CHARLOTTE — The suspect charged with the murder of Charlotte mom, Kim Thomas, admitted to being in her Cotswold home the day she was killed 35 years ago and having sexual contact with her. All of that happened while her husband was at work, which is a key detail since her husband was also named a suspect.
The suspect, Marion Gales, faced a judge Friday morning after he was arrested and charged the day before with first-degree murder in connection with Thomas’ death.
Gales did not say anything in court. His public defender tried to get a bond for him saying Gales is old and needs medication. That request was denied
BREAKING: Marion Gales just appeared in court and the DA's office says he has admitted to being in the home the day Thomas was murdered & having sexual contact with her on her bed & in the dining room floor, where her body was found. @wsoctv https://t.co/B8tqV0eqvg
— Hunter Sáenz (@Hunt_Saenz) February 20, 2026
New details
New details in court documents are shedding more light on what investigators say happened.
According to those documents, a neighbor called 911 hours before Thomas’ body was discovered on July 2, 1990, reporting that a man wearing a red shirt and tan pants knocked on his door claiming to be police. When officers arrived, that man was gone.
That neighbor later identified Gales as the person at his door.
Another witness told investigators they saw Gales that same day of the homicide with blood on his shirt.
Gales had been a suspect over the years, but police say newer DNA testing technology ultimately connected him to the crime this week.
Gales remains in custody.
Criminal history
Gales has a long criminal history stretching back to the late 1970s when he was only 16.
Gales spent 20 years in prison for manslaughter for the death of LaCoya Martin, a pregnant homeless woman.
A 2009 news release from the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office has a striking similarity. It said Gales originally steadfastly denied any connection to the victim or knowledge about the case, but he ultimately admitted he had sex with her.
He served three other prison sentences for burglary, theft, and assault.
When Gales was 16, he was convicted of shooting a woman during a break-in on the same street Thomas lived on.
New tech
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said the arrest all comes down to new technology and old DNA.
Detectives first told Channel 9 about the evidence in 2010.
Now, lab reports from 2023 detail just how the technology has advanced.
Last year, new DNA testing found that Gales’ genetic profile matched DNA recovered from Thomas’ body, and a rug.
On Tuesday, CMPD Cold Case detectives got a DNA lab report from the crime lab department.
The lab got new information after using new technology to analyze existing evidence, CMPD said.
We have reached out to CMPD for more details on how detectives cracked the case.
This is a developing story. Check back with wsoctv.com and watch Eyewitness News for updates.
MORE COVERAGE:
- Marion Gales’ family reveals shock after arrest in 35‑year‑old murder case
- Man freed after 20 years in prison, denies involvement in 1990 murder of Charlotte woman – WSOC TV
- Suspect in 1990 murder of Charlotte woman to be released from prison – WSOC TV
- Vigil held in Charlotte for victim of 25-year-old cold case
- Woman continues search 23 years after sister’s killing
- Supporters, son of woman killed 23 years ago hold gathering
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