Marc J. Karun, 53, was taken into custody as he left his home in Maine on Wednesday over the 1986 killing of 11-year-old Kathleen Flynn

A man has been arrested over the murder an 11-year-old girl who was strangled and sexually assaulted while walking home from school in Connecticut 33 years ago.

Marc J. Karun, 53, was taken into custody as he left his home in Maine on Wednesday over the 1986 killing of Kathleen Flynn.

The little girl had been walking home from school on a path through the woods near her home in Norwalk on September 23, 1986 when she was attacked.

Kathleen was reported missing after she failed to return home from school.

Some of her friends had told police that they had seen her just minutes after school finished as she made her way along her usual route home.

Her body was eventually found hours later about 100 feet off the path following an extensive search.

An autopsy found that Kathleen had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Police investigated her death for decades before finally arresting Karun.

Kathleen Flynn was sexually assaulted and strangled while walking home from school in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 23, 1986

He had been the suspect in Kathleen's murder for some time, police sources told the Hartford Courant.

Karun, who has prior convictions for sexual assaults in other Connecticut towns, was linked to Kathleen's death due to DNA evidence from other crimes.

He used to live in Norwalk but later moved to Stetson in Maine.

Karun is on the sex offenders register in Maine due to his prior convictions in Connecticut.

He is charged with sexual assault and murder.

He is being held at the Penobscot County Jail until his terms of extradition are determined.

Kathleen's family issued a statement following Karun's arrest, saying: 'We wish to thank the Norwalk Police Department for bringing Kathleen's murderer to justice.

'This continues to be a very difficult time for us and we do not wish to make any further comments.'