Mar. 30, 2026 8:15p; Updated at 10p with information from the Kenosha County District Attorney
(WGTD)---DNA recovered from beneath the fingernails of a 1977 Kenosha murder victim led to an arrest Monday.
James Terry Fowler, who was a 19 year-old recruit at the nearby Great Lakes Naval Training Center in 1977, was arrested in Memphis, Tennessee. According to Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis, a criminal complaint against Fowler has already been filed.
The victim-- 48 year-old Ralph Gianoli--was strangled and beaten to death in his Columbus Park neighborhood home. Gianoli was found in the living room with an electrical cord tied around his neck after he hadn't been heard from in several days.
The case remained unsolved until cold case detectives at the Kenosha Police Dept. reopened the file five years ago. They were aided by state and federal agents and the Wisconsin State Crime Lab.
Advanced DNA testing and genetic genealogy led to Fowler, who has already been questioned, according to police and the DA.
"This filing reflects the relentless work of law enforcement and forensic professionals who refused to let this homicide remain unanswered," Solis said in a statement.
Additional details are expected to be released at a Tuesday afternoon news conference.
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