DNA solves 1994 New College rape case, cops say. Sarasota man gets 25 years in prison

It took almost 26 years to solve the 1994 rape of a New College student, but thanks to the advancements in DNA testing, Darryl King, 42, will spend the next 25 years in prison.

According to the Sarasota Police Department, King pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a charge of sexual battery with a deadly weapon abd was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

In April of 1994, police responded to the 5200 block of Tamiami Trail, where a woman told them someone had entered her apartment through an unlocked sliding glass door. The man put a knife to her throat, raped her and then robbed her, according to police.

DNA evidence was collected at the time and sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A DNA profile was developed but no match could be found.

In November of 2016, cold case detectives performed a familial DNA search using the evidence collected in 1994, which in December 2018 led them to King.

King was arrested one month later.

“Through the combined efforts of members of Sarasota Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the conviction of Darryl King will help bring closure to the victim and make our community much safer,” said Sarasota police Detective Anthony DeFrancisco.

Retired Detective Bo Potter was the original detective on the case.

“I am proud to have shared in the efforts of the men and women of the Sarasota Police Department over the last 26 years to provide closure to this victim,” Potter said.