LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Authorities said DNA evidence has led to separate arrests in a 32-year-old slaying and a series of nine sexual assaults in 2004 and 2005.

One of the cases was the 1976 slaying of 16-year-old Columbine High School student Holly Marie Andrews. She disappeared on Dec. 26 when she went to visit friends. Her nude and mutilated body was found the next day by hikers in Clear Creek County, west of Georgetown.

The Rocky Mountain News reported that her killer had raped her, stabbed her in the back six times, slashed her chest and left her naked except for pair of blue knee-high socks. The newspaper also said she was a Columbine majorette who had spent weeks at the Fort Logan Mental Health Center just before she died.

Clear Creek County had an outstanding arrest warrant for convicted serial killer Henry Lee Lucas after he admitted to killing Andrews, but he later recanted his confession.

Because of a DNA match, police were able to arrest 52-year-old Ricky Lee Harnish, who remains in Clear Creek County Jail without bond.

"It's been a long time, but at least it's somewhere, instead of a cold case right now," said Clear Creek County Sheriff Don Krueger Friday afternoon. "It feels good."

Harnish is being held on investigation of first-degree murder and kidnapping. Details about this case were not released because of a gag order issued Friday morning.

Police Nab Suspected Serial Rapist

The other case involves a series of nine sexual assaults that occurred in Aurora and Denver from November 2004 to July 2005. The victims in the assaults were white, Asian and Hispanic females from 16 to 26 years of age. All of the assaults occurred after dark, and the suspect stole personal property from the victims.

Arrested in the rape cases is Micheal Lollis, 43, authorities announced Friday. Police did not release his picture because of the continuing investigation.

"That's the most gratifying is just having a name, or some type of closure to move on to that next phase of their life. That's the biggest perk of this whole investigation," said one detective.

Lollis had been arrested several times for various offenses, including criminal impersonation and fraud. He was serving time at community corrections facility in Centennial when he was served with the arrest warrant Friday morning. Lollis is now in custody in the Denver Jail, with bond set at $350,000 for each case.

"A lot of manpower went into this. A lot of forensic testing went into these cases. In the course of this investigation for the last four years, there's been over 200 individuals exonerated through the work of these detectives, through the work of these crime labs," said Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey.

Hundreds of officers with Aurora police, Denver police, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department were involved in the investigation.

"I knew this day would come. I knew we would get him. I knew eventually, with the evidence that we had, that we would identify him, probably through DNA, once we got a sample from him on another case," said Denver police Chief Gerald Whitman.

Morrissey said two arrest warrants were issued in March 2005 for a John Doe who matched the DNA profile from two of the Denver rapes. Morrissey said he has amended those cases to name Lollis as the offender.

Both Lollis and Harnish were convicted in other crimes. The DNA matches were made because of a change in law that took effect in July. That law required anyone convicted of felonies to provide DNA samples, which would be placed in the national Combined DNA Index System database.

Morrissey said would like to see those who are arrested of felonies provide DNA samples. He argued that it would save time, money and future crimes.

Morrissey said he will ask the Legislature this year to pass a bill to take a cell sample from the cheek of all felony suspects during the time of arrest. He said just as officers take a fingerprints and note a suspect's tattoo when a person is booked on a felony offense, the suspect should also be able to provide a DNA sample.

The DA said if this law had been in effect, "there would have been numerous victims that would not have suffered at the hands of this individual ... If we had such a statute we would have saved close to $1 million."

Lollis had a felony arrest in Denver in early 2004, so he would have been apprehended by DNA.

"The cases today are a great example of the legwork of on-the-street officers combined with advanced scientific investigation," said Peter Weir, Colorado director for Public Safety.