In late June 1967, 75-year-old Louisa Dunne (b. 1891 or 1892) was murdered in her home in Bristol, England.[1] Having gone unsolved for 57 years, it is the oldest cold case in the history of Avon and Somerset Police.[2]
Background
Dunne was an elderly woman who had been widowed twice.[3] She was married to Teddy Parker, a city councillor, and was expected to become the city’s Mayoress until his death;[4] she later remarried to nightwatchman John Dunne, but was widowed again following his death and reportedly became a recluse.[5]
Murder
Dunne was found dead at her home in Britannia Road, Easton by a neighbour on 28 June 1967.[6] Dunne was discovered on the floor of her living room.[7] She had been strangled and raped.[8] Her cause of death was recorded as strangulation and asphyxiation.[9] It is thought that she was murdered at some point between the 26 and 29 June 1967.[10]
Further developments
In 2023, the case was reviewed which included an examination of the forensic evidence.[11] In November 2024, a 92-year-old man from Ipswich was arrested on suspicion of murder.[12] He was linked to the crime scene by DNA evidence.[13] He had been in his 30s at the time of the crime.[14] In November 2024, Avon and Somerset Police announced that charges had been brought,[15] and the suspect appeared before Bristol Magistrates' Court virtually.[16] The trial will later move to Bristol Crown Court.[17]
