A former Chicago homicide detective has been identified as the killer of an 8-year-old girl who disappeared while walking to church in 1960. Authorities are now examining other cases that may have involved the officer.
Thomas F. McInerney Jr. joined the Chicago Police Department in 1959, just one year before Gloria Kowalewicz was abducted and murdered. He later became a detective investigating violent crimes and remained with the department until retiring in 1987.
More than 65 years after the killing, Chicago police confirmed to Fox News Digital that advances in DNA technology and a preserved fingerprint helped identify McInerney, who died in 2006 at age 70.
“Better be afraid.”
Gloria disappeared on November 12, 1960, after leaving her home around 8 a.m. to attend morning Mass at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church, just a few blocks away. Her body was found approximately four hours later in a ditch at a forest preserve southwest of Chicago. She had been shot and killed.
The murder prompted an extensive investigation, with police interviewing more than 1,300 people and knocking on hundreds of doors. Despite those efforts, the case remained unsolved for decades.
Evidence from the crime scene and surrounding area was preserved by investigators. This included a bullet, Gloria’s coat and shoes, and a white communion purse containing her prayer book. A fingerprint was also recovered from the purse’s strap.
Working with the FBI and Illinois State Police, investigators used modern forensic technology to link DNA and the preserved fingerprint to McInerney. The department stated, “McInerney should never have worn the CPD star, and it is devastating to accept that he was never identified and held accountable while he was alive.”
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is working to identify other cases that may have involved McInerney.
Police noted that Gloria’s parents passed away before learning who killed their daughter. However, they expressed hope that identifying McInerney would bring some closure to those who knew Gloria.
After his police career, McInerney worked for the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Nevada before retiring in 2004. He died two years later without ever facing charges in Gloria’s murder.