Murder of Jaclyn Dowaliby
Jaclyn Dowaliby | |
|---|---|
Jaclyn Dowaliby, c. 1988 | |
| Born | Jaclyn Marie Guess May 17, 1981 |
| Died | September 10, 1988 (aged 7) Illinois, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Ligature strangulation |
| Body discovered | September 14, 1988 Blue Island, Illinois |
| Resting place | Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, Evergreen Park, Cook County, Illinois 41°43′54″N 87°42′59″W / 41.73170°N 87.71640°W (approximate) |
| Occupation | Student |
| Known for | Victim of unsolved child murder |
| Height | 4 ft 0 in (1.22 m) |
The murder of Jaclyn Marie Dowaliby is an unsolved child murder which occurred in Midlothian, Illinois, on September 10, 1988, when a seven-year-old girl was abducted from her bedroom and murdered by an unknown individual or individuals. Her strangled body was discovered in a section of wasteland in Blue Island four days later.
Dowaliby's mother and stepfather were tried for her murder in 1990; her mother was acquitted, although her adoptive father, David Dowaliby, was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 45 years' imprisonment. His conviction was later overturned, and he was released from prison in November 1991. The case remains unsolved, and has been described as one of Metropolitan Chicago's most infamous cold cases.