A breakthrough has been made in a 50-year-old cold case involving the murder of a Swedish woman in the United States.

In 1973, the 31-year-old woman was found dead in her home in San Rafael, California, having been sexually assaulted and shot three times.

Her husband discovered her body upon returning from work, while their two-year-old daughter was found unharmed in another room.

Despite initial investigations, the case went cold due to a lack of leads.

However, in 2021, the case was reopened by a special investigative team in California, which used DNA evidence to identify a suspect.

This led to the arrest of 75-year-old Michael Eugene Mullen in Idaho.

Mullen is currently awaiting extradition to California to face charges.