Arne had been cast to play the part of Range in
Frontios: Part One (1984). He had just returned from a costume fitting when he was bludgeoned to death in his apartment with a log
from the fireplace. The role was later filled by
William Lucas. The prime suspect in Arne's murder was a schoolteacher from Italy who
had been living rough in a local park, for whom Arne had been providing
food, and who drowned a few days later in an apparent suicide. Police
suspect the murderer came to Arne's home for whatever reason, and
became incensed either when Arne made a pass at him, or refused his
request for accommodation. A man fitting the suspect's description was also spotted by a neighbor
sitting on the entry stairs of Arne's building shortly before Arne
returned home from the aforementioned fitting at the BBC, eating from
what appeared to be a jar of honey, a half-eaten jar of which was found
in Arne's flat. The alleged killer's body was found washed up near Wandsworth bridge 3
days later, his bloodstained clothes found upstream at Putney. The coroner concluded that the man killed Arne and then committed
suicide whilst in a disturbed state of mind.
