Arrest made in 1996 Denver cold case homicide

An arrest has been made and a suspect extradited in a Denver cold case murder dating back more than 25 years.

The body of then 35-year- old Terri Turachak was found inside her apartment, in the 1900 block of E. 17th Ave., on Oct. 5, 1996, according to a Friday news release from the Denver district attorney’s office. Turachak had been strangled and suffered blows to her head.

DNA associated with the murder has been matched to Ricky Dawson, who was also 35 at the time of the incident. Murder charges were filed against Dawson this year.

The 62-year- old suspect was extradited from the Suwannee Correctional Facility in Florida to Denver. He appeared Thursday in court, where he was advised of charges against him — one count of first- degree murder after deliberation and one count of first- degree murder predicate attempted sexual assault.

Dawson was connected to the case Aug. 8, 2004, when the Denver Police Crime Lab received a DNA offender match in the case, according to an arrest affidavit. Investigators determined that he was in custody in a Florida prison after pleading guilty to second- degree murder and sexual assault there.

Dawson’s sentence in the 2001 Florida case included a 25-year prison term, which he was still serving when he was extradited.

Dawson, through DNA evidence, is also suspected in a 2000 murder and sex assault case in Seattle, according to the affidavit. Seattle police continue to investigate, and their case has not been presented to the King County prosecuting attorney.

Denver prosecutors allege that Dawson sexually assaulted the victim before killing her.

His next scheduled court appearance in Denver is on March 23.