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A 92-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of raping and murdering a woman in Bristol almost 60 years ago.
Louisa Dunne, 75, was found dead in her home in the Easton area of the city, by a neighbour on 28 June 1967. The cause of her death was determined to be strangulation and asphyxiation and she had also been raped.
Avon and Somerset officers have been re-investigating the killing and on Tuesday arrested the man from the Ipswich area of Suffolk on suspicion of murder and rape.
The man, who would have been in mid-30s when Dunne died, has been taken into custody for questioning.
Police have identified and spoken to members of Dunne’s family and are running extra patrols in Easton to reassure members of the public.
The force said the arrest was made after “a significant development in the investigation” that resulted from a review of the case launched last year. The review included further forensic examination of items relating to the case.
Dunne had been married twice, to a Bristol local politician and a night watchman, but both died before her. Her body was discovered by a neighbour who spotted a window had been left slightly open, which was very unusual for her.
Her friend, Alice Clarke, who had spent time with Dunne shortly before her murder, told the Bristol Evening Post at the time: “We had a bit of custard and stewed gooseberry. When she left she said, as she always did: ‘Good night. God bless. I don’t know when I’ll be seeing thee.’”
Over the years police have launched a number of high-profile appeals to try to catch her killer.
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.
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“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.”
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