LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Nearly 20 years after a brutal sex attack on a 65-year-old woman in Lake County, detectives have announced they may have finally found the culprit.
In a release, Lake County deputies said the incident was reported shortly after midnight on Oct. 22, 2007, when an “unknown male” entered the woman’s Tavares home.
“The male attacked the victim, forced her to perform sex acts on him, and violently sexually battered her for two hours prior to leaving on foot,” the release reads.
While the suspect’s DNA was collected from the crime scene and entered into the CODIS database, there hadn’t been any matches, deputies added.
That is — until recently.
According to investigators, the sheriff’s office partnered with Parabon NanoLabs in 2018 to generate a report using the DNA sample.
This report included a generated composite image that showed a prediction of the suspect’s appearance, exhibiting someone who appeared to be 25 years old with an average BMI.
Parabon Snapshot (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators continued to look over the data, and earlier this month, a lead was forwarded to the sheriff’s office identifying a person of interest living in Ohio, the release states.
On Oct. 8, investigators confirmed that the DNA collected from the subject in Ohio matched the suspect profile obtained in 2007, leading to an arrest warrant for Larry Franklin Tucker.
(Left) Image of Larry Franklin Tucker included in arrest affidavit; (Right) Booking photo of Larry Franklin Tucker (Lake County Sheriff’s Office)
Tucker was ultimately arrested in Ohio and extradited to Lake County over the weekend, deputies said. He now faces charges of sexual battery, occupied burglary to a dwelling with battery, and kidnapping.
Meanwhile, detectives are still investigating the incident, and if anyone has information about Tucker, they are urged to contact the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The full probable cause affidavit for Tucker’s arrest has been attached to this story and can be read below.
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