The case was unsolved for decades until 2007, when the authorities used fluid left on the victim’s jacket to create a DNA profile of the murderer.
Authorities have found the killer of a 9-year-old Hazleton, Pennsylvania child after nearly 60 years.
According to a press release from the Pennsylvania State Police, Marise Chiverella’s body was discovered on March 18, 1964, in a stripping hole that was being used for reserve close to the Hazleton Municipal Airport. After attempting to solve the cold case for decades, police have finally identified her killer.
James Paul Forte, who passed away in 1980, was identified as the murderer by authorities during a press conference on Thursday, according to CNN.
According to CNN, PSP Lieutenant Devon Brutosky stated, “Pennsylvania State Police was founded in 1905, so over half of our existence we have investigated this case.”
According to the news release that PEOPLE was able to get from the police, Chiverella vanished after leaving her Hazleton house at 8 in the morning to walk to school. When Chiverella was discovered dead in the pit at 1 p.m., detectives established that she had been sexually raped.
According to the police news release, “the investigation revealed that Marise was physically and sexually assaulted, murdered, and left in the stripping hole with all of her clothing and personal items.”
The case went unsolved until 2007, when the state was able to identify the killer through DNA testing using fluid found on the victim’s jacket, according to CNN.
“This inquiry has been examined yearly, and since 2007, the DNA profile of the murderer has been compared monthly to all newly added DNA database entries. According to a news release sent by police ahead of Thursday’s press conference, “through research, a suspect was created and identified as the perpetrator of this horrible crime, closing the 57-year-old case.
According to CNN’s Brutosky, police obtained a genealogical match in 2019 when the DNA was added to the genealogy database GED Match, who also happened to be a distant relative of Chiverella.
The case was assisted by genealogist Eric Schubert in 2020.
According to the police in the news release, “Mr. Schubert started genealogical work on the family tree of our match and very shortly we were provided names of relatives who were scattered throughout the country.” We had the good fortune to receive the cooperation and DNA samples from the majority of the linked family.
Forte, who may be Chiverella’s sixth cousin, was 22 years old when the murder occurred, according to CNN.
According to CNN, Marise’s sister Carmen Marie Radtke claimed, “Our family now knows who killed her.” “Today, justice was done.”
