The Kenosha court case of a 68-year-old man charged in a nearly five-decade old cold case murder is on hold after a doctor found him not competent to stand trial.
Kenosha County Circuit Judge Jason Rossell on June 26 suspended the case of James T. Fowler. However, the case could resume once Fowler regains competency, according to online court records.
Fowler was charged with first-degree murder in January with the killing of Ralph Ambrose Gianoli, who was killed in 1977. In March, Kenosha authorities and Gianoli’s family announced the charges against Fowler, who was extradited from Tennessee.
Gianoli was 48 when he was found dead inside his home with blunt-force trauma wounds to his head and abdomen, Kenosha police said. It’s unclear what connection the two men had, if any. It’s believed the two met the night of Gianoli’s murder.
Kenosha authorities reopened the Gianoli case five years ago. That came after advancements in DNA technology allowed them to process DNA from fingernail clippings to identify Fowler.
Fowler spoke to authorities in Tennessee and appeared confused when questioned about Kenosha, Gianoli and the night of the murder, according to a criminal complaint. He said he did not want to speak about Gianoli and agreed with authorities who described it as a “bad day.”
At one point the investigator addressed the murder with him directly, according to the complaint.
“[The detective] asked the defendant if he had any remorse for killing a man. The defendant indicated he was sorry and mumbled something about coming in there and what was he supposed to do?” the complaint reads.
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Man charged in decades-old Kenosha cold case murder found incompetent
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
