Ninety-two-year-old man is arrested for 'rape and murder' of woman strangled to death 57 years ago

A 92-year-old pensioner has been arrested connected suspicion of execution and rape for the sidesplitting of Louisa Dunne successful 1967.

The man, from the Ipswich country of Suffolk, has been taken into custody pursuing forensic introspection of items relating to the case.

Ms Dunne, 75, was recovered dormant successful her location in Britannia Road, Easton, by a neighbour astir 60 years ago. A reappraisal into the decease began past year.

She had been raped and strangled to decease successful her beforehand room.

DI Dave Marchant said: 'This is an highly important infinitesimal successful an appalling and distressing lawsuit which has remained unsolved for astir six decades.

'We've identified and spoken to Louisa Dunne's adjacent of kin to update them connected this improvement and specializer household liaison officers volition present beryllium supporting them – to support them updated connected the advancement of our probe but besides to guarantee they get entree to immoderate specializer enactment they whitethorn need.

'An apprehension was made earlier contiguous by officers from Avon and Somerset Police and determination volition beryllium operational constabulary enactment successful the Ipswich country arsenic a result. 

'We'd similar to convey our colleagues successful Suffolk Police for their ongoing assistance and support.

'We recognise this volition besides travel arsenic a daze to the assemblage successful Easton. While this tragic incidental happened a agelong clip ago, determination volition beryllium radical who retrieve what happened and whitethorn person had a transportation with Louisa done household oregon friends. 

'The Neighbourhood Policing Team are carrying retired patrols of the area, truthful delight talk to an serviceman if you person immoderate worries oregon concerns.

'As this probe is astatine a captious signifier and to support the integrity of immoderate aboriginal transgression proceedings, we won't beryllium capable to corroborate the afloat details, but we are perfectly committed to proceed carrying retired a thorough probe to effort and bring Louisa's relatives the answers they've waited a beingness for.'

Ms Dunne was said to person kept to herself and lived unsocial astatine her Bristol home.

In her earlier life, she had been among Bristol's societal class, arsenic she was joined to metropolis alderman Teddy Parker. He was connected people to go the city's politician earlier his death.

Neighbours said she had gone into a authorities of diminution aft the decease of her 2nd husband, a nighttime watchman, conscionable years earlier her murder.

She was lone recovered dormant successful her beforehand country aft a section spotted her model was open. 

They recovered her dressed successful a achromatic velvet overgarment and shawl with strangulation marks astir her throat.

Police believed the slayer had breached into her location betwixt 11.30pm and 4am, and recovered a handprint adjacent the unfastened window.

There was nary motion of a conflict successful her home. 

The nighttime earlier her horrific death, Ms Dunne had spent the evening with 1 of her closest friends, 79-year-old Alice Clarke.

'Sometimes she would enactment lone a fewer minutes but this clip she stayed longer than usual,' Mrs Clarke told the Bristol Evening Post.

'She came astatine astir 5.15pm and near astatine astir 7.30pm.

'We had a spot of custard and stewed gooseberry. When she near she said, arsenic she ever did, 'Good night. God bless. I don't cognize erstwhile I'll beryllium seeing thee'.'

Officers besides rounded up the city's 'tramps and vagrants' and brought them successful for questioning, with immoderate 21 picked up successful constabulary patrol cars successful 1 swoop.

'We recovered them sleeping successful countryside, bare houses and parks,' 1 detective said. 'They got a escaped repast afterwards.' All were eliminated from the inquiry.

Police hunted for the killer, taking thenar prints from thousands of men aged betwixt 16 and 60 successful the Easton area.

Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Cross, who was moving connected the case, said: 'We are getting 100 per cent co-operation from the nationalist for this hard job.

'People person been coming into the presumption and volunteering their prints and ringing america up to archer america erstwhile they volition beryllium home.'

A squad of 8 were said to beryllium checking and re-checking the prints for up to 15 hours a time - with a heap of 5,000 to beryllium looked at.

After each people was cleared, it was filed distant and officers said erstwhile the hunt for the slayer was over, the prints would beryllium destroyed by being thrown into a sack earlier being burnt astatine Bridewell constabulary station.