Murder charges filed for 1985 Wisconsin killing

VIROQUA, Wis. — A man has been charged with murder in western Wisconsin, decades after a woman's decapitated and burned body was found.

The first-degree murder charge against Michael R. Popp was announced at a press conference on Tuesday. According to Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger, Popp was 21 years old at the time. He is now 60 years old.

The case dates back to Feb. 14, 1985, when 24-year-old Terry Dolowy was last seen. Four days later, she was found dead, Croninger said, on Mohawk Valley Road south of La Crosse.

Croninger said the charges against Popp were brought in the wake of new developments in forensic science. Vernon County District Attorney Angela Palmer-Fisher said multi-county and multi-generational efforts led to Tuesday's charges.