NILES, Mich. — A suspect has been arrested in connection to a 35-year-old cold case out of Niles Township.
67-year-old Patrick Wayne Gilham was taken into custody in South Bend, Indiana, on Thursday, according to Michigan State Police. They say he’s been charged in the murder of 30-year-old Roxanne Leigh Wood, who was killed in 1987.
We’re told Wood was found dead in her kitchen during the early morning hours of Feb. 20, 1987.
MSP says they worked extensively on the case between 2001 and 2002 but the case remained without any arrests.
Detectives resumed an aggressive investigation in August 2020 when they pored through more than 3,000 pages of documents, conducted more interviews and reviewed surveillance information in collaboration with the MSP Fifth District Fugitive Team, the MSP Technical Services Unit and the South Bend Police Department, troopers tell us.
MSP hopes the news of Gilham’s arrest helps bring closure to Wood’s family.
Troopers say they are unable to describe what led to Gilham’s identification and arrest in an effort to retain investigative integrity, adding further details will come to light in court.
Those with information in connection to the investigation are encouraged to call troopers at 269-683-4411.
