The murder of Una Crown: How DNA solved the case 12 years on
The death of 86-year-old Una Crown back in 2013 was thought to have been caused by a tragic accident. However, this was far from the case. In fact, Una was the victim of a brutal murder. Unfortunately, Una didn’t receive the justice she deserved until very recently, at the beginning of 2025.
Una’s case was plagued with significant errors and oversights that caused delays. DNA was also a key factor in uncovering the truth of Una’s death, but the necessary technology was not available at the time of her death.
These factors came together to create a 12-year gap between Una’s murder and the discovery of the truth. Join us here at Crime+Investigation as we dive deeper into this case.
Who was Una Crown?
Una Crown was an 86-year-old retired postmistress and widow who lived by herself in 2013. She resided on the outskirts of Wisbech, a market town in Cambridgeshire.
She was married to Jack Roland Crown, who passed away in 2009. The couple had no children. Una was known for being security-conscious, often checking at the door before letting anyone into her home.
She had been seen alive and well two days before her death. She had also spoken to a friend at around 5pm the day before she was found dead.
The murder of Una Crown
On 13th January 2013, Una’s body was found in the hallway of her bungalow. She was found by her nephew-in-law, John Payne, who had arrived to take her out for Sunday lunch.
Una was found in a pool of blood and was surrounded by burned newspaper. Her clothing was also significantly burned, and her body was partially burned. The fire had died out before it had a chance to spread to the rest of her home.
A failed investigation
The police work initially involved with Una’s death left a lot to be desired. It was originally thought that Una had been the victim of a tragic accident, even though her door key, £80 in cash, and her wedding ring were missing.
Police thought that Una had accidentally set herself on fire when using the stove. After trying and failing to put out the fire with a tea towel, they believed that Una had died from a heart attack.
Una had cuts on her throat, but these were also dismissed as accidental. The investigation concluded that the cuts were caused by pressure from Una’s scarf, which was thought to have tightened around her neck when she fell to the ground.
This was proved incorrect on 15th January, when Una’s post-mortem results came in. They revealed that she had been stabbed to death and had died from stab wounds to the chest and neck.
A murder investigation was launched, but it was too late for crucial evidence to be found. Una’s home had not been declared a murder investigation crime scene due to the initial findings, leading to a loss of vital evidence.
Crimewatch created a reconstruction of the scene and appealed to the public to help find Una’s killer in April 2013. However, a break in the case would not occur for over a decade.
DNA findings and David Newton
Una had blood under her fingernails when she died, and her fingernail clippings were taken and stored. The clippings were re-examined with new techniques in 2023.
The findings linked the DNA under Una’s nails to 70-year-old David Newton, a suspect from 2013 who had been released without charge. Newton had denied any involvement in Una’s murder. However, a witness claimed to have seen someone drunkenly walking towards her home at around 8:30 pm on the night of her murder.
Newton also claimed to have only known Una in passing, but it was found that he had made a copy of her back door key when he had helped her with a lock.
The DNA results were the definitive evidence that police needed to charge him with Una’s murder in April 2024.
In February 2025, Newton was found guilty of the murder of Una Crown. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years to be served.
With this development, Una’s family and friends finally received some long-awaited closure and answers, thanks to the DNA findings. The Cambridgeshire police also acknowledged their failings with the case, which will hopefully lead to more precise and careful investigations in the future.
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