Former Chicago police officer identified as child killer in 65-year cold case murder of Gloria Kowalewicz: news

Former Chicago Police Officer Identified as Killer in 65-Year Cold Case Murder of Gloria Kowalewicz

In a major breakthrough in one of Chicago’s most enduring cold cases, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) has identified former officer and retired violent crimes detective Thomas Francis McInerney Jr. as the killer of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz, who was abducted and murdered in November 1960.

Key Takeaways of the Investigation

• The Victim: Eight-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz disappeared on November 12, 1960, while walking home on Chicago’s South Side. Her body was discovered hours later in a nearby forest preserve.

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• The Suspect: Thomas Francis McInerney Jr., who was a 24-year-old patrol officer with CPD at the time of the murder. He served 28 years on the force, eventually becoming a violent crimes detective before retiring in 1987.

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• Current Status: McInerney died in Las Vegas in 2006 at the age of 70, meaning he was never prosecuted or held accountable during his lifetime.

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• Decisive Evidence: Advanced forensic genealogy, DNA matching, a latent fingerprint match, and ballistics history linking him to the caliber of the weapon used.

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How Forensic Science Cracked the 1960 Cold Case

For more than six decades, the murder of Gloria Kowalewicz remained unsolved despite extensive regional investigations. The breakthrough came through coordinated efforts between the Chicago Police Department’s Forensic Services Division, the Illinois State Police, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI):

1. Investigative Genetic Genealogy: Cold case investigators extracted preserved DNA from the crime scene and ran it against commercial genetic ancestry databases, narrowing down familial profiles.

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2. Archived Fingerprint Comparison: Detectives matched a latent print recovered from the strap of Kowalewicz’s purse to McInerney’s original 1959 CPD employment application fingerprint card.

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3. Weapon Corroboration: Records confirmed McInerney owned three Colt revolvers matching the exact type and caliber of the firearm used in the killing.

   International Business Times UK

Official Reaction and Community Impact

The Chicago Police Department released an official statement acknowledging the development, expressing sorrow that the suspect evaded justice throughout his lifetime:

“His abhorrent actions not only took the life o