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Officials linked DNA from Joseph Nowakowski, who died in 1998,
to the killing of 50-year-old Catherine Blackburn in September
1964, Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox said during a news
conference Wednesday.
The identification was made through a joint effort by the
Criminal Investigation Resource Center at Russell Sage College
and other forensic and investigative agencies, authorities said.
The work, which spanned several years, eventually allowed
authorities to match DNA from the crime scene with DNA from
Nowakowski, whose body was recently exhumed as part of the
investigation, Albany Police Commander Melissa Morey said.
Nowakowski's relatives cooperated with the investigation, she
said.
Nowakowski had a lengthy criminal record, including an attack on
an elderly woman in 1973 in Schenectady and several burglaries,
authorities said.
“We wanted to make sure that we took every step possible to be
100% positive that he was, in fact, tied to this and that we
have his DNA on file,” Cox said.
Nowakowski was in his early 30s when Blackburn was attacked and
was not a suspect at the time. Authorities said Wednesday that
there is no indication that Blackburn and Nowakowski knew each
other.
Blackburn was found by a niece, Sandy Carmichael, who went to
the home after one of Blackburn's coworkers went to pick
Blackburn up for work but could not locate her.
“Sixty-one years ago, evil entered my aunt’s house and changed
our lives forever," the now 81-year-old Carmichael said
Wednesday. “We prayed for this day, To all who made this
possible, God bless you."
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