James Fowler
KENOSHA, Wis. - A man who was recently charged in 1977 Kenosha murder was ruled incompetent, and the case is currently suspended.
In court:
James Fowler, 68, was extradited to Wisconsin from Tennessee and charged with first-degree murder in connection to the September 1977 killing of Ralph Gianoli.
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On Friday, June 26, the court found Fowler is not competent to proceed, but he's likely to regain competency within the statutory time period. Fowler was ordered to undergo inpatient treatment through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The case is currently suspended.
DNA helps solve 1977 Kenosha cold case: Tennessee man charged
A cold case is coming full circle. Prosecutors charged a 68-year-old Tennessee man in the 1977 killing of a Kenosha man. We are learning now how the police found the suspect after 48 years.
Cold case charges | March 2026
The backstory:
Almost 50 years ago, the intersection of 25th Avenue and 53rd Street was the scene of a homicide. It went unsolved for nearly a half-century.
In September 1977, Kenosha police found 48-year-old Ralph Gianoli dead in a home. Officers said he had been strangled, and had blunt force trauma to his head and abdomen. Investigators collected DNA at the scene. But the case went cold.
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DNA helps solve 1977 Kenosha cold case
James Fowler was arrested in Memphis for the 1977 strangulation murder of Ralph Gianoli in Kenosha after 48 years.
The case found new life with the help of advanced DNA technology. Investigators tested DNA under Gianoli's fingernails at a private lab. In 2023, they were able to create an unknown male DNA profile. This was uploaded into a family tree DNA database, leading to James Fowler, a man who was 19 at the time, completing his naval recruitment training. Police also said Fowler spent five years in prison for killing his own father in 1983.
Investigators are still trying to decipher a motive in the case. They said they believe Fowler met Gianoli the same night that Fowler allegedly killed Gianoli.
Fast-forward to 2025
What they're saying:
In 2025, police found and interviewed Fowler in Memphis, Tennessee. They did not get much out of him.
The same year, the DNA under Gianoli's fingernails was confirmed to be Fowler's. He was arrested in Memphis on March 30.
"To say that we are overwhelmed is an understatement and overjoyed with the news that we received yesterday," said Carla Gianoli-Smith, Ralph Gianoli's niece.
Carla Gianoli-Smith
Murder charge clarification
Dig deeper:
First-degree murder is analagous to first-degree intentional homicide, as defined in Wisconsin Statutes 940.01(3). In 1987, the Wisconsin State Legislature passed Wisconsin Act 399, which renamed certain crimes to align with specific levels of intent and recklessness.
James Fowler was charged with first-degree murder, as the alleged crime occurred in 1977 before that change occurred.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Kenosha Police Department, court records, and the Wisconsin Statutes.