CMPD arrests 63-year-old suspect in 1990 killing of Kim Thomas Friedland after new DNA testing
Arrest announced in decades-old Charlotte homicide
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department detectives have made an arrest in the 1990 killing of Kim Thomas Friedland, a case that remained unresolved for more than three decades. Police said a suspect, 63-year-old Marion Gales, was arrested on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, and charged with first-degree murder.
The arrest was announced as police prepared to discuss the case publicly during a Thursday press conference. Investigators described the outcome as the result of a long-running cold case investigation aided by advances in forensic testing.
What happened in July 1990
Police said the homicide occurred on Friday, July 27, 1990. At about 9:59 p.m., dispatchers received a call from Edward Friedland, who reported that someone had killed his wife. Officers, MEDIC personnel and the Charlotte Fire Department responded to a residence where Kim Thomas Friedland was found dead inside.
Homicide detectives responded to investigate. The victim was taken to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy, and the death was ruled a homicide.
How the case moved from cold to charged
Detectives said the investigation continued over the years, with evidence repeatedly submitted for laboratory testing as new methods became available.
A key development occurred on Feb. 17, 2026, when detectives received a DNA laboratory report from the CMPD Crime Laboratory containing new information derived from additional analysis of existing evidence using newer technology. Police said that information led investigators to obtain arrest warrants for Gales in connection with Friedland’s death.
Feb. 17, 2026: Detectives received new DNA lab information tied to existing evidence.
Feb. 19, 2026: Officers located and arrested the suspect; a first-degree murder charge was filed.
Arrest and next steps in court process
Police said members of the department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team located and arrested Gales on Feb. 19. He was taken to the Law Enforcement Center for an interview with detectives, and police said he would be transferred to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office afterward.
The investigation remains active, and police indicated additional information could be released as it becomes available. The victim’s family has been notified of the arrest.
Police credited renewed forensic analysis of existing evidence as the turning point that enabled detectives to seek an arrest warrant in the decades-old case.