Cold Case In Pennsylvania Solved After Nearly 60 Years

In 2022, a cold case that stayed open for nearly sixty years was finally solved. It involved the murder of a nine-year-old girl named Marise Ann Chiverella. She disappeared in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, but later, her body was found in a pit at a coal mine. Read on for more about this true crime case.

Fifty Eight Years Passed By

This week, ColdCase247 revisited the crime and reminded viewers that it was one of the longest cases in Pennsylvania that ever got solved. And, looking back, it seems very strange. After all, the body of Marise was found the same day, and there was someone of suspicion in the community. 

Apparently, someone taking lessons for driving found the body that 1964 afternoon. Instead of fading away to be filed and forgotten, the family of Marise Ann Chiverella and the community kept pushing for some sort of resolution.

The narrator recalled how, on a March day, she departed for St. Joseph’s Parochial school. She took along a bag that contained some goods for her teacher, but she never arrived at class. Obviously, other parents feared for their own kids, because it was thought the killer still lived in the community.

A College Student Helps Solve The case

Notably, the use of modern forensics managed to track down the perpetrator. More than 50 years later, thanks to the work of a college student named Eric Schubert, in a collaboration with Parabon NanoLabs, they finally got a breakthrough in the true crime case.

Using public DNA databases, he traced the DNA found on the girl’s clothing directly to a man named James Paul Forte. Forte never saw justice as he passed away in 1980. However, police were able to find out that he worked as a bartender. Additionally, and very sadly, he had a history of assault but didn’t spend much time behind bars for it.

Very late in the day, the cold case was laid to rest. But, for the family, the trauma never really went away. Still, the fact that such an old case can be resolved by new DNA forensic technology does show that in the future, perhaps faster conclusions can be reached.

Viewers React

Most followers who saw the cold case true crime video felt terrible for the family. Imagine waiting into old age to discover who took your child! One person opined, “Nearly 60 years of waiting, pain, and unanswered questions. Heartbreaking that justice took so long, but deeply moving that the family and community never gave up on the truth.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion that followed:

• I am so glad that the family had the answer as to the murder of their sister. God bless that sweet angel!
• I’m glad they finally got the truth and sad there was no justice for that evil man . I’m from Kent uk. God bless all those who kept fighting for the truth.
• I wonder if they had any DNA for the other little girl that was assaulted around the same time, in a near by town?

What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.