CA arrest leads to Norwood's DNA match

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Evidence entered into the national DNA database by authorities in California, ultimately linked Mark Norwood to the murders of Christine Morton and Debra Jan Baker.

• Former cold-case chief happy with break
   

On Thursday, Cpl. Courtney Donowho with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said Norwood, 57, was arrested in Riverside County in 2007 for possession of a dangerous firearm, narcotics and resisting arrest.

The same charges were listed in a 2008 arrest, which Cpl. Donowho said was likely brought on after Norwood failed to show up to a court hearing on the original charges.

Norwood's lengthy criminal history

Norwood is no stranger to crime. According to public records, he has racked up more than a dozen arrests in the last 30 years.

While in his late 20s, Norwood was arrested seven times in Tennessee. According to public records between 1980 and 1983 he was arrested for various charges from arson to destruction of property. The most violent charge was aggravated assault involving a weapon with the intent to commit murder.

Norwood moved to the Brentwood NeighborCentral Austin in the mid-1980s.

In 1986, Christine Morton was murdered.

One year later, Norwood was arrested and accused of breaking into a couple of homes and cars in his neighborhood.

While he was out of jail on bond, Debra Baker was murdered at her home in January of 1988, just two blocks away from Norwood's home.

Four months later, Norwood was sentenced and went to jail for the burglaries.

After his 2007 and 2008 arrests in California, Norwood was arrested at his mother's home in Bastrop County in October of 2010 and accused of kicking a neighbor in the face.

In August of 2011, detectives in the Christine Morton murder case asked Norwood why his DNA was found on a bloody bandana at the crime scene. He could not give a reason.