Case fileNovember 3, 2026
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Chicago police say DNA and a preserved fingerprint tie a former Chicago detective to the 1960 killing of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz. The man, Thomas F. McInerney Jr., died in 2006, according to the department's statement, so no one can be charged.
What we know
Where: Chicago
When: Abducted Nov. 12, 1960; identification announced in October 2026
The accused: Thomas F. McInerney Jr., a former Chicago police detective who died in 2006
Status: Identified by police as the person tied to the killing; no charges are possible
A girl taken on her way to Mass
According to the Chicago Police Department, Gloria Kowalewicz was abducted on Nov. 12, 1960, while walking to morning Mass. She was found fatally shot. For more than six decades the case went unsolved. Police said her parents died without learning who killed her, Fox News reported. In a statement given to the AP, the department said DNA and a carefully preserved fingerprint from her purse strap identified McInerney. Police said he joined the department in 1959 and retired in 1987 as a violent crimes detective, according to Police1 and Fox News.
NBC Chicago reported that a new DNA technology and the fingerprint led investigators to McInerney in July. Patch, citing NBC Chicago, reported that a male DNA profile was developed in 2010 from traces of semen on Gloria's clothing. It also reported that in 2024, at Chicago police's request, the FBI compared that DNA with genetic samples on public family-tree sites. Police then linked the purse-strap fingerprint to a fingerprint on McInerney's 1959 job application, according to Patch. Only Patch reported the 2024 FBI genealogy detail.
Where the case stands
McInerney died in 2006 at age 70, according to Police1 and Fox News, so there is no arrest, charge or trial. In its statement to the AP, the department said: “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 told the AP it is making efforts to identify cases that may have involved McInerney. No defense response was reported, and no court has ruled on the evidence.
Where the case stands
Police identified McInerney through DNA and a fingerprint. He died in 2006, so no charges can be filed.
The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said it is looking at other cases that may have involved him. No date has been announced for any further action.
These are police findings, not court findings of guilt.
Police say the evidence points to a man who wore the department's badge for nearly three decades. Gloria's parents did not live to hear it.
Sources
Police1: Chicago police DNA ties former detective to 1960 unsolved killing of 8-year-old girl, October 2026
Fox News: Former Chicago police detective linked by DNA to 8-year-old girl cold case murder, police say, October 13, 2026
NBC Chicago: Chicago police cold case murder of Gloria Kowalewicz solved with DNA, October 2026
Patch: Cold case of 8-year-old girl's 1960 murder linked to former Chicago police detective, October 2026
This story is based on the records and reports linked above. An arrest or charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, unless the story says a court has ruled.