Chicago police announced on Monday that newly discovered DNA evidence has linked a former homicide detective, Thomas McInerney, to the 1960 murder of eight-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz. McInerney, who had retired from the Chicago police department (CPD) and later worked as an investigator for federal public defender’s offices in Nevada, died in 2006.
Authorities stated that further DNA, fingerprint, and ballistic testing established that McInerney, who lived near the girl, had killed Gloria. The CPD expressed hope that the news would bring closure to those who knew Gloria, adding that McInerney "should have never worn the CPD star."
Gloria Kowalewicz was last seen on 12 November 1960, walking to church before she was abducted, fatally shot, and her body found in a ditch. Police had secured evidence including a bullet, her coat, and a fingerprint from her purse strap at the scene, but a taskforce that interviewed about 1,300 people was unable to identify a suspect at the time.
The Chicago Tribune reported that DNA submitted to a family tree website earlier in 2026 enabled the FBI to connect McInerney to the crime scene. Gloria's brother, Adam Kowalewicz, told the Tribune that while it was a relief to learn the murderer had been identified, he was frustrated McInerney died without facing justice.