ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Thanks to DNA collected at the scene of a 32-year-old crime, St. Petersburg Police on Friday made an arrest in connection with a rape that occurred in 1986.
- Incident occurred on Dec. 12, 1986
- Case went cold, re-opened in 2006 and again in recent months
- DNA match led to arrest of Anthony Stokes, 56
Detectives arrested Anthony Stokes, 56, early Friday. They charged him with armed sexual battery.
According to police, on Dec. 12, 1986 at around 1:30 a.m., a 39-year-old woman was home alone when a man broke into her house, implied he had a gun, and raped her.
"The victim was so in fear after this incident that she had people pack her house and she never returned to the same residence again," said St. Petersburg Police Major Shannon Halstead. "When we made contact with her today she was incredibly grateful ... worried about the process going forward all these years later."
Investigators collected DNA from the crime scene and stored it at the time. The case eventually went cold -- detectives re-opened the case in 2006 and in 2015, but came up with no new information.
Finally, cold case investigators focused again on the case earlier this year.
"We haven’t forgotten, and we constantly reassess, and the men and women that look at these cases are very passionate about finding justice, whether it’s the next day or 32 years later," Halstead explained.
This time, they obtained a DNA match which led them to Stokes.
Investigators now believe that Stokes may be connected to a number of other cases that occurred between 1986 and 1987.
"We know for a fact [Stokes]'s connected to other cases," Halstead said.
Halstead went on to say Stokes had prior arrests for shoplifting, drug trafficking and prostitution.
Anyone who may have additional information is urged to call St. Petersburg Police at 727-893-7780, or text 'TIP-411' with the letters 'SPPD' and the tip.