Cold-Case Murder of Chicago Girl Solved After 65 Years

The chilling murder of an 8-year-old girl from Chicago, which remained unsolved for over six decades, has finally been addressed thanks to advancements in DNA technology. Unfortunately, the perpetrator was revealed to be a former police officer, someone who was meant to protect her.

New DNA evidence gleaned from a genealogical website led investigators at the Chicago Police Department to focus on Thomas Francis McInerney, a former homicide detective, as a suspect in the killing of Gloria Kowalewicz on November 12, 1960, as reported by a local news outlet.

Gloria’s tragic murder sent shockwaves through Chicago when her body was discovered in a ravine far from her home in West Englewood. She had suffered two gunshot wounds to the head.

The young girl had been last seen walking to a nearby church, likely to participate in her first communion.

Her murder sparked an extensive manhunt involving local and state police and even volunteer firefighters and Boy Scouts, as reported by the Tribune.

While investigators made some progress—figuring out that Gloria was likely killed elsewhere and gathering witness accounts of a girl seen with a young man—they never identified a suspect.

It wasn’t until this year that the case gained new momentum when the FBI linked McInerney to the crime scene through DNA evidence submitted to a family tree website.

Further investigations using DNA, fingerprints, and ballistic evidence eventually confirmed that McInerney, who was living nearby at the time, was indeed responsible for Gloria’s murder.

Chicago Police Department’s Chief of Detectives, Kevin Bruno, commended the dedication of the investigators who had pursued this case for over 60 years, stating it demonstrates that “we don’t forget.”

Bruno expressed the deep discomfort felt by many in the police force regarding the fact that an officer was implicated. “It’s not something we’re going to minimize or shy away from,” he added.

Gloria’s brother, Adam Kowalewicz, shared his relief at the identification of his sister’s killer, hoping it might provide some peace to his deceased parents. Yet, he also expressed frustration that McInerney, who passed away in 2006, was never held accountable for his actions.

“He never paid his dues,” Kowalewicz reflected, adding, “You hope he’s going to pay his dues with the good lord.”

McInerney served on the Chicago police force for 28 years before working as an investigator for the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Las Vegas and Reno until his retirement in 2004. He was recognized as Outstanding Federal Defender Investigator in 2003.

Attempts to reach McInerney’s family, who include five children and many grandchildren, for comments were unsuccessful.