Woman from 1991 brutal homicide identified; investigators search for her child

STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- Investigators in the Staten Island District Attorney's Office revealed Tuesday they have identified the woman who was found brutally beaten and lit on fire on Staten Island in 1991. They also said the woman had a daughter, who investigators are trying to locate.

Investigators said they recently identified the body of Christine Belusko, of Clifton, by using familial DNA and public genealogy databases.

Belusko was found hand-cuffed, strangled, beaten in the head with a hammer and lit on fire on Seaview Avenue on the East Shore of Staten Island on September 20, 1991. Her killer has never been found.

"It was a cruel and vicious killing," Michael McMahon, Staten Island District Attorney, said in an exclusive sit-down interview with Eyewitness News investigative reporter Kristin Thorne.

For years, the only clue to Belusko's identity was a scorpion tattoo on her right buttock.

But, McMahon said investigators in his office never gave up trying to identify her due to the brutality of her death, as they continue to search for her killer.

Investigators also revealed Tuesday that Belusko had a daughter who was 2 years old at the time of Belusko's murder. They identified the child, who would now be 34 years old, as Christa Nicole. They have been unable to find her and released an age progression photo Tuesday in an effort to stimulate leads from the public.

If you recognize Christa Nicole or know anything about the murder of Christine Belusko, call the Richmond County District Attorney's Office at 718-556-7085.

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