A murder mystery that haunted Albany for more than six decades has finally been solved.

Albany Police announced they’ve identified Joseph Stanley Nowakowski as the man responsible for the brutal 1964 killing of Catherine Blackburn inside her home on Colonie Street.

Blackburn was struck in the back of the head and stabbed her in the neck. She was also sexually assaulted and burned on her lips and chest. She died as a result of blood loss. Blackburn’s apartment was not burglarized or damaged.

For 61 years, Blackburn’s family waited for the day they would learn who killed her.

“Sixty-one years ago, evil entered my aunt’s house and changed our lives forever,” said Sandra Carmichael, Blackburn’s niece. “We’ve prayed for this day.”

Police Chief Brendan Cox said the case has spanned generations of detectives.

“That started a 61-year process of trying to investigate a crime, determine the motivation of the suspect, and ultimately bring justice for Catherine and her family,” Cox said.

In 2018, a determined detective, Melissa Morey, opened Blackburn’s case file and teamed up with Dr. Christina Lane, who launched a forensic genealogy program at Russell Sage College. Together with the FBI, the Albany Police Department used genetic genealogy to identify Nowakowski as the likely suspect.

Joseph Stanley Nowakowski (Albany Police)

“Throughout our partnership with Dr. Lane and the students, we were introduced to the FBI’s ability to use forensic genealogy,” said Detective Melissa Morey of the Albany Police Department. “Due to the diligent efforts of our partners, we were able to identify our suspect as Joseph Nowakowski.”

“We reached out to his relatives as part of the investigation,” Morey said. “Without their help and cooperation, we would not be here today.”

Nowakowski died in 1998, but to confirm the findings, investigators needed his DNA.

Investigators were granted permission from the court to exhume his body from Albany Rural Cemetery to a DNA sample.

"We all stood around the gravesite at Albany Rural Cemetery a couple of weeks ago on a Monday morning as we exhume the body," said Lee Kindlon, Albany County District Attorney.The DNA matched evidence recovered from the 1964 crime scene — specifically, a handkerchief found under Blackburn’s body.

Police say there is no evidence that Blackburn knew Nowakowski.

“All indications from that day were that she did not know him and that they were strangers,” Cox said.

Nowakowski had a violent criminal history. In the 1970s, he was convicted of assaulting an elderly woman in Schenectady and had multiple arrests dating back to the 1950s.

He was released from prison in 1980, and lived a quiet life until his death in 1998.