Breakthrough in Decades-Old Murder Case

The brutal torture and murder of Katherine Blackburn has haunted her family for many years.

This cherished 50-year-old woman from the Albany area was viciously beaten, raped, and tortured with a heated kitchen knife on September 13, 1964, while showing apartments to interested renters. The violence was so extreme that her death resulted from blood loss rather than the physical trauma itself.

Now, after decades of uncertainty, authorities have finally identified the perpetrator of this horrific crime.

“Sixty-one years ago, evil entered my aunt’s home, changing our lives forever,” said Sandra Carmichael, Blackburn’s niece, during a press conference on Wednesday. “We have been praying for this day,” Carmichael, now 81, expressed to reporters. “God bless everyone who made this possible. May my aunt rest in peace.”

Albany police have now named Joseph Nowakowski, a habitual criminal who passed away in 1998, as Blackburn’s killer.

His body was recently exhumed, and thanks to advanced DNA matching and the relentless efforts of police, educators, and family members, he was confirmed as the murderer.

“There is no such thing as a cold case,” emphasized Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox during the press briefing, standing alongside Blackburn’s nieces.

“Traumatic murders put a tremendous strain on families. While we can’t guarantee complete justice, we want the family to know we will always support them in seeking it,” Cox added.

This crime is regarded as one of the most horrifying in the state’s history.

Reports indicate that Blackburn, who worked as a foreman at Mohawk Brush Company, was in the process of renting an apartment above her home. On the day of her death, she abruptly ended a call with her sister as prospective tenants arrived.

Police believe that’s when the horrific assault began.

She was struck in the back of the head, stabbed in the neck, and sexually assaulted while unconscious, with her assailant using heated steak knives to burn shapes into her lips and breasts, as reported by local news.

Cox noted that a colleague of Blackburn’s had come to pick her up for work that morning. When she didn’t respond, family members were contacted to determine what was happening.

“Sandy and Katherine’s sister arrived and discovered a chilling scene,” the police chief recounted.

Medical and law enforcement personnel were subsequently called, marking the beginning of a decades-long investigation.

Initially connected to a name found on a rent receipt—Robert Broadhead—the case left investigators puzzled for years.

The turning point came in 2018, when Albany police initiated a forensic review of the investigation. Detective Melissa Morey reached out to Dr. Christina Lane, who heads the Center for Cold Case Analysis at the University of Saint Rose.

Using preserved evidence from the old case, police identified Nowakowski as a potential suspect. Following an order from the District Attorney’s Office, his body was exhumed about 61 years after Blackburn’s murder.

It turned out to be a match.

“Do you believe in miracles?” asked Blackburn’s other niece, Mary Ann Simard, during the press conference.