The 56-year-old man arrested for a 1986 rape in St. Pete made a brief first appearance before a judge Saturday morning.
Police say DNA evidence collected at the scene of a 1986 rape of a St. Petersburg woman led to the arrest of Anthony Stokes.
He is now in jail with bond set at $250,000 and facing charges for the crime police say he committed three decades ago.
In the early hours of Dec. 12, 1986, police say an unknown man broke into a woman’s home, said he had a gun and then raped her.
Police had no suspect and the case went unsolved for many years.
In 2006, the case was reopened, but efforts to find a suspect were unsuccessful.
On Friday, nearly 32 years later, police announced 56-year-old Anthony Stokes was a match with DNA gathered from the crime scene.
Stokes was arrested early Friday morning on charges of armed sexual battery and booked into the Pinellas County Jail.
News Channel 8 spoke to a woman who identified herself as Stokes’ wife. She says he is innocent.
Neighbors also told our crew Stokes was a good, hardworking man.
WFLA has learned Stokes was licensed to work in the medical field from 1999 to 2015 when his license expired. He also worked in lawn care.
Stokes served time in the 90s for drug charges but had no criminal history of sex crimes.
However – investigators suspect he may be connected to a number of other rape cases that occurred between 1986 and 1987.
Those with information should call the St. Petersburg Police Department at 893-7780 or text SPPD and their tips to TIP-411.
