Ian Campbell appeared in a Wake County courtroom after police arrested him for the murder of Heather Domenie, a teacher who taught first-grade at Fred A. Olds Elementary School.
Domenie was found dead in her 206 North Becket Street home in Cary on July 25.
Initially, investigators thought the death was due to natural causes, but the preliminary autopsy raised the possibility that Domenie was strangled.
Campbell told police she had been sick. Authorities said he told them that he went to the store and when he came back a half-hour later, he found her in bed unconscious with her hands clutching both ends of a towel wrapped around the back of her neck.
Authorities said a doctor at WakeMed later found suspicious marks on her neck and fingernail marks on her chest.
Police say they picked up Campbell around 8:21 p.m. Friday during a traffic stop. They say they cannot comment on the details of the arrest, other than to say they believe Campbell did kill Domenie.
"Well, he was obviously the person who found Ms. Domenie deceased, so he was someone we were interested in from the beginning," said Lt. Barry Nicholson, of the Cary Police Department.
Campbell is being held without bond at the Wake County jail. His next court appearance will be Sept. 9.
Domenie moved to Cary from Canada last year.
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