Wednesday, February 8, 2017

DNA Does Not Lie



February 8, 2017

On April 14, 2016 an elderly Morriston resident’s sleep was horribly interrupted. The victim was awakened by a person kicking through her locked bedroom door. The victim retreated to her bathroom and locked herself inside. She immediately called a family member who lived nearby to summon help. The family member called 911.

LCSO Deputies arrived to find the suspect had fled from the scene prior to their arrival. Crime Scene Investigators arrived and processed the scene. Investigators located several personal items had been dropped by the suspect as he fled to a vehicle that was waiting nearby. Meanwhile, Crime Scene Investigators combed over the interior of the home searching for evidence. Which they found.

The suspect, who had not been identified, left behind something better than his ID. He left his blood. Crime Scene Investigators collected several small droplets of blood and had them analyzed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) laboratory. The FDLE, utilizing a system that warehouses DNA profiles collected from known offenders, matched the DNA profile collected by our Crime Scene Investigators to Matthew Eric Saunders (W/M 12-18-71). Saunders has amassed 31 felony charges in his life which allowed prior investigators to collect his DNA and added it to the warehouse.

Investigators secured a warrant for the arrest of Saunders and located him at his home in Citrus Springs yesterday. Saunders was arrested for burglary of an occupied dwelling, criminal mischief and petit theft. Saunders is being held at the Citrus County Jail and his bond has been set at $325,000.
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