London:

A 92-year-old man has been charged in the UK with the murder and rape of a woman almost six decades ago, British police said Wednesday.

Louisa Dunne, 75, was found dead by a neighbour inside her home in the southwestern English city of Bristol in June 1967.

Her cause of death was recorded as strangulation and asphyxiation.

The case remained cold for 57 years until nonagenarian Ryland Headley, of Ipswich in eastern England, was arrested on Tuesday and subsequently charged.

The arrest came after Avon and Somerset police began reviewing the case last year, which included further forensic examination of items relating to the case.

“This development marks a hugely significant moment in this investigation,” the force’s detective inspector Dave Marchant said in a statement.

“We’ve updated Louisa’s family about this charging decision and a specialist liaison officer will continue to support them in the coming days, weeks and months.”

Headley appeared in court in Bristol via video-link on Wednesday and was remanded in custody. He was not asked to enter pleas to the two charges.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)