NORWALK, Conn. — A Maine man has been taken into custody in connection with the 1986 killing of an 11-year-old Connecticut girl who was raped and strangled as she walked home from school, police said Thursday.

Maine State Police arrested Marc J. Karun, 53, as he left his home on Coboro Road in Stetson – a small town in Penobscot County – on Wednesday morning.

Karun is being detained as a fugitive from justice at the Penobscot County Jail in Bangor and is expected to be charged with murder and sexual assault once he has been extradited to Connecticut, officials said.

Kathleen Flynn disappeared on Sept. 23, 1986, while walking home from Ponus Ridge Middle School in Norwalk, Connecticut.

When she hadn’t arrived home by the usual time, her mother, Esther Flynn, went looking for her at the school and surrounding neighborhoods, but didn’t find her and reported her missing to police, authorities said.

A large search party was formed and found the girl’s body early the next morning, more than 100 feet from a path near the school that Kathleen used to walk home most days.

Details of Karun’s arrest on Wednesday were not released. Lt. Terry Blake, a spokesperson for the Norwalk Police Department, said in an email that police are not planning to release any additional information at this time.

It wasn’t clear if Karun has a lawyer who could respond to the allegations.

Public records show he previously lived in several towns in Connecticut, including Norwalk. He is listed on Maine’s sex offender registry as having a 1989 conviction for sexual assault in Connecticut.

According to Maine’s sex offender registry, Karun was convicted of sexual assault and ordered to serve 16 years in prison with all but 10 years suspended.

Blake, of the Norwalk Police Department, released a statement Thursday from Kathleen Flynn’s family, who thanked investigators for making an arrest.

“This continues to be a very difficult time for us and we do not wish to make any further comments,” the statement said. “We ask the media to please respect our privacy.”

Norwalk police said that two of its officers, Lt. Art Weisgerber and Sgt. Alex Tolnay, were in Maine on Wednesday to execute an arrest warrant for Karun. Weisgerber was one of the police investigators assigned to the girl’s case 33 years ago, police department records show.

Norwalk police did not provide details on any evidence or tips that led them to Maine. Officials previously said they were reviewing the evidence using recent advancements in DNA technology. Norwalk police said they will hold a news conference soon to discuss the case in more detail.

According to the Connecticut Post newspaper, Karun was raised in Norwalk and lived in that city until at least 2011. The newspaper said Karun moved to Maine in 2012.

Norwalk police said they had received numerous tips over the years as the case went unsolved. At one point, a flier was made showing sketches of three white men with long hair who were seen near the school in a green vehicle with New York plates. But police said it was possible the men weren’t involved.

News Center Maine (WCSH/WLBZ) reported that a bail hearing for Karun is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor.

He is expected to remain at the Penobscot County Jail until the terms of his extradition can be determined.

Staff Writer Dennis Hoey contributed to this report.

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