After 27 years without a suspect or lead, Collier County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) detectives got the break they needed to solve a sexual battery case from an unexpected source: a restaurant fork.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk announced that Terry Lynn Denton, 71, was arrested last week on a CCSO warrant charging him with sexual battery in connection with the 1999 burglary and rape of a Naples woman in her home.
The case developed leads using forensic genetic genealogy and DNA recovered from a metal fork Denton used while dining at a restaurant in Arizona, ultimately leading to his identification and arrest. The case marks the Collier County Sheriff’s Office’s first arrest resulting from a forensic genetic genealogy investigation.
“This arrest is a testament to the determination of our detectives and the incredible advances in forensic science,” Rambosk said. “For 27 years the victim waited for answers. Thanks to forensic genetic genealogy, the persistence of our detectives and the invaluable assistance of the FBI and our other law enforcement partners, we can finally hold the person responsible accountable.”
The attack occurred June 2, 1999 after the victim returned alone to her North Naples apartment following an evening listening to jazz at a club in Bonita Springs. As she unlocked her apartment door, an unknown man grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth and carried her inside where he raped her before leaving.The victim was transported to a hospital where a sexual assault forensic examination was conducted. A sexual assault kit was collected and preserved as evidence.
Although detectives thoroughly investigated the case, no suspect was identified. DNA developed from the semen recovered during the forensic exam did not produce any matches in CODIS. The investigation eventually went cold.
The breakthrough came after CCSO submitted the DNA evidence to DNA Labs International (DLI) in August 2025 for forensic genetic genealogy analysis.
In February 2026, CCSO received a genealogy report identifying potential family connections that narrowed the investigation to two persons of interest, including Denton.
CCSO detectives located Denton in Glendale, Arizona, and enlisted the assistance of the FBI. While Denton dined at a restaurant, FBI agents collected items he had used, including a drinking glass, straw, spoon and metal fork after he left.
On June 18, 2026, CCSO received lab results from FDLE confirming that DNA recovered from the metal fork matched the semen DNA collected from the victim’s sexual assault kit.
The lab analysis concluded the DNA profile was more than 700 billion times more likely to have originated from Denton than from an unrelated individual.
CCSO detectives later obtained a search warrant authorizing the collection of a DNA sample from inside Denton’s mouth to further confirm the match. Detectives traveled to Arizona, where they were met by detectives with the Glendale Police Department, who accompanied them to Denton’s residence. A DNA sample was collected from Denton’s mouth, turned over to CCSO as evidence and submitted to the FDLE crime laboratory for testing.
While at Denton’s residence, CCSO detectives, accompanied by Glendale officers, interviewed him. Denton denied living in Collier County in 1999. Detectives confronted him with records showing he obtained a Florida driver’s license listing a Naples address in 1998 and was living less than a mile from the victim when the crime occurred.
In July, detectives got the confirmation they were waiting for: The FDLE crime lab determined that the DNA sample collected from Denton’s mouth matched the DNA recovered from the victim’s sexual assault kit.
This week detectives obtained an arrest warrant and tracked Denton to Sarasota County. He was taken into custody by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit and booked into the Sarasota County Jail where he is awaiting extradition to Collier County.
“The FBI is committed to pursuing violent offenders wherever they are found, and we were proud to assist the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in advancing this cold case toward justice,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Rodney Crawford. “No offender should believe that time or distance will shield them from accountability. Advances in forensic technology—combined with relentless investigative work—ensure victims are never forgotten and those responsible are ultimately held accountable, no matter how long it takes.”
Republished courtesy of Collier County Sheriff’s Office