GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — It's one of the greatest murder mysteries in Northeast Ohio. 16-year-old Beverly Jarosz was strangled and stabbed 40 times in her bedroom 60 years ago, and her case remains unsolved.
News 5 highlighted the cold case in 2018.
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Detectives say they are getting closer to possibly solving the case, thanks to new interviews and advancements in DNA testing.
Her younger sister, Carol Bartos, is hopeful her murder will be solved.
On Saturday, Bartos and other loved ones held an anniversary mass for her late sister. Carol was just 12 years old when the brutal murder happened.
"I was basically a little girl just starting to figure out who I was. She just seemed like she was very sophisticated and she was beautiful," Carol said.
Carol told News 5 that Saturday’s mass was not just for her sister, but for everyone who has helped her through the years.
"It's surprising that so many people do still remember her name," said Carol. "There's Facebook groups dedicated to her, and I still get people giving me tips and contacting me and telling me how much they remember her and how they wish this would be solved."
“I was about six years old when this happened," said John Ferrato.
Ferrato grew up in Garfield Heights but only got involved in the search for Beverly's killer four years ago.
Ferrato and Scarlett Vinson became intrigued by the case. The two belong to a Facebook group dedicated to keeping Beverly's memory alive.
“The minute I saw her face and I saw that beautiful school photo of her, I just immediately was like, 'I'm going to devote every waking moment I have to her,'" said Vinson.
The two have looked at this case from every angle and have put out a two-part documentary on YouTube called ”Beverly Jarosz-60 years. Faith and Forgiveness."
The duo believe they know who killed Beverly.
Ferrato says he has gone to the Garfield Heights Police Department and told the police what he believes is the truth.
“Beverly's diary was missing, and it's been missing ever since," said Ferrato. "The police don't have it. It was just taken. So the person who did this took the diary, and most people think, well, they took it because maybe his name was in it. Right? That's the most logical thing you think of right off the bat. But in my opinion, he took it as a trophy, and I believe it's still around.”
The two believe the killer was stalking Beverly, saying he was always there and stalked her at her final resting place.
“We didn't wake up one day and say, Oh, this is the guy you know," said Vinson. "We're literally taking facts, and we're following the breadcrumbs, as anybody would logically. We're putting all the pieces together.”
News 5 requested an interview with Garfield Heights police on Friday to ask them about the documentary's theory surrounding the identity of the killer, and they didn't respond to our request.
However, they did tell News 5 that they are aggressively investigating the case and hope to bring closure to Beverly’s family and the community.
The department has performed Advanced M-Vac DNA testing on key pieces of evidence, which has resulted in newly discovered DNA, witness interviews, and surveillance.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Menary at (216) 475-5686 or mmenary@garfieldhts.org.
