Roxanne Wood Obituary, Death- On February 20, 1987, Roxanne Wood’s body was discovered in her Niles, Michigan, home. Only 45 minutes after she arrived home from a nice night of food and bowling, her husband Terry discovered her.
She was sexually raped, repeatedly struck over the head with a metal frying pan, and discovered with her throat slit. Terry’s 30-year-old wife was already dead when he discovered her. Over three decades passed before DNA evidence gathered from the crime scene was utilized to identify Patrick Gilham as the murderer of Wood. The 67-year-old South Bend, Indiana native was detained in February 2022; the next month, he ultimately entered a plea of not guilty to second-degree murder, earning a minimum sentence of 23 years. On Monday, May 15, at 8 p.m. ET, a new episode of 48 Hours on ID will feature the cold case of Roxanne Wood.
The episode’s plot summary, On February 19, 1987, Terry and Roxanne Wood went to a bowling alley after work. They then had dinner in Niles, Michigan. They both came in different automobiles that night because they had driven straight from work to dinner. After a good time, Roxanne left for home, but Terry stuck behind and didn’t go for another 45 minutes or so. When Terry got home, he discovered Roxanne laying on the kitchen floor in her pulled-up nightgown and her panties wrapped around her ankle and knee. When Terry dialed 911, she was already dead.
According to reports, the 30-year-old was raped, had her throat sliced, and was repeatedly struck over the head with a frying pan. Police uncovered very little evidence at the crime scene. It contained a frying pan that had cracked, a knife that had been discovered in the freezer, s*men, and a bloodstain on their back door. Additionally, they found no evidence of a break-in. Terry, Roxanne’s husband, was initially the main suspect because he was the last person to speak to Roxanne. Due to the peculiar circumstances and the fact that he was suspected for decades, they also suspected him.
