A woman with a scorpion tattoo has been identified 32 years after her murder. Authorities are now looking for her daughter and her killer.
More than three decades after a woman with a distinctive scorpion tattoo was found dead in New York City, investigators have identified the victim — and they are now trying to track down her daughter and her killer.
Authorities on Tuesday identified the victim as Christine Belusko of Morris County, New Jersey. In 1991, she was found beaten, strangled and burned in a wooded area on Staten Island.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon said in a statement that detectives were able to make the identification using "innovative forensic genealogy."
"It was technology unavailable in 1991, but invaluable in today's law enforcement world," McMahon said at a Tuesday news conference. "Thanks to this incredible tool, we were able to identify the victim."
Authorities were also able to determine that at the time of her death, Belusko had a 2-year-old child named Christa Nicole.
"While Christine's killer remains unidentified and the whereabouts of Christa Nicole are unknown, we are turning to the public to ask their assistance in bringing this case to a close and securing long-delayed justice in the case of the girl with the scorpion tattoo," McMahon said.
Belusko's daughter would be 32 years old now. Anyone with information about Belusko or her daughter is asked to call the police at 718-556-7085.
"This is now the time we ask the public for its help. We have pretty much run down all the leads we can in trying to locate individuals who would know Christa Nicole and any other leads who would help us in solving the underlying crime," McMahon said.
