A man has been arrested in connection to a 1986 cold case murder and sexual assault of an 11-year-old Norwalk girl.

Norwalk police say state police in Maine arrested Marc J Karun, 53, Wednesday outside his home.

Police executed an arrest warrant for Karun for the sexual assault and murder of Kathleen Flynn, which occurred on Sept. 23, 1986.

Karun is being held at the Penobscot County Jail in Maine until his terms of extradition are determined, police say.

 Police say Flynn was reported missing by her mother on Sept. 23, 1986 after she did not arrive home after school.

Her mother told police she normally walked home from school using the path that leads to Hunters Lane and then to Fillow Street. Several of Kathleen’s friends said they saw Flynn on the path that day.

An extensive search was initiated with teams contacting friends of Flynn while other teams began to search the woods. Eventually, Flynn's body was discovered in a secluded wooded area over 100 feet from the path. Police say she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

Police would not say what led them to Karun. Several years ago, authorities told News 12 that they were using recent advancements in DNA technology to re-evaluate the case.

The 53-year-old was convicted of sexual assault in Norwalk in 1989 and sentenced to 10 years. He doesn't appear to have any arrests in Maine but is listed on the sex offender registry there due to his criminal history in Connecticut.

He is set to appear in court Friday.

Kathleen Flynn had just started sixth grade at Ponus Ridge Middle School before her death. She would have turned 44 in a few months.

The Flynn family released a statement 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. We ask the media to please respect our privacy.”