Indiana Man Arrested In 1987 Slaying Of Michigan Woman Roxanne Wood

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (AP) — An Indiana man has been arrested in the 1987 killing of a woman whose husband found her dead in their southwestern Michigan home after a night of bowling.

Patrick Wayne Gilham of South Bend was arrested Thursday in the northern Indiana city, where he is awaiting extradition to Michigan to face charges in the killing of Roxanne Leigh Wood, 30.

The Berrien County Prosecutor's Office has charged Gilham, 67, with open murder and breaking and entering of an occupied dwelling.

It wasn't clear if Gilham has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Terry Wood found his wife dead in their Niles Township home, her throat cut, early on Feb. 20, 1987, after they had driven separately to go bowling and Roxanne Wood returned home first.

Niles and Michigan State Police investigators ruled her death a homicide, but no arrest was made until now.

Investigators from Michigan State Police reopened the case in 2001, and once again in 2020.

Those investigators and prosecutors said they cannot discuss any details regarding the evidence that led to Gilham's arrest.

Police said new technology helped link Gilham to the crime but said they cannot divulge those details yet.

"There's relief that we have an individual arrested for this, but I can tell you there's a lot of investigative work that will continue from this point," said Lt. Chuck Christensen with the Michigan State Police.

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