Ohio man arrested 18 years after alleged assault in Florida, deputies say

Breakthrough DNA technology solves 2007 sexual assault case

A 2007 home invasion and sexual assault case was solved nearly 20 years later using advanced DNA genealogy, detectives say.

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Nearly 20 years after a woman was brutally attacked in her Tavares home, investigators said they have made an arrest.

Larry Franklin Jr. was arrested in Ohio earlier this month after DNA technology was used to identify a potential person of interest, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. 

2007: Woman violently attacked inside her Tavares home by unknown man

The backstory:

A 65-year-old woman was attacked by an unknown man in her Tavares home in October 2007. DNA samples were collected from the crime scene and then entered into the CODIS (Combined DNA Index System) database but no matches were found at the time, according to authorities. 

In 2018, the sheriff’s office worked with Parabon NanoLabs to create a phenotyping profile that could be added to genetic databases and help investigators generate leads. The information was also used to generate a composite image of a suspect’s appearance. 

"Snapshot Phenotyping is able to make predictions of physical traits and ancestry based on genetic biomarkers. As a part of this, a composite image is generated that is a prediction of the suspect's appearance at the age of 25 with an average BMI," a news release said.

What we know:

The information eventually led to the identification of a person of interest living in Ohio, investigators said. Lake County deputies worked with Ohio law enforcement agencies to obtain a search warrant for the suspect’s DNA, which matched with the DNA collected in 2007. 

Tucker was arrested in Ohio on Oct. 9, authorities said. He was extradited to Lake County and booked into the Lake County Jail on charges of sexual battery, occupied burglary, and kidnapping – all connected to the alleged 2007 incident.

What's next:

The investigation into the 2007 assault is ongoing. Investigators are asking anyone with information on Tucker to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.