On Sept. 14, 1964, Catherine Blackburn’s niece found her dead in her home at 117 Colonie Street, after Blackburn’s co-worker could not reach her. Police and medical personnel arrived at the scene, and so began an investigation that lasted more than six decades.
On Wednesday, Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox named the alleged perpetrator as Joseph S. Nowakowski, who was born on Aug. 10, 1931, and was 33 years old at the time of Blackburn’s murder. According to Albany Police Commander Melissa Morey, Nowakowski had a criminal history, both before and after the murder. Nowakowski was in and out of prison until 1980, and he died in 1998.
Albany Police Chief Brendan Cox said the conclusion of the investigation came as a result of an expansive collaboration between various New York state and federal agencies. Chief Cox said that the identification of Nowakowski would not have been possible without significant advances in forensic technology since 1964…