DNA cracks 2008 break-in case
The Halifax County Sheriff's Office says that DNA testing results finally allowed them to arrest the suspect in an August 2008 break-in.
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During the initial investigation, detectives named Henry Doumaine Stevenson, 30, as a suspect, but didn't have enough evidence to arrest him, authorities said. Investigators submitted samples from Stevenson and from blood found throughout the house to the State Bureau of Investigation.
They waited 1½ years for the testing to be done, but the results came back a match, authorities said. Stevenson, of Roanoke Rapids, was arrested on charges of breaking-and-entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods.
"This shows that even though DNA takes some time to be analyzed, it is a very valuable tool to investigators," Detective J.A. Merritt said in a news release. "The SBI is currently working hard to reduce the backlog to reduce the wait time for DNA analysis."
Stevenson was given a $3,000 bond and has a Jan. 20 court date.
His criminal record dates to 1997 and includes convictions for assault with a deadly weapon, simple assault and driving while impaired, according to state Department of Correction records.
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