A Denton County jury has sentenced Jason Warren to 75 years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually motivated Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Another Felony, a first-degree felony. The sentence brings a measure of accountability to a years-long investigation tied to a string of crimes that targeted women across multiple Texas communities.
Warren was identified as the suspect in a multiyear investigation involving burglaries and sexual assaults that occurred between 2019 and 2020, primarily in the area surrounding the University of North Texas. Victims consistently described a tall, slim Black man who forced or attempted to force his way into apartments with the intent to commit sexual assault, often striking during overnight hours.
A major break in the case came in December 2022, when Denton Police were notified that DNA profiles from two separate 2020 cases were linked. With assistance from the FBI’s Dallas field office, additional forensic DNA testing was conducted, leading investigators in 2023 to identify a relative of the unknown suspect through genealogical analysis. That breakthrough set off a detailed family lineage investigation, ultimately pointing detectives to Warren, who had previously lived in Denton and was residing in Marshall at the time.
In late 2023, investigators, working alongside the FBI and the Joint Harrison County Violent Crime and Narcotics Task Force, obtained an additional DNA sample from Warren. Subsequent analysis determined that his DNA profile could not be excluded as a contributor to the evidence collected in the Denton cases from 2020.
Investigators also discovered that Warren committed a similar offense in November 2023 near Baylor University in Waco, where he was charged with Criminal Trespass. He later pleaded guilty to that charge in August of this year.
As the investigation continued, Warren was charged with additional counts of Burglary of a Habitation with Intent to Commit Sex Offenses connected to four unsolved Denton Police cases from 2019. Those cases remain pending.
Authorities emphasized that the conviction was made possible by the courage of the survivors in Denton, Waco, and Marshall, who came forward and cooperated with investigators. Law enforcement agencies also credited the extensive collaboration between local, state, and federal partners, including the Denton County District Attorney’s Office, FBI Dallas, Marshall Police Department, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Waco Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Anyone who may have experienced a similar, unreported incident is encouraged to contact Detective Marquilla Curtis with the Denton Police Department at 940-349-7727 or by email at Marquilla.Curtis@cityofdenton.com.
