In the days after 66-year-old Doris Fenbow was allegedly raped and murdered in her Sydney flat in 1988, police interviewed her accused killer.
But, they noted, the then teenage neighbour "heard or saw nothing that could assist".
Now, almost 30 years later, the 45-year-old man, known as "BL", has pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Ms Fenbow whose body was discovered inside her smoke-filled flat in Sydney's south-east on the morning of September 3, 1988.
Her feet and legs were charred, she was naked from the waist down and she had bruising to her eyes.
Giving evidence on the second day of BL's Supreme Court trial on Wednesday, former police officer Martyn Downs said he interviewed him three days after Ms Fenbow's death.
Reading from notes prepared at the time, Mr Downs said DL had told him he had gone out with friends and his sister that night before arriving home at about 2.30am and going to bed shortly after.
"He heard or saw nothing that could assist with the murder of Doris Fenbow," Mr Downs had noted in 1988.
The crown alleges BL murdered Ms Fenbow sometime between 2.30am and 7.50am and then set fire to her Little Bay unit in a bid to cover up what he had done.
BL, however, says he was forced to have intercourse with Ms Fenbow by at least one man who had sexually abused him.
He says he had nothing to do with her murder or the fires at her unit.
Retired policeman Robert Checkley told the trial he noticed long spider webs hanging from the ceiling when he arrived at Ms Fenbow's untidy flat.
From memory, he said her body was slightly burnt on her lower right side.
Cushions had also been placed against her and stacked underneath her and set alight.
"There was paper on the floor that looked like it had been used to set fire?" crown prosecutor Trevor Bailey asked.
"That's also correct," Mr Checkley replied.
The trial continues.
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