Chicago police say one of their own, a young officer named Thomas Francis McInerney, killed 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz in 1960.
Story Highlights
- On Sunday, October 11, Chicago police closed the 65-year-old case by naming McInerney, then a 24-year-old officer, as the man they believe killed Gloria on November 12, 1960.
- Police say DNA from her dress and a fingerprint from her purse strap matched him. The print was matched to his own 1959 police job application.
- McInerney served 28 years with the department and died in Las Vegas in 2006. He was never charged and will never stand trial.
- Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno: “As far as we’re concerned, he’s a murderer who was acting as a police officer.”
How Modern DNA Work Broke a 1960 Case
Police say the case broke because of modern DNA testing on evidence kept since 1960. In 2024, the department sent Gloria’s coat to the FBI for investigative genetic genealogy. That method compares crime-scene DNA with DNA that people upload to family-history websites, which points detectives to likely relatives and narrows the search to one family. That work led investigators to McInerney. In July 2026, they confirmed he was the source of the DNA found on Gloria’s dress.
🔥 AFTER 66 YEARS, POLICE SAY THEY’VE IDENTIFIED THE MAN WHO MURDERED AN 8-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
On November 12th, 1960, Gloria Kowalewicz disappeared while walking to church to receive communion in Chicago.
She only had a few blocks to go. Her friend waited for her at the entrance… pic.twitter.com/4AE6klPnxh
— Unmasked True Crime (@crimeunmasked) October 12, 2026
Investigators then matched a print lifted from the strap of Gloria’s purse to the fingerprint card from McInerney’s 1959 application to join the police force. Records also showed he had owned three Colt revolvers of the type used in the killing, and police say ballistics testing supported the finding. Investigators said he had no known prior contact with Gloria and was not suspected in other crimes. Police have not given a motive.
A Walk to Church That Ended in Murder
On the morning of November 12, 1960, Gloria left her West Englewood home to walk about three and a half blocks to St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church, where she planned to receive communion. Shortly before noon that same day, a laundry company driver found her body in a secluded spot in Palos Park, about 15 miles southwest of the city. She had been shot twice in the head.
Her death set off a huge search. Local and state police, firefighters, Boy Scouts and military veterans joined in, and detectives interviewed more than 1,300 people. Witnesses reported seeing a young man with a girl who matched Gloria’s description, but no one was ever charged. The case went cold for decades.
A Badge Worn for 28 Years
McInerney was an Army veteran and 24 years old when Gloria was killed. He stayed with the Chicago Police Department until 1987. He died in Las Vegas in 2006, long before investigators tied him to the crime.
Bruno, who leads all detective work for the Chicago Police Department, credited the investigators who kept the case alive and the new technology that helped them. He said the fact that the killer wore a badge is “deeply troubling to all of us.”
A Family Gets Answers, Not a Trial
Gloria’s brother, Adam Kowalewicz, said the news gave him hope that their late parents could finally rest. He also voiced the frustration of a family that waited 65 years. “He never paid his dues,” he said. “You hope he’s going to pay his dues with the good lord.”
Because McInerney is dead, there will be no arrest, no charge and no trial. What the family has instead is a name and the evidence behind it.
Why This Matters for Families and the Rule of Law
Families across America want safe streets and honest policing. This case shows why evidence must be kept, why cold-case work deserves funding, and why the truth has to be pursued no matter who it points to. When police name a child’s killer, even 65 years later, it honors the victim and warns predators that time will not hide them. It also shows that no badge puts anyone above the law.
Sources:
nypost.com, chicagotribune.com, flashnews.gr
