1964 cold case solved in New York with DNA evidence, authorities say

ALBANY. N.Y. (AP) — Authorities in New York’s capital city have identified the man they say raped, stabbed and bludgeoned to death a woman inside her home more than 60 years ago.

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.”