The mystery of the 8-year-old girl's murder solved after 65 years - and the killer is particularly surprising
The 1960 murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kovalevich from Chicago was solved after 65 years using DNA and investigative genetic genealogy. The identified killer is Thomas Francis McKinney, who was a Chicago police officer at the time of the murder and even served as a detective in homicide investigations. He died in 2006 without being punished.
The murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kovalevich, who left her home in Chicago on November 12, 1960 for a short walk to church and was shot twice in the head, was solved after 65 years. Her body was found that same day in Palos Park, about 24 kilometers from her home, by a laundry company driver. The murder shocked Chicago and led to a widespread manhunt, but the investigation hit a dead end. In 2010, her dress was sent for DNA testing and male genetic material was found, but the breakthrough came years later through investigative genetic genealogy. The evidence led to Thomas Francis McKinney, who was a 24-year-old Chicago police officer at the time of the murder. McKinney served on the force for 28 years, continued as a detective and even worked on homicide investigations. After retiring, he worked as an investigator for the Federal Public Defender's office and died in 2006. Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Kevin Bruno said the fact that the killer was a police officer is "very disturbing." Gloria's brother, Adam Kovalevich, expressed relief at the identification of the killer but anger that McKinney died without being punished.