DNA On Mask Worn In Deadly Home Invasion Leads To Arrest

DNA evidence found on a mask left at a deadly crime scene last year in Mulga, Alabama has led to an arrest.

On Sept. 15, 2017, a man was entertaining a guest in his home when two armed men forced their way into the house and tried to rob them. The victims began fighting with the suspects, who hit the homeowner in the head with a handgun. During the scuffle, a shot was fired and one of the suspects died as a result, according to WBRC in Birmingham. He was identified as Stephen Douglas Crump, 38, of Edgewater, Alabama. The homeowner had to be taken to a hospital for a wound to his head.

After Crump was shot, the other masked suspect ran off. His mask fell off during the struggle. Police believe he ran into a vehicle driven by a getaway driver. That alleged driver has been identified as Horace D. Stokes, 39, of Mulga who was arrested and charged with murder last year, according to Alabama.com.

The mask left at the scene of the robbery-gone-bad was sent into the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for DNA testing. That DNA was processed through a Combined DNA Index System, a system which blends forensic science and computer technology, according to WBRC.

On Aug. 15, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences matched the DNA to suspect Jason Dale Boatwright, a 40-year-old man from Bessemer. His DNA was in the database because of previous felony convictions, including robbery and cocaine possession, Alabama.com reported.

"Isn't it ironic that the mask he used to hide his identity is what ultimately revealed his identity,'' Jefferson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Randy Christian told Alabama.com.

He was arrested on Aug. 22 and charged with murder, second-degree assault, burglary and robbery. Boatwright is being held without bail. Stokes, (pictured, below) is still being held on $75,000 bond.

stokes

[Photos: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office]