Charlotte Police Arrest Man After DNA Links Him to 35-Year-Old Murder
A Charlotte man has been charged with murder 35 years after a community activist was found stabbed to death in her home. The arrest marks a major development in a case that had remained unsolved since 1990.
Marion Gales, 63, was taken into custody on February 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Authorities say the breakthrough came after renewed forensic testing reexamined decades-old evidence.
Kim Thomas Friedland was found dead on July 27, 1990, inside her home. According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, she had been stabbed and her throat was slashed.
Her husband, Dr. Ed Friedland, was initially arrested in the weeks after the killing. He was later cleared when early DNA testing methods failed to conclusively link him to the crime scene.
Related: South Carolina Pastor Accused of Forcing Kids to Eat From Dumpsters
Police said advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to test preserved evidence with greater precision. “This morning, our violent criminal apprehension team located and arrested Marion Gales based on work done by our cold case homicide detectives,” Deputy Chief Ryan Butler said.
Authorities say a recent DNA report linked Gales to material recovered from a rug beside the victim and from Friedland’s body.
The case highlights how modern forensic methods are reopening long-dormant investigations across North Carolina and nationwide. Cold case units have increasingly relied on improved DNA analysis to revisit unsolved homicides from the 1980s and 1990s.
Gales now faces a murder charge in Mecklenburg County. Court proceedings are expected to begin in the coming weeks as prosecutors prepare to present forensic evidence gathered decades after the crime.
For Friedland’s family and the Charlotte community, the legal process begins again after 35 years.