A 92-year-old pensioner has been arrested on suspicion of murder and rape for the killing of Louisa Dunne in 1967.
The man, from the Ipswich area of Suffolk, has been taken into custody following forensic examination of items relating to the case.
A review into the death of Ms Dunne, 75, began in 2023. She was found dead in the front room of her home in Britannia Road, Easton, by a neighbour nearly 60 years ago.
The cause of her death was determined to be strangulation and asphyxiation. She had also been raped.
DI Dave Marchant said: ‘This is an extremely significant moment in an appalling and distressing case which has remained unsolved for almost six decades.
‘We’ve identified and spoken to Louisa Dunne’s next of kin to update them on this development and specialist family liaison officers will now be supporting them – to keep them updated on the progress of our investigation but also to ensure they get access to any specialist support they may need.
‘An arrest was made earlier today by officers from Avon and Somerset Police and there will be operational police activity in the Ipswich area as a result.
‘We’d like to thank our colleagues in Suffolk Police for their ongoing help and support.
‘We recognise this will also come as a shock to the community in Easton. While this tragic incident happened a long time ago, there will be people who remember what happened and may have had a connection with Louisa through family or friends.
‘The Neighbourhood Policing Team are carrying out patrols of the area, so please speak to an officer if you have any worries or concerns.
‘As this investigation is at a critical phase and to protect the integrity of any future criminal proceedings, we won’t be able to confirm the full details, but we are absolutely committed to continue carrying out a thorough investigation to try and bring Louisa’s relatives the answers they’ve waited a lifetime for.’
Ms Dunne was said to have kept to herself and lived alone at her Bristol home.
In her earlier life, she had been among Bristol’s social class, as she was married to city alderman Teddy Parker. He was on course to become the city’s mayor before his death.
Neighbours said she had gone into a state of decline after the death of her second husband, a night watchman, just years before her murder.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.
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