Politics · October 12, 2026
Chicago police find killer in 65-year-old cold case murder of little girl — one of their own
The 65-year-old cold case murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz, who was killed in Chicago in 1960, has been solved using modern DNA technology and fingerprint analysis. The Chicago Police Department identified the killer as Thomas F. McInerney Jr., a former Chicago homicide detective who died in 2006. Gloria was abducted while walking to church, shot twice in the head, and left in a forest preserve. McInerney joined the force a year before the murder and retired in 1987 after receiving numerous commendations. The FBI is now reviewing his DNA against other unsolved cases to determine if there were additional victims.
Read the original coverage
- NBC NewsCenter-left
Chicago police find killer in 65-year-old cold case murder of little girl — one of their own
Read at NBC News ↗ - The GuardianCenter-left
Ex-Chicago detective identified as killing child in 65-year cold case
Read at The Guardian ↗ - Fox NewsRight
Former Chicago police detective linked by DNA to 8-year-old girl's cold-case murder, police say
Read at Fox News ↗ - New York PostRight
Murderer in 65-year-old cold case killing of girl, 8, revealed to be Chicago homicide detective
Read at New York Post ↗
Reported across the spectrum
- Gloria Kowalewicz was 8 years old when she was abducted and murdered on November 12, 1960.
- Thomas F. McInerney Jr. has been identified as the killer through DNA and fingerprint evidence.
- McInerney was a Chicago police officer at the time of the murder and later became a homicide detective.
- McInerney died in 2006 at age 70 in Las Vegas, never having been charged with the crime.
- Modern DNA technology, including genetic genealogy websites, was used to crack the case.
- Evidence preserved for decades included a fingerprint on the victim's purse and DNA from clothing.
Reported by only some outlets
- McInerney was named Outstanding Federal Defender Investigator in 2003.
- A male DNA profile was first built in 2010 but did not yield an arrest at that time.
- The FBI is checking CODIS for potential matches to other unsolved crimes.
- McInerney lived less than a mile (around the corner) from the victim's family in 1960.
- Gloria was found shot twice in the head.
- Gloria was not believed to have been sexually assaulted, despite semen found on her clothing.
Left-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
The Guardian highlights the irony of McInerney's career, explicitly noting he retired from two federal public defender's offices and received commendations while hiding his crime. The framing emphasizes the systemic failure of he being 'one of their own' and the 'abhorrent' nature of a detective committing such a crime.
Right-leaning outlets tend to emphasize…
Fox News and the New York Post emphasize the 'noble profession' of policing while characterizing McInerney as a 'monster' or a betrayal of that trust. They focus on the closure provided to the family and the department's refusal to 'minimize or shy away from' the fact that a cop was the killer.
Where coverage diverges
Coverage diverges along left/right lines — see Framing tab for specifics.
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