Patrick Wayne Gilham, South Bend, was arrested on Thursday. He is currently awaiting extradition from Michigan to face the murder of Roxanne Leighwood (30).
The Berrien County Prosecutor’s Office charged Gilham, age 67, with open killing and breaking into an occupied dwelling. It was not clear whether Gilham had an attorney who could speak for him.
Terry Wood found his wife, Roxanne Wood, dead in their Niles Township kitchen on February 20, 1987. They had been driving separately to go bowling, and Roxanne Wood returned home.
Terry Wood has been a suspect in the murder of his wife for 35 years. However, he was never arrested because DNA from the scene didn’t match him nor any other suspects. CBS affiliate WSBT reported.
Niles and Michigan State Police Investigators declared her death a murder, but no arrests were made.
The Fifth District Cold Case Team of the Michigan State Police worked on this case for over a year in 2001. They reviewed 3,347 pages and analyzed evidence, according to CBS affiliate WWMT .
In 2020, investigators reopened this case.
These investigators and prosecutors stated that they could not discuss details about the evidence that led Gilham’s arrest.
Police claimed that new technology linked Gilham to the crime, but they could not divulge these details at this time.
“It’s great that an individual has been arrested for this,” said Lt. Chuck Christensen, Michigan State Police.
Christensen stated to WSBT that he spoke last night with Roxanne and Terry’s families.
He was grateful for his breakthrough. He expressed relief that it would be 35 years since the event. Christensen stated that he is still processing the news as well as her family.
