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Ex-Chicago detective identified as killing child in 65-year cold case
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Chicago police have identified former homicide detective Thomas McInerney as the killer of eight-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz, who was murdered in 1960, based on newly discovered DNA evidence linked through a genetic ancestry website.
- McInerney, who died in 2006, had retired from the Chicago Police Department and later worked as an investigator for federal public defender offices in Nevada; he was living near the crime scene at the time of the murder.
- Despite extensive investigations at the time, including interviews and lie-detector tests with over 1,300 people, the case remained unsolved until the recent DNA breakthrough in 2026.
- The Chicago Police Department expressed regret that McInerney was never held accountable during his lifetime and hopes the identification brings closure to Gloria’s family and community.
- Gloria’s brother expressed relief at the identification but lamented that McInerney died without facing justice, emphasizing the lasting pain caused by the unresolved case.
