<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The man local law enforcement said is responsible for the fatal stabbing of Rose Born in 1998 has been arrested.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Lake Charles Police announced Wednesday the arrest of Dennis Jerome Bartie, 35, who was 17 at the time of the attack.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“There’s a peace,” said Born’s sister, Julia Born LeBlanc. “We’ve been praying all of these years and our prayers have been answered.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Born’s body was discovered July 8, 1998, inside her business, Paradise Donuts.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Rick Bryant, who was district attorney at the time of Born’s murder, said this is absolutely one of the worst cases he has seen.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“This made us all upset,” he said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Police Chief Don Dixon said she had been stabbed repeatedly and there was evidence of a violent struggle.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“I can tell you by viewing these crime scene photos probably 50 times, she fought for her life, she fought until she couldn’t fight anymore and it was our job to fight on for her,” Dixon said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">After stabbing her to death, Dixon said Born’s killer fled the scene in her vehicle, which was later found abandoned nearly four miles away in the 2400 block of Anita Drive.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Dixon said LCPD initially responded to the crime, but the investigation was later turned over to the then-violent crime taskforce. When the taskforce disbanded, the LCPD was given control of the investigation again, this time as a cold case.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“I can tell you that since that has happened, countless hours of going over the crime scene, interviews, going over every piece of evidence, trips to prison, were spent on this case,” Dixon said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said the big break in the case came in September when evidence from the original crime scene was resubmitted to the Southwest Louisiana Criminals laboratory and the Louisiana State Police Crime laboratory for testing.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said Born’s fingernails were retested and a DNA profile of a man already in codice was discovered.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">On May 23, the lab told LSPD the DNA matched Dennis Jerome Bartie, who was incarcerated at the Allen Correctional Center for a 2006 case in which he stabbed a female 23 times in Baton Rouge. She survived and Bartie was sentenced to 40 years behind bars.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Dixon said Bartie was interviewed and after a long process, confessed to killing Born and stealing her vehicle.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Bartie admitted he had gone to the donut shop to rob Rose of the vehicle,” Dixon said. “When she resisted, he attacked her and stabbed her repeatedly with a knife that he had picked up from a nearby table.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Bartie told investigators he committed the crime because he needed a ride home, Dixon said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He has been charged with second-degree murder and armed robbery. No bond was set.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“To the family members of victims of other cold case homicides, I assure you we’re looking at every one of them,” Dixon said. “We’re going to leave no stone unturned. We never gave up on Rose. I’m glad to say that poetic justice was because she scratched him, she ended up winning.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Dixon said officers have the killer, a confession and the lab work.</span>

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in" align="justify"><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;">Lead investigators and arresting officers on the case were Captain Eric Darling, Det. Sgt. Franklin Fondel, Det. Sgt. Colby Thompson and Det. Cpl. Dustin Gaudet</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Dixon said officer believe another couple may have been at the scene of the crime. Anyone with information is asked to call LCPD at 491-1311.</span><p>Dennis Jerome Bartie</p>LCPD