Chicago Police Detective Identified as Killer in 1960 Cold Case Murder

Chicago police have identified a former Chicago police detective as the killer in the 1960 abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz, bringing a resolution to the 65-year-old cold case. Thomas F. McInerney Jr., who was a violent crimes detective at the time of the murder, was identified through evidence including a fingerprint lifted from the victim’s purse.

Kowalewicz was walking to church on November 12, 1960, when she disappeared. Her body was discovered several hours later in a forest preserve southwest of Chicago. Investigators found evidence at the crime scene and along a highway, including a bullet, Kowalewicz's coat, shoes, and her communion purse. However, the killer remained unidentified for decades.

McInerney joined the Chicago Police Department shortly before Kowalewicz's murder and died in 2006. Advances in forensic technology, particularly in fingerprint and DNA analysis, were crucial in solving the case. Investigators re-examined evidence preserved over the years, leading to McInerney's identification.

Chicago police formed a task force for the investigation, interviewing over 1,300 people and questioning more than a dozen individuals under polygraph. Despite these efforts, the killer remained at large, blending in within the department. The Chicago Police Department stated that while law enforcement at the time lacked the sophisticated tools available today, they never stopped pursuing leads, working with the Illinois State Police and the FBI.

Michael Gould, a founding member of the New York Police Department’s K-9 unit, noted that the lack of advanced investigative tools like K-9 units, which were not widely adopted until the mid-1980s, may have hindered earlier resolution. He suggested that K-9 teams could have potentially tracked the perpetrator's scent and direction of flight.

The Chicago Police Department expressed that it is rare for evidence to be preserved for such an extended period. They hope this resolution brings a measure of closure to those who knew Gloria and her story, acknowledging that her parents passed away without seeing justice served. McInerney, who served 28 years with the department before retiring and moving to Las Vegas, died 20 years ago at the age of 70.

A former investigator fears that McInerney, given his position and the nature of the crime, may have been responsible for other unsolved cases. He described the act as a planned and intentional one, suggesting that serial offenders typically do not commit a single crime before escalating their actions. The department acknowledged the horrific nature of McInerney's actions, stating it is devastating that he was not identified and held accountable during his lifetime.