55 years ago Catherine Blackburn's niece and sister found her exposed body in the vacant upstairs apartment of her home on Colonie Street in Albany. In 1964, crime scene cleanup wasn't facilitated by police; that burden fell on the deceased's loved ones. Kate's 20-year-old nieces, Sandy and Theresa, had to clean their Aunt's blood from the apartment.
In this episode, we speak to Kate's niece Sandy about the impact her Aunt's murder had on her life and family.
We also speak in depth with Albany Police Sergeant Melissa O'Donovan who walks us through the investigation conducted by the original detectives and details key elements of the case, including the mysterious rent receipt taken from Kate's apartment.
Photo: Times Union, 1964