of his plea, which he made without the presence of any physical evidence to corroborate his confession.