The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said Thursday afternoon that there's been a big break in a nearly 30-year-old cold-case murder investigation.
Sheriff Bill Brown said DNA evidence links a Florida man with the murder of a Montecito man back in 1988.
Suspect Larry Lee, 52, is being held in Sarasota County but will likely be brought to Santa Barbara for a trial. He's accused of killing Vernon Kendrick, who was 46 at the time.
Kendrick was found bludgeoned to death in his apartment after police were called to do a welfare check.
The case went cold for many years, but in June of 2010 detectives submitted evidence to the state's crime lab where DNA was found belonging to the victim and one other person.
In mid-August, a potential DNA match was found with Larry Lee who was in custody on theft-related charges in Florida.
Sheriff Brown said his office has been unsuccessful locating family members of the victim, but says a long-time family friend has been notified of the arrest.