Judge says no bond for Charlotte cold case murder suspect charged in 1990 killing
Feb 20, 2026
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – No bond for the man accused of killing a Charlotte woman back in July of 1990. On Friday, a judge ordered Marion Gales to remain behind bars until his trial.
Gales is accused of stabbing Kim Thomas to death in her Cotswold home 35 years ago. Her husband found her on the floor
in their dining room, wearing a nightgown and soaked in blood. Police say she was also handcuffed, with her hands behind her back.
CMPD says detectives have interviewed Gales multiple times over the past 35 years, and that he has always denied knowing Thomas, ever having been to her home, or having any involvement in her murder. Detectives continued to submit evidence for DNA testing.
This week, CMPD says a new DNA lab report showed Gales’ DNA on a rug beside Thomas, and on her body. Using that new lab report, police got an arrest warrant for Gales.
Gales is now charged with first-degree murder.
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