CHARLOTTE — Police arrested Marion Gales on Thursday and charged him in the 1990 killing of Kim Thomas, the wife of Dr. Ed Friedland. The arrest comes 35 years after the homicide occurred in Charlotte.
Investigators say new technology allowed them to clarify previous DNA tests and accurately pinpoint Gales as the suspect.
Gales, who previously worked as a handyman for the couple, had been a long-time suspect in the case alongside Friedland.
Friedland lived under a cloud of suspicion for 35 years following the death of his wife.
Although he was previously arrested and charged in connection with the case, those charges were eventually dropped. Despite the lack of prosecution, the investigation continued to affect his reputation for decades.
Friedland said he received a phone call from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department at 6:15 a.m. Thursday, informing him of the new developments and the arrest of Gales.
Investigators spent years working the case under the assumption that there were two potential suspects. Police now believe there is only one person responsible for the killing.
Channel 9’s Glenn Counts spoke with Friedland’s lawyer, Dave Rudolf, Thursday night.
Rudolf expressed his sympathies for the hardships his client faced.
“My wife being murdered in that way and walking into that scene, I can’t even process that. And then to be accused of having done such a horrendous thing,” Rudolf said.
Rudolf said, despite all of this, Friedland managed to “forge a life for himself.”
But he expressed his frustrations regarding the investigation into Thomas’ death, saying, “I’ve been trying to tell people this for three decades. I gave the police everything and said, ‘Please just conduct an investigation,’ and they wouldn’t.”
MORE COVERAGE:
- 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
The arrest has caused significant distress for the family of Gales. In a phone interview, a relative of Gales, who asked not to be identified, expressed disbelief at the Police Department’s findings.
“Our reaction is we are very shocked because you know we’ve been going through this for 35 years,” the family member said.
The relative emphasized that Gales has maintained his innocence for a long period.
“As a family, we believe in him. We know he’s innocent; he’s been screaming it for the last 20 years,” the family member said.
Following his arrest on Thursday, police interviewed Gales for several hours before processing him into the local detention facility.
Gales is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow morning.
VIDEO: Suspect arrested 35 years after Kim Thomas’ killing in Cotswold home
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
