65-year-old cold case murder of girl, 8, solved as killer revealed to be police homicide detective
A murder investigation that remained unsolved for more than six decades has taken a remarkable turn, after DNA evidence pointed investigators towards a former police homicide detective who lived just around the corner from the young victim.
Gloria Kowalewicz was just eight years old when she was killed in Chicago in 1960.
According to the Chicago Tribune, investigators now believe former Chicago Police Department detective Thomas Francis McInerney was responsible for her death, following advances in forensic testing.
The case has drawn renewed attention not only because of the length of time it took to identify a suspect, but because McInerney spent 28 years serving on the very police force tasked with investigating the killing.
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How DNA evidence helped solve Gloria Kowalewicz's murder
Gloria disappeared on November 12, 1960, after setting out from her family's home in West Englewood for a nearby church, where she intended to receive communion.
Her body was subsequently discovered in a ravine several miles from home. She had been shot twice in the head.
The killing prompted an extensive search involving local and state police, alongside volunteers including firefighters, Boy Scouts and veterans.
Investigators determined that Gloria had been taken to nearby woods before she was killed, while eyewitness accounts described a young girl seen with a man.
Despite those leads, the investigation failed to identify a suspect, and the case remained unresolved for decades.
A breakthrough came earlier in 2026, when the FBI used DNA connected to a genetic genealogy website to link McInerney, who was 24 at the time of the murder, to the crime scene.
Further analysis of DNA, fingerprints and ballistic evidence helped Chicago police conclude that the former detective was responsible for Gloria's death.
McInerney, an Army veteran who lived around the corner from the girl, died in 2006. He therefore never faced justice in court over the killing, despite investigators now believing they have identified the person responsible.
Who was Thomas Francis McInerney, the former Chicago detective?
McInerney served with Chicago Police Department for 28 years before moving into a role with the Federal Public Defender's Office, according to his online obituary.
He worked as an investigator in Las Vegas and Reno before retiring in 2004. In 2003, he was named Outstanding Federal Defender Investigator.
The revelation has prompted a response from within the department, with Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno acknowledging the difficult circumstances surrounding the case.
Speaking to the Chicago Tribune, Bruno said: “The fact that he was a police officer is deeply troubling to all of us that have made a career out of this most noble profession. But at the same time, it's not something we're going to minimize or shy away from.”
He also praised the investigators who continued working on the case across generations, describing the outcome as proof that 'we don't forget.'
For Gloria's family, the development has brought a measure of relief, although it cannot undo the loss or provide a criminal conviction.
Her brother, Adam Kowalewicz, said he hoped identifying the person responsible would allow their parents, who have since died, to 'rest'.
However, he also expressed frustration that McInerney had died before facing legal consequences.
“He never paid his dues,” Kowalewicz told the Chicago Tribune. “You hope he's going to pay his dues with the good lord.”
McInerney was a father of five, including three daughters, and a grandfather.
Topics: True crime, Chicago
Thomas Bamford