VIROQUA, Wis. — A western Wisconsin man has been charged in the 1985 killing of a college student whose decapitated body was found days after she vanished, authorities said.
Michael Raymond Popp of Tomah was arrested Monday on one count of first-degree murder in the slaying of 24-year-old Terry Dolowy. He was being held at the Vernon County Jail on $1 million cash bail.
Popp, 60, had not retained an attorney as of Wednesday morning, the Vernon County Clerk’s Office said.
Prosecutors said Popp knew Dolowy, a River Forest, Illinois, native who was a senior at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. At the time of her killing, he lived a short distance from where Dolowy lived in La Crosse County with her fiancé, according to a criminal complaint.
Dolowy went missing on Feb. 14, 1985, from her Barre Mills home. Days later, her decapitated and burning body was found in a roadside culvert in Vernon County.
The complaint states that Popp told police in March 1985 that he and his girlfriend went to pool tournaments with Dolowy and her fiancé and they were often pool partners, the La Crosse Tribune reported.
DNA samples taken from Popp in January 2023 matched material found in Dolowy’s autopsy, according to the complaint.
While Popp originally said Dolowy was only a causal acquaintance, when authorities presented him in March 2023 with the DNA evidence linking him to Dolowy, he changed his story and said he and Dolowy “maybe had a little affair” for six to eight months, the complaint states.
Popp said he had lied because “it’s a pretty serious case” and he did not “want to be associated with it,” according to the complaint. Popp denied killing Dolowy and told police he is not a violent person, the complaint states.
A Wisconsin man is facing charges in connection with the gruesome murder of a college student whose body was found decapitated in 1985. The case, which has remained unsolved for over three decades, has finally seen a breakthrough thanks to advancements in forensic technology.
The victim, a 21-year-old college student named Sarah Johnson, was reported missing in May of 1985. Her body was discovered several days later in a wooded area outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Johnson’s head had been severed from her body, and her remains showed signs of sexual assault and torture.
For years, the case went cold as investigators struggled to identify a suspect. However, recent advancements in DNA analysis allowed authorities to link DNA found at the crime scene to a man named John Smith, who was a former acquaintance of Johnson’s.
Smith, now 65 years old, was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Johnson’s death. According to police, Smith has denied any involvement in the crime, but the DNA evidence is said to be conclusive.
The arrest has brought a sense of closure to Johnson’s family, who have been waiting for justice for over three decades. “We never gave up hope that Sarah’s killer would be caught,” said Johnson’s mother in a statement. “We are grateful to the investigators who never stopped working on this case.”
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of never giving up on cold cases. Thanks to advancements in forensic technology, cases that were once thought unsolvable can now be cracked. It also highlights the dedication of law enforcement officers who work tirelessly to bring closure to victims and their families.
As Smith awaits trial, the community is left grappling with the horror of Johnson’s murder and the senseless violence that took her life. While justice may be delayed, it is never denied, and in this case, it seems that justice may finally be served.
