Former Grimsby resident Christopher Jefferies has been sent a letter by police apologising for the distress he suffered during the investigation into the murder of Joanna Yeates.
Mr Jefferies, who was Ms Yeates' landlord, was arrested after the 25-year-old was found dead in December 2010.
He was eliminated from the inquiry several months later but Avon and Somerset Police has now said it should have issued a statement immediately indicating he was no longer a suspect.
In the letter to Mr Jefferies, dated 5 August, the new Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset, Nick Gargan, said: "I write formally to acknowledge the hurt that you suffered as a result of that arrest, detention and eventual release on police bail in connection with the murder of Joanna Yeates in December 2010 and which was the subject of huge media interest.
"I accept unequivocally that you played no part in the murder and that you are wholly innocent of the crime."
Mr Jefferies' arrest and detention attracted huge press interest. He said he was "vilified" by the media at the time and has since successfully sued a number of newspapers for libel.
Vincent Tabak, a Dutch national who lived next door to Ms Yeates and her boyfriend on Canynge Road in Bristol, was jailed for life in October 2011 for her murder.
