The suspect in the Vernon County criminal case has pleaded not guilty

VERNON COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) – A suspect in a Vernon County crime has pleaded not guilty.

Online court documents show Michael Popp, 61, of Tomah, Wis., has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder.

Court records also indicate that a status conference is scheduled for June 9, 2025.

Popp is charged in 1985, the death of Terry Dolowy.

According to the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office, on February 14, 1985, 24-year-old Terry Dolowy reported her fiancé, Russell Lee, missing.

They lived in Barre Township, La Crosse County.

The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office reports that on February 18, 1985, the Vernon County Sheriff’s Department responded to a report of something on fire in a culvert on Mohawk Valley Road about 6 miles south of La Crosse.

The Vernon County Sheriff’s Office said authorities found the burning body of Terri Doloway at the scene. Her body was found decapitated and burned with an accelerant.

The criminal complaint states that investigators determined that Popp knew Dolovy and lived near her. Popp later admitted that he had an affair with Dolova that began six months before her death.

Ultimately, officials say Popp’s DNA matched a sample found during Dolowy’s autopsy, which led to his arrest.