55 Years Later: Man Convicted Of Kidnapping, Murdering 7-Year-Old

On a snowy night in December of 1957, seven-year-old Maria Ridulph vanished from the town of Sycamore, Illinois. The case made national headlines, and President Eisenhower asked his advisors to fetch him periodic updates. After the poor girl’s body was found more than one hundred miles from her home, suspicion initially fell on a seventeen-year-old named Jack McCullough. He told police he’d taken a train to Chicago in order to see a doctor prior to enlisting in the army. They believed his alibi, and the case quickly went cold.

Recently, authorities reopened the investigation after McCullough’s old girlfriend contacted them saying she uncovered the ticket he supposedly took to Chicago. It was unused. After re-interviewing witnesses and reexamining the evidence, the prosecutor’s office decided to charge McCullough. He was arrested in Washington and taken back to Illinois for trial.

According to The New York Times, those legal proceedings ended yesterday with McCullough’s conviction. The defendant, who spent his life in the army and working as a police officer, will be sentenced within the next few months. He’s currently seventy-two-years-old and will likely be behind bars until he dies.

There are some mistakes you can’t run from. Here’s to hoping the verdict finally allows the Ridulph family to feel a sense of justice. Maria might still be gone, but she’d be happy to know those who loved her never stopped fighting.