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New York’s Staten Island. The search for a girl whose mother was murdered on Staten Island more than 30 years ago has left authorities, friends, and relatives with a number of unanswered concerns.

Did she end up with someone who treated her like their own child? Was she left behind and turned into a byproduct of the system? Did she become a victim of the same person who murdered her mother? What sort of life is she leading, if she is still alive? What inquiries concerning her childhood might she have?

For many years, the deceased, 29-year-old Christine Belusko of Clifton, New Jersey, was only recognized by her distinctive scorpion tattoo. On Seaview Avenue in Ocean Breeze, her corpse was found on the side of a ditch. She had no identification on her person.

Investigators discovered Christine’s daughter in 2021 after DNA testing confirmed her identity.

Christa Nicole, the missing, was two years old at the time. Today would be her 35th birthday.

In an attempt to produce fresh leads in the case, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon announced the revelation at a press conference in 2023.

The update created a stir in the country’s media.

However, it is still unclear what happened to the girl.

At a press conference on March 21, 2023, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, right, provides information about the murder of Christine Belusko while Richmond County District Attorney’s Office chief investigator David J. Nilsen, left, speaks. (Jason Paderon/Staten Island Advance) Office of the District Attorney

A tireless search

Over the last 20 months, a number of women have come forward and said they might be Christa.

However, the majority of them, if not all of them, have been excluded. by a DNA test, by refusing to take one, or for other reasons. Compared to the age-progressed images of the missing that were made public, one of the women who met with detectives was a different race.

According to Richmond County District Attorney’s Office top investigator David Nilsen, “you get your hopes up and you think it’s going to be a great day.” However, there are a lot of people that are perplexed.

Several people who had been known to watch Christa before she left New Jersey were questioned, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

In their hunt for Christa, they used a number of research-based strategies, but they encountered obstacle after obstacle, according to Nilsen.

They looked up Christa Nicole’s birth-assigned Social Security number to determine if she had ever filed a tax return or if someone who had access to it for daycare purposes was using it for a child credit on their own tax return.

He claimed that it was dead end after dead end, which is rather suggestive that she might have been murdered.

Christa Nicole, Christine’s daughter, was born in August 1989.RCDA

They sought out those who had applied for new child Social Security numbers following Christine’s murder, speculating that perhaps a babysitter or someone Christa was left with had done so without knowing the first number.

Based on Christine’s approximate weight, they looked through records of unidentifiable child remains discovered both weeks before and after her passing. “There’s a big difference because she wasn’t an infant but rather a child,” Nilsen added, alluding to the fact that babies are more frequently found dead.

All in vain.

Although they looked into adoption records from the time of the murder, they encountered some difficulties because they were unable to determine which county Christa Nicole may have last received care in. In that sense, there were additional obstacles.

Christa Nicole Belusko’s baby pictures were made public by the district attorney’s office in Richmond County.Office of the District Attorney

“There is a lot of private information associated with adoption records; it’s not like you can just look at public records,” Nilsen said. A lot of information is sealed, and none of that was made public. You’re also assuming that they were aware of her official name.

He claimed that at this stage, they are mostly depending on the possibility that Christa, if she is still alive, will submit her DNA to a database where her mother’s DNA has already been registered.

According to Nilsen, we are approaching the case from a variety of forensic perspectives.

But investigators are hoping for a miracle at the same time.

Nilsen stated that it would be wonderful if someone said, “I raised Christa because I was watching her at the time and no one ever came to claim her.” That would be fantastic. When we broadcast the entire situation, it is what we hoped for.

Christa Nicole was the devoted daughter of Christine Belusko. It was born in August 1989. The Richmond County District Attorney’s Office released this image of them.Office of the District Attorney

A new baby in the family

According to family and friends who spoke to Advance/SILive.com, Christa Nicole became the most significant event in Christine’s life in August 1989.

The child’s father’s identity is still unknown, and according to the family, Christine never gave confirmation.

According to her brother Francis, she prioritized and put Christa first in all she did, and she loved her child as much as any mother could love her new child.

Christine was able to maintain her employment at a well-known women’s apparel chain because her adoptive parents, Frank and Dorothy Belusko, were part of a regular rotation of babysitters that also included friends and neighbors.

The Richmond County District Attorney’s Office displayed a slideshow on the case that featured this image of Christa Nicole.RCDA

According to Francis, she focused all of her life on keeping Christa safe, content, and healthy—everything that mothers are expected to do for their children. Even if she is now an adult, you always treat someone who is two years old as if they were a baby because in your mind, they are two.

Christine’s acquaintance at the time claimed to recall a loving mother who enjoyed dressing up her daughter. Christa Nicole, according to her, is Christine’s mini-me.

Falling out with family

Around the time of Christa’s birth, Christine discovered for the first time that she and her brother had been adopted at infancy from different families, which caused tension in their relationship.

In addition, she was dealing with health problems, her romantic life was mysterious, and it seemed like her career had stalled. It appeared that she was experiencing what her friends and relatives referred to as an existential crisis.

She eventually severed her relationship with the Beluskos and left town with her daughter in July 1991. She informed everyone she didn’t want to be found, according to her brother.

While friends of Christine have said they made attempts over the years to locate her, a missing persons report was never filed with authorities.

The Mt. Airy Lodge in the Pocono Mountains is shown in this archive photo. (Trenton Times)Trenton Times

Last seen in the Poconos, friend says

Christine told a friend who helped her move out of her apartment that she was running away with a man whom she had been dating, and that no one could know where he was going.

The boyfriend, who she claimed she met through work, was married at the time, investigators have learned. From there, Christine told friends, they were headed to Florida.

But first, she said, they were meeting up at Mt. Airy Lodge, a resort in the Poconos, Pa. That s where she and Christa were last seen, approximately a week before her death, according to a different friend she had known for years who told authorities he went to visit them there.

Images of Christine and Christa Nicole Belusko, released by the Richmond County District Attorney’s office.Office of the District Attorney

A nationwide effort

In November, theNational Center for Missing and Exploited Children posted an articleabout the ongoing search for Christa Nicole. They released an age-progression image of what she could look like today.

We know that these images can help lead to answers, even in cases that are decades old, said Angeline Hartmann, director of communications at NCMEC. We ask everyone to share this image of Christa Nicole. You never know who might have the key to bringing her home.

Francis said that while he s all but given up on the idea of his sister s killer being identified, the most important thing for me is to bring Christa Nicole home.

***

The search for Christine s killer remains an active investigation. If you have any information about her case, please reach out to the Richmond County District Attorney s Office at 718-556-7085. All calls can be kept confidential.

If you would like to contact our reporting team regarding this case, you can do so [email protected].

Beyond the Scorpion Tattoo

• In Texas lab, scientists unlock mystery of Staten Island murder victim: A breakthrough detailed

• 4 improbable theories detectives considered over the years in Staten Island cold case

• The significance of the tattoo at center of Staten Island cold case

• Beyond the Scorpion Tattoo cold-case series rewind: What you may have missed. (trailer video)

• She was so still and lifeless. A horrific find in brush patch still haunts Staten Island

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