DNA evidence leads to confession of Spokane sexual predator – KXLY – KXLY Spokane

DNA evidence leads to confession of...

SPOKANE, Wash. - A man arrested last fall for taking a picture of a stranger inside a Spokane Valley park bathroom has now been linked to previously unsolved crimes, all because of a court-ordered DNA sample he gave after his conviction.

Garry Davis was arrested in September for an incident at Greenacres Park. A 17-year old using the restroom saw a flash and heard the click of a smartphone camera. She told her parents, who called 911. Davis was still at the scene and was arrested; he pleaded guilty to voyeurism.

As a result of that conviction, the court required Davis to give a sample of his DNA, which was entered into the database at the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab. His DNA matched blood left behind at previously unsolved sexual assaults.

"Because of the DNA being entered at that point, it was matched up against old DNA profiles," said Spokane County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Gregory. "It was found to match on two cases from 2008 and 2009."

In the 2008 case, deputies say a man broke into a home on Houk Road and began to fondle a sleeping woman. She screamed, and as he ran away, he stole her purse with cash and credit cards inside. On the way out, the man cut himself and left behind blood on a tarp outside the home. That blood was collected and submitted for evidence.

In 2009, a man assaulted a woman as she left the Denny's in Spokane Valley. He told the woman he would kill her if she answered her phone, grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground. He pinned her down and sexually assaulted her. She scratched him to fight him off and when she went to the hospital afterwards, investigators found blood on her sweatshirt. That blood was collected for evidence.

A forensic investigator linked DNA from both incidents to the sample Davis gave as the result of his conviction.

In addition to those crimes, court records detail other sexually-driven crimes:

-In 2005, investigators say Davis molested two young girls. -In 2009, court records say Davis "entered a Spokane Valley high school during school hours and went into the girls bathroom, where female students found him hiding in a stall." -In 2010, "a woman watched Garry masturbate in public as she walked past him -In 2010, "A Gonzaga University security guard contacted Garry after watching Garry follow a female student throughout a nearby neighborhood -In 2012, Garry was arrested after masturbating in front of two 14-year old girls in a public park -In 2014, a woman was using the restroom in a public park and when she exited the bathroom stall, Garry was standing there and tried touching her crotch, then began masturbating as he touched the woman's leg

Tuesday, investigators confronted Davis at his home on Long Road. At first, he said he did not remember the incidents, then he admitted chasing the woman outside of Denny's. According to court documents, Davis admitted "his intention was to have sexual intercourse with the woman but he stopped his attempt because the woman was screaming and moving around too much."

When asked about the 2008 incident in the woman's home, he said he went in to steal from her and admitted fondling the woman. Court records say "he admitted to entering other people's homes to do similar things."

He also admitted sexually assaulting several other women, in addition to the incidents listed above.

Davis was booked into the Spokane County Jail on four charges, including Attemped Rape in the Second Degree, Unlawful Imprisonment with Sexual Motivation and two counts of Indecent Liberties.

The Washington Department of Corrections says Davis is still under state supervision, stemming from the voyeurism charge.

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