DOUGLAS COUNTY –A suspect arrested in connection with a decades old Kansas cold case involving child sex assault is now in a Kansas jail.
According to online jail records, 58-year-old David Zimbrick was booked into the Douglas County jail just after 10a.m. Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Lawrence Department in collaboration with the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of the alleged child sex offender whose crimes date back to 2000-2003.
Zimbrick's identification and ultimate arrest are the result of meticulous investigative work and the same science that brought in California’s “Golden State Killer” in 2018.
Monday, December 29, 2025, at the request of the Lawrence Kansas Police Department, U.S. Marshals arrested Zimbrick of Raytown, Missouri. Zimbrick was being held in Jackson County Missouri until his extradidtion to Douglas County.
Between 2000 and 2003, a series of sex crimes occurred in the Naismith Valley Park area, 1400 W. 27th Street. Reports indicate the suspect would lure children into the bushes to perform sexual assaults. The children involved were between 7 and 10 years old.
Despite unknown future technology, detectives thoroughly inspected the scene collecting any potential clues. While a distinct DNA profile was recovered, it yielded no match in the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national database of known offenders. With no further leads, the case eventually sat dormant.
In 2018, when California’s “Golden State Killer” was arrested, Detective Amy Price, who was involved in the original investigations, took note of their use of genetic genealogy. Detective Price submitted a request for funding and ultimately sent the evidence to Parbon Nanolabs. Parabon specializes in forensic genetic genealogy to solve cases where there is DNA evidence, but the offender’s identity remains unknown.
In March of 2020, Parabon notified Price that they had successfully genotyped the newly submitted DNA from one of the cases. The lengthy investigation that followed led to clues throughout the United States until the suspect was ultimately identified then located in Raytown, MO.
U.S. Marshals made the arrest without incident. Zimbrick is charged with one count of Aggravated Criminal Sodomy and one count of Rape in two cases.
“This arrest is a testament to the fact that time does not diminish our commitment to victims and their families,” said Lawrence Police Chief Rich Lockhart. “I am continually impressed with the dedicated professionals who work in this department and am specifically proud of Detective Amy Price, who was assigned to this case and never let time nor dead ends deter her from continuing the search. Crimes against children last a lifetime. It is my hope that this arrest provides some comfort.”