Former Chicago Police Officer Identified as Killer of 8-Year-Old Gloria Kowalewicz in 1960 Cold Case

Eight-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz was abducted while walking to church on the South Side of Chicago on Nov. 12, 1960.

It was a Saturday and Gloria left the house at around 8am to walk to early Mass at St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church, just a few blocks from her home. She had recently received her First Holy Communion, and nuns at the church encouraged her and her classmates to attend Mass each day for two weeks following their First Communion.

She would never make it to church that morning, and her body would be discovered around four hours later in a forest preserve area located southwest of Chicago by a passing motorist whose eye was caught by Gloria's pink-and-brown checked dress.

The motorist, who was a driver for a laundry company in McKinley Park, had parked his vehicle along 104th Avenue, approximately one mile south of Route 83, when a flash of pink caught his eye. He approached Gloria's body, checking for signs of life, but found none. He then drove to a tavern in the area and used the phone there to contact police.

Although clothed, the blue leotard Gloria had been wearing under her dress was found under her body. Despite this, police at the time did not believe she had been sexually assaulted.

It was determined that Gloria had been shot twice in the head and left in a ditch in the forest preserve.

The clothing she had been wearing that day, including her white communion purse with a prayer book inside, coat and shoes, were preserved by investigators. A fingerprint found on the purse strap was lifted and also preserved in the case file.

People in the local community were outraged by her murder, and investigators formed a task force and canvassed in the local area looking for Gloria's killer. More than 1,300 individuals were questioned during this time, and more than a dozen underwent polygraph testing, but no suspect in the kidnapping and murder was identified.

In July 2010, Gloria's dress was sent for DNA analysis. Five months later, testing revealed a male DNA profile, which was entered into CODIS. Several suspects were investigated, but they were later ruled out.

In 2024, Gloria's coat was submitted to the FBI for further DNA testing and in July 2026, investigators identified the man responsible for Gloria's murder. The killer had been under their nose the entire time, and he was formally identified as Thomas F. McInerney Jr., a former Chicago police officer who later became a homicide detective.

The fingerprint found on Gloria's purse strap matched fingerprints taken from McInerney when he initially joined the Chicago Police Department in 1959.

 

At the time of the murder, McInerney was 24 years old. He was an officer patrolling the west side of Chicago and would be promoted to detective in 1964. He went on to work as an investigator for the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Nevada and retired in 2004. Reports state that in 2003 he received an award for outstanding federal defense investigative work.

According to his obituary, McInerney was a US Army veteran. He had a wife and five children of his own, as well as grandchildren, and went on to live a normal life up until his death in 2006.

In a statement to the Associated Press (AP), police 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.”

Those following the case questioned whether McInerney could have had other victims. In a statement to the AP, the State's Attorney's Office in Cook County said it was "making efforts to identify cases that may have involved" him. Authorities are also examining whether he could be connected to other unsolved crimes from the time. At the time of the announcement, investigators said he was not suspected in any other crimes.

Gloria's father, a World War II veteran who ran a gas station, passed away in 1978. Her mother passed away in 2000. Her brother, Adam, has spoken out about the case, saying: “He (McInerney) never paid his dues. You hope he’s going to pay his dues with the good lord.” He added: “Now I know my mom and dad’s souls can rest. Gloria can rest.”

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