Chicago Police Solve 65-Year-Old Murder Case Involving Former Detective
Chicago police solved a 65-year-old murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kobalewicz, identifying the killer as Thomas McInerney, a former Chicago police detective who died in 2006.
Chicago police have solved a 65-year-old cold case involving the abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kobalewicz in 1960. Investigators revealed that the perpetrator was none other than Thomas McInerney, a former Chicago police detective who later retired and passed away in 2006.
The 1960 Cold Case
On November 12, 1960, young Gloria left her home in Chicago to attend morning mass at St. Mary's Church but never arrived. She was abducted, shot twice in the head, and her body was discovered in a ditch within a nature reserve south-west of the city. Despite a massive manhunt, thousands of interviews, and preserved forensic evidence—including a fingerprint on her prayer purse—the investigation stalled for decades.
Breakthrough Through Genealogy
The breakthrough came in 2024 when the FBI, at the request of Chicago police, utilized investigative genetic genealogy databases to match DNA extracted from the victim's clothing. This led straight to Thomas McInerney, who was 24 years old at the time of the murder and later rose through the ranks to become a police detective.
McInerney should never have worn a Chicago police badge, and it is devastating to accept the fact that he was never identified and brought to justice during his lifetime, Chicago police stated.
Authorities confirmed that McInerney retired in 1987, moved to Nevada, and died in 2006 at the age of 70. The FBI is now investigating whether he was involved in other unsolved crimes.
