DNA evidence helps Tulsa Police make arrest

Friday, May 7th 2004, 6:35 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Police arrest a rape suspect using old-fashioned detective work and high-tech forensics. Investigators say Richard Dawson broke into a woman's home, threatened her with a gun and stole her jewelry.

He then assaulted her while her 12-year-old daughter slept in a nearby room. Police later arrested the suspect on a separate charge of breaking into an east Tulsa home. Detectives say that arrest helped break the assault case.

Tulsa Police detective Tyrone Lynn: "Well the burglary detective that was working it contacted me because he knew he fit the description of a case that I was working. Ultimately we recovered a cigarette that had his DNA and it was a match to our crime scene."

Dawson is currently serving 180 years for the east Tulsa home invasion. He's now also charged with first-degree rape, first-degree burglary and armed robbery.