A 33-year-old man is appearing in court accused of the murder of an 85-year-old widow who was strangled in her bed before her home was set on fire.
The man, who has not been named, is facing Teesside Magistrates' Court in Middlesbrough accused of killing Pat Thompson.
The pensioner died in Emma Simpson Court, Hartburn, Stockton-on-Tees, on the evening of September 5.
Mrs Thompson, a retired schoolteacher with three children and six grandchildren, moved to her bungalow about nine years ago.
The churchgoer was well known in her local community and her death shocked many people.
Police launched a murder hunt after a post-mortem examination revealed Mrs Thompson had died from strangulation prior to her home being set alight.
Last week Mrs Thompson's two daughters made an emotional appeal for witnesses and urged anyone with information to come forward.
