DNA from restaurant fork in Arizona leads to arrest in 27-year-old North Naples sexual battery case

An arrest has been made in a North Naples sexual battery case that dates back 27 years, and DNA from a restaurant fork in Arizona was the key evidence leading to the breakthrough. The incident occurred on the evening of June 2, 1999, after the victim returned to her North Naples apartment alone after listening to jazz at a Bonita Springs club. According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office, an unknown man grabbed her from behind, covered her mouth, carried her inside, and raped her before leaving. The victim was taken to a hospital where a sexual assault forensic examination was conducted, and a sexual assault kit was collected and preserved as evidence. According to CCSO, no suspect was identified at the time despite the detectives' efforts in the case, and DNA developed from the semen recovered during the forensic exam didn't produce any matches in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The investigation went cold, but in August 2025, CCSO submitted the DNA evidence to DNA Labs International (DLI) for forensic genetic genealogy analysis. CCSO said that unlike CODIS, which compares crime scene DNA to profiles of known offenders, forensic genetic genealogy combines DNA analysis with genealogical research to identify biological relatives of an unknown suspect and build family trees that can identify the person who left the DNA. In February, CCSO got a genealogy report identifying potential family connections that narrowed the investigation down to two persons of interest, one of whom was arrested in this case, Terry Lynn Denton, 71, according to CCSO. CCSO detectives located Denton in Glendale, Arizona, and were assisted by the FBI. According to the sheriff's office, while Denton dined at a restaurant, FBI agents conducting surveillance collected items he used, including a drinking glass, straw, spoon, and metal fork, after he left. Months later, on June 18, lab results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) confirmed the DNA recovered from the metal fork matched the semen DNA collected from the victim's sexual assault kit, CCSO said. According to CCSO, the lab analysis concluded the DNA profile was 700 billion times more likely to have originated from Denton than from an unrelated individual. Detectives then obtained a search warrant that authorized the collection of a DNA sample from Denton's mouth to further confirm the match. CCSO detectives then traveled to Arizona and, with help from the Glendale Police Department, collected a DNA sample after meeting Denton at his residence. Investigators said Denton denied living in Collier County in 1999 when they interviewed him at his home. However, CCSO detectives confronted him with records showing he obtained a Florida driver's license listing a Naples address in 1998 and that he was living less than a mile from the victim when the crime occurred, CCSO said. In July, the FDLE crime lab determined that the DNA samples collected from Denton's mouth matched the DNA recovered from the victim's sexual assault kit. Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Denton this week and tracked him to Sarasota County, where he was taken into custody by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension Unit on Wednesday. Denton was booked into the Sarasota County Jail, and he is waiting for extradition to Collier County, CCSO said. Denton is facing a sexual battery charge at this time. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.