More than 65 years after Gloria Kowalewicz’s death, Chicago cold case detectives have determined who they believe killed her: Thomas Francis McInerney, a Chicago police officer who was 24 years old at the time. Gloria, an 8-year-old third grader, was last seen walking to church on Nov. 12, 1960, wearing a pink-and-brown checkered dress and a blue leotard after receiving her First Holy Communion.
Her body was found hours later in a wooded area of Palos Park, more than 15 miles southwest of her home. She had been shot twice in the head. A laundry company driver spotted her dress in a ravine and called authorities. Investigators found no signs of sexual assault but recovered a spent bullet casing, tire track prints, and fingerprints on her purse and Bible.
Detectives say DNA technology allowed them to link McInerney to the crime. Gloria’s coat was found several miles away, and her shoes and purse were collected near her body. Her father identified her remains later that day. The case had remained unsolved for decades until now.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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