A convicted sex offender has been arrested for the murder of a woman in Broward County almost 20 years ago.
Alvin Merrit, who is now 72, appeared before a bond court judge Tuesday to face charges in the 2002 killing of Janet Ramos in Deerfield Beach.
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Court records allege Merrit was sexually battering Ramos when he choked her to death on April 17 or April 18 of 2002.
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DNA evidence reportedly led detectives to Merrit.
Merrit was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2009 in a Miami-Dade sexual battery and kidnapping case, Florida Department of Corrections records showed. As a result, Merrit is listed as a sexual offender.
Merrit was released from prison in 2019, but now is back behind bars, being held without bond.