91 officers investigated a 1967 murder. A 92-year-old suspect has now been arrested
Representative image of a police line.
A widow was raped and killed in 1967 in Bristol, UK, and the police have made an arrest in the case after all these years. In what is probably the oldest cold case in British history, a 92-year-old man has been held on suspicion of committing the heinous crime.
Louisa Dunne was found dead at her home in Britannia Road, Easton on June 28, 1967. Her family has been informed about the arrest. The killer managed to evade arrest ever since despite a large police enquiry into the matter. However, the police say a breakthrough happened in the case in recent weeks which led to the arrest. The person is being questioned.
The suspect was held from the Ipswich area of Suffolk by members of Avon and Somerset Police’s Major and Statutory Crime Review Team (MSCRT).
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."
Louisa Dunne was a known face in the Easton neighbourhood and was often seen walking around in a black coat and shawl. She had spent the previous night with a friend named Alice Clarke.
The next day, when friends did not see Dunne, they went to check on her at her home and found her dead. A post-mortem found that she had been strangled and sexually assaulted.
Louisa Dunne was a known face in Bristol
Louisa was a known face in the social circle of Bristol. She was married twice. Her first husband Teddy was a city alderman and Louisa believed she would become the city’s Mayoress. However, he died in 1945. She then married a night watchman, John Dunne who passed away in the early 1960s.
Her murder was investigated by a team of 91 officers and a total of 8,000 people were interviewed. However, the case was never solved.
DI Marchant said that further details about the arrest cannot be revealed right now. "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," he said.
