NEW YORK — Investigators have released new information regarding a cold case of brutal Staten Island violence that dates back more than 30 years.
Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon told a news conference on Tuesday that the victim, now identified as Christine Belusko, was struck more than a dozen times with a hammer and then set on fire before being killed. to be found dead in 1991.
The body was found in a vacant lot in the area of ocean breeze a day after his death, according to investigators. Belusko was living in Morris County, New Jersey at the time of his death.
The main identifying feature of the victim was a scorpion tattoo, but authorities were unable to positively identify him until they were able to access his DNA to trace his genealogy.
Police have since tracked down and interviewed his brother, but perhaps more importantly, learned he had a 2-year-old daughter at the time of his death. The girl, now believed to be 34, is called Christa Nicole, and they are looking for her, police said.