Police arrest a 69-year-old man suspected of the unsolved 11-year murder of postmistress Una Crown, 86, found burned to death with her throat slit in her home

The police have arrested a 69-year-old man, suspected of murder in connection with the death of postmistress Una Crown 11 years ago.

The Wisbech man was arrested this morning and remains in custody at Thorpe Wood Police Station in Peterborough.

Mrs Crown had her throat slashed and her body burnt before she was found lying in a pool of blood and surrounded by burnt newspaper.

Officers were called to her home in Magazine Lane, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, after family members and a neighbor discovered the body on 13 January 2013.

Mrs Crown’s wedding ring, front door key and £40 were missing.

Police initially believed she had set herself on fire by accident, later apologizing after an autopsy revealed she had died of stab wounds to the neck and chest.

The last image of Una Crown alive – CCTV taken at Wisbech Tesco on 11th January 2013

Mrs Crown had been seen alive two days before and had spoken to a friend on the phone at around 10am. 17 on Saturdays.

She also appeared in good spirits as she shopped on Friday – with CCTV capturing her leaving a store with her trolley.

Her death was initially treated as unexplained, but after a post-mortem examination concluded Mrs Crown died from stab wounds to the throat and chest, a homicide investigation was launched.

Mrs Crown’s clothes had been set alight in an apparent attempt to hide her injuries and destroy evidence, but the fire did not spread to the rest of the house.

Two police officers present had initially concluded that the death was not suspicious, believing the pensioner had died of a heart attack after her clothes had accidentally caught fire due to a faulty hob which she had tried to extinguish with a tea towel.

They also believed that the slits in her neck were caused by the pressure of a scarf when her body hit the floor.

Una Crown’s bungalow in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire

The bungled initial investigation meant family members were allowed back into the property and key evidence may have been destroyed.

In January, Detective Constable Iain Moor, of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: ‘It is now 11 years since Mrs Crown’s tragic death and we are still seeking justice for her family.

‘Last year we appealed for help on national television with a reconstruction of events. It is incredibly positive that we reached such a large audience, but we continue to seek opportunities for new inquiries.

‘We also continue to appeal to the public for information and to keep the case on people’s minds.

‘I would urge anyone who has information but has not yet come forward to do the right thing and get in touch.

‘Any information, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, could be the key to solving this investigation and finally getting justice.’