STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. (PIX11) — Christa Nicole Belusko was just 2 years old when her mother disappeared from her life in September 1991.
And when the burned, handcuffed body of a young woman turned up near Seaview Avenue on Staten Island that month, police could only identify her as “The Girl with the Scorpion Tattoo.” It would take more than 30 years to determine the murder victim was Christa Nicole’s 29-year-old mother, Christine Belusko.
Thanks to help from the FBI and genetic genealogy websites, the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office announced this week it had identified Christine Belusko as the murder victim found in the woods off Seaview Avenue on Sept. 20, 1991. Christine Belusko used to live in Morris County, New Jersey, yet no one had come forward to report her missing.
Christine Belusko had nearly 20 blows to her head, and police found the apparent murder weapon — a hammer — etched with the name Lloyd L. on its handle. The young mother was partially clothed.
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon and his investigative team still want to track down the killer — and they also hope to find Belusko’s daughter, who would now be nearly 34 years old. Christa Nicole Belusko was born on Aug. 1, 1989.
“We implore anyone who might have information to contact us so we can find Christa Nicole,” the district attorney said, “and bring justice to the memory of the girl with the scorpion tattoo.”
The District Attorney’s Office provided an age progression photo of what Christa Nicole might look like as a young adult.
The girl’s mother was identified after Christine Belusko’s dental records and blood samples were placed into national databases for missing people. Investigators were able to find some of Belusko’s living relatives and learned about the existence of Christa Nicole.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Staten Island District Attorney’s Office at (718) 556-7085, or they can use email to write to info@rcda.nyc.gov. The NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline is 1-800-577-TIPS.
