'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAcACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABhAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAgEEAwADAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIEAAMFEQYHEiEikwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgMRAAEDBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEABBIhMSL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AJx29wbN9Y8dgpyOLq1NmKL6wZKixfl2w7pd+wZh4Ryo2BsVBlz/AAzyPWIyROvkicgG/wAqUprTiYknvarcOlxzIpSPKRoQNCK//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Roxanne Wood was found murdered in the Niles, Michigan, home on February 20, 1987. Her husband Terry found her when he returned home merely 45 minutes after she did from a fun night of dinner and bowling. She was repeatedly hit over the head with a metal frying pan, s*xually assaulted, and was found with her throat sliced open. By the time Terry found his 30-year-old wife, she was already dead.
Wood's killer remained free for over three decades until DNA evidence collected from the crime scene was used to place Patrick Gilham at the crime scene. The 67-year-old South Bend, Indiana native, was arrested in February 2022 and eventually pleaded no contest to second-degree murder the following month, receiving a minimum sentence of 23 years.
The cold case of Roxanne Wood is scheduled to air in an upcoming episode of 48 Hours on ID on Monday, May 15, at 8 pm ET. The synopsis for the episode, titled The Unsolvable Murder of Roxanne Wood, reads:
"In 1987, Terry Wood comes home to find his wife, Roxanne Wood, dead; investigators preserve DNA, but technological limitations of the time turn the case cold, until now."
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of r*pe, violence, and murder. Reader's discretion is advised.
Roxanne Wood's murder was solved nearly three decades later
1) Wood's body and the crime scene suggested that she was r*ped
After work, on February 19, 1987, Terry and Roxanne Wood had dinner in Niles, Michigan before heading to a bowling alley. Since they had both gone to dinner straight from work, they arrived in separate cars that night. After a fun night, Roxanne headed home while Terry stayed behind for around 45 minutes before finally returning home.
Terry reached home only to find Roxanne lying on the kitchen floor in her nightgown, which was pulled up, and her underwear was around her knee/ankle area. She was already dead by the time Terry called 911. Reports state that the 30-year-old was repeatedly beaten over the head with a frying pan, r*ped, and her throat was slit.
2) Authorities found scant evidence at the crime scene and suspected Roxanne Wood's husband of the crime
At the crime scene, police found scant evidence. It included a broken frying pan, a knife found in the freezer, s*men, and a blood stain on the outside of their backdoor. They also discovered that there were no signs of a break-in.
Roxanne's husband Terry, was initially the prime suspect since he was the last person to have spoken to her. They also suspected him because of the odd circumstances, and he allegedly remained the top suspect for decades.
3) An expert genealogist found a lead using DNA evidence over three decades later
For years, Roxanne Wood's murder case went cold due to a lack of leads. However, the case was reopened decades later, in 2020, when the Michigan State Police cataloged the case and all evidence. Detectives sent the DNA to Identifinders International LLC and the MSP Forensic Laboratory in Grand Rapids who conducted a forensic genetic genealogy analysis of the evidence.
Gabriella Vargas, an expert genealogist, was eventually able to identify the killer using the DNA after creating a profile that disclosed information about the ancestry of the potential suspect. Vargas compiled the suspect's family tree in April 2021, which pointed to Patrick Gilham, of South Bend, Indiana. Reports state that he had a criminal background and was out of parole at the time of the murder.
4) Patrick Gilham's DNA was the exact match to the one found at Roxanne Wood's scene
Gilham, 67, was under constant surveillance by Michigan detectives after the revelation was made. Detectives then discretely collected his DNA from a used cigarette butt. They found that the DNA was the exact match to the one found at the crime scene 35 years ago. He was arrested in February 2022 from South Bend, Indiana, and charged with open murder, but claimed he didn't have any memory of the murder.
In late March of that year, Patrick Gilham entered a no-contest plea and was handed a minimum sentence of 23 years as part of the same deal he struck with prosecutors.
Roxanne Wood's murder case will air on 48 Hours on ID on Monday at 8 pm ET.
