DNA and fingerprint identify former Chicago detective as 1960 killer of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz Chicago police say DNA evidence and a preserved fingerprint tie former homicide detective Thomas F. McInerney Jr. to the 1960 abduction and murder of 8-year-old Gloria Kowalewicz, who was shot and left in a ditch while walking to church. Chicago police say DNA evidence and a preserved fingerprint have identified a former homicide detective as the killer of an 8-year-old girl who was abducted while walking to church more than 65 years ago. The child, Gloria Kowalewicz, was found shot dead in a ditch in 1960, just hours after she went missing. The suspect was Thomas F. McInerney Jr., a former Chicago Police Department detective. He joined the department in 1959, one year before the killing, later investigated violent crimes and retired in 1987. He died in 2006 at age 70, never facing charges in Gloria's murder.Details of Gloria Kowalewicz's 1960 DisappearanceGloria disappeared on Nov. 12, 1960, after leaving her home shortly before 8 a.m. to attend morning Mass at St. Mary of Mt. Carmel Church, a few blocks away. Her body was discovered about four hours later in a ditch at a forest preserve southwest of Chicago. She had been shot and killed.The murder prompted an extensive investigation. Police interviewed more than 1,300 people and knocked on hundreds of doors. Investigators preserved evidence from the crime scene and surrounding area, including a bullet, Gloria's coat and shoes, and a white communion purse holding her prayer book. A fingerprint was recovered from the purse strap.How DNA Technology Identified McInerneyMore than 65 years after the killing, Chicago police confirmed to Fox News Digital that advances in DNA technology and the preserved fingerprint helped identify McInerney. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office is working to identify other cases that may have involved him. Chicago police issued a statement saying McInerney should never have worn the CPD star. The department called it devastating that he was never identified and held accountable while he was alive.Police said Gloria's parents died before learning who killed their daughter, but expressed hope the identification brings some closure to those who knew her. McInerney later worked for the Federal Public Defender's Office in Nevada before retiring in 2004, according to the Associated Press. He died two years later. The case had remained unsolved for decades despite the massive initial investigation and the evidence that was carefully preserved for future testing.