Wis. man arrested after college student’s burning body found decapitated in culvert in 1985

VERNON COUNTY, Wis. (TCN) -- Authorities recently arrested a 60-year-old man on suspicion of killing a 24-year-old college student more than 39 years ago.

According to a joint press release from the LaCrosse County and Vernon County Sheriff’s Departments, on Feb. 14, 1985, Russell Lee reported his fiancée, Terry Dolowy, missing out of LaCrosse County. She reportedly left her purse at home, had no vehicle, and her dog had also disappeared.

Several days later, on Feb. 18, 1985, Vernon County sheriff’s deputies responded to a culvert on Mohawk Valley Road, where they found Dolowy’s body on fire. Authorities observed that she had been decapitated, and accelerant was used to burn her remains. Investigators did not locate the victim’s head or dog.

In a Sept. 24 press conference posted by the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department, Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger said an autopsy was performed the following day. Authorities reportedly found semen on Dolowy’s body, but they didn’t find a match.

According to officials with LaCrosse and Vernon counties, investigators collected a paint chip that was found in a sheet that had been placed on Dolowy, which they believe was from a repainted vehicle. However, the vehicle was never located. Authorities said, "It is thought that the paint was possibly from the trunk of a vehicle that the body was transported in."

Due to advancements in forensic science and DNA testing, Croninger said investigators recently identified Michael Popp as the primary suspect. He was reportedly 21 years old at the time of the incident. Popp, a truck driver, was booked into the Vernon County Jail and faces a charge of first-degree murder.

Dolowy was a student at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse studying finance and working as a bar manager when she died.