A former high-ranking executive with ties to Washington state has been charged with murder in a decades-old cold case in New York.
James Krauseneck Jr., 67, pleaded not guilty Friday to a second degree murder charge in connection to his first wife's death in 1982, according to the Democrat & Chronicle in New York.
When the crime happened, Krauseneck called the police and said he found his wife, Cathleen, dead inside their New York home. She had been killed with an ax and the weapon had been wiped clean of fingerprints, officials said.
Krauseneck was supposed to talk with investigators the next day, but instead, he left with the couple's young daughter and moved to his hometown of Michigan.
His next move brought him to Gig Harbor, Washington.
Krauseneck took a job with Seattle-based Weyerhaeuser and became the Vice President of sales.
Four years ago, investigators traveled to Gig Harbor to question Krauseneck once more about his wife's murder. Two days after that, he listed his home for sale and moved to Arizona, according to published reports.
Cold case investigators have continued looking for clues over the years, and evidence recently underwent DNA testing. However, there's no word yet on what, if anything, was discovered.
But, Krauseneck was arrested this week and attended his court appearance in New York, where the couple's now-adult daughter attended the proceedings.
It's wasn't immediately available when his next court appearance will be.