Featured image of post Nearly 58 years later, police solve cold case murder of 9-year-old Pennsylvania girl

Nearly 58 years later, police solve cold case murder of 9-year-old Pennsylvania girl

Marise Chiverella was murdered and left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1964. Thanks to DNA and genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case.

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Marise Chiverella was murdered and left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1964. Thanks to DNA and genealogy tracking, authorities announced Thursday, they have solved her case.

Highlights

  • Marise Chiverella was murdered and her body left in a hole in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, in 1964.
  • State police worked tirelessly over the years but were unable to identify her killer until now.
  • James Paul Forte, who died in 1980, was identified as the suspect in her murder.
  • The case went cold until 2007 when the state’s DNA lab was able to develop the suspect’s DNA profile using fluid that was left on her jacket.
  • In 2020, genealogist Eric Schubert contacted the state police offering to help free of charge and lend his unique skill set of tracing down family trees to find matches.
  • This is the fourth oldest cold case to be solved in in the country using genetic genealogy, police say.