Little Girl’s 65-Year-Old Cold Case Finally Cracked, With DNA Pointing To Homicide Detective

For 65 years, the Kowalewicz family knew where 8-year-old Gloria’s short walk to church had ended. They knew she had been taken from a Chicago street on November 12, 1960, and found hours later in woods more than 15 miles from home.

What they never knew was who had taken her there.

Gloria’s parents spent the rest of their lives without an answer. Her younger brother, Adam, grew up with the case hanging over the family. Then, in October 2026, Chicago police finally named the man responsible:

Thomas F. McInerney Jr.