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Over three decades after Jeanie Childs was fatally attacked in her Minneapolis residence, her story will be revisited in the May 17, 2025, episode of 48 Hours. The episode, The Footprint, revisits how investigators used forensic genealogy and a partial bloody footprint to identify a suspect decades later.
On June 13, 1993, Childs was discovered with more than 60 stab wounds, and her apartment was covered in blood, as per a CBS News report dated May 16, 2025. Initial leads went nowhere, and the case remained unsolved until 2015, when forensic analysts found a repeating male DNA profile on multiple items from the scene.
That same year, authorities identified Jerry Westrom as a potential suspect after extracting his DNA from a napkin he unknowingly left behind at a hockey match. According to the Law and Crime report dated August 26, 2022, additional forensic analysis confirmed that a bloody footprint at the crime scene matched the soles of Westrom’s foot. He was convicted of first-degree murder in 2022.
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5 key insights about Jeanie Childs' murder explored
As 48 Hours revisits the 1993 homicide of Jeanie Childs in its May 17 episode, The Footprint, several new and long-standing developments in the case are brought into sharper focus. The murder remained unsolved for over 25 years before a series of forensic breakthroughs ultimately led to the conviction of Jerry Westrom. Below are five significant takeaways from the case.
1) The crime scene revealed a rare piece of forensic evidence
When police entered Jeanie Childs' Minneapolis apartment on June 13, 1993, they encountered an extensively bloodied scene. Her body was found in the bathroom, and investigators documented over 60 stab wounds, with some inflicted postmortem.
According to a CBS News report dated May 16, 2025, what stood out to crime scene specialists were bare, bloody footprints across the floor. Forensic scientist Bart Epstein told 48 Hours,
"You don't see this at crime scenes in general, bare feet that have stepped in blood."
These footprints were determined not to be Jeanie Childs', who was found wearing socks. As noted by former FBI agent Chris Boeckers, the prints were important not only to establish potential guilt but also to eliminate individuals from suspicion.
2) A breakthrough came via DNA technology
The case stalled for years until forensic scientist Andrea Feia detected a repeating DNA profile in 2015 on several items from the scene, including a towel and sink. Investigators utilized forensic investigative genetic genealogy to analyze the unknown DNA through public genealogy databases.
This approach narrowed the search to two Minnesota brothers, according to CBS News. One of them was Jerry Westrom, a businessman with prior arrests.
Investigators discreetly tracked Westrom to a hockey arena in Wisconsin in early 2019 without alerting him to their presence. After he discarded a napkin, agents retrieved it for testing. DNA analysis linked the sample directly to genetic material collected from the Jeanie Childs crime scene.
3) Footprint analysis added critical confirmation
While the DNA tied Westrom to the apartment, confirming the bloody footprint as his, it added a layer of specificity. Minneapolis forensic supervisor Mark Ulrick analyzed the patterns found on the soles of Westrom’s feet and matched them against the bloody prints recovered from the scene.
As Ulrick explained to 48 Hours,
"Friction ridge skin is found on … your fingers, your palms, and the soles of your feet,"
The unique ridges on Westrom's feet matched the print left in Jeanie Childs' blood. Despite challenges from the defense team, who brought in their own expert to contest the findings, the footprint was deemed consistent with Westrom's physical traits by multiple analysts.
4) The trial lasted days; the jury deliberated for two hours
In August 2022, a jury found Jerry Westrom guilty of first-degree murder. Prosecutors pointed to the footprint and DNA as key evidence. According to CBS Minnesota, on May 1, 2025, juror Derek Fradenburgh stated,
"What ties him to the scene and why we convicted him is the bloody footprint, in conjunction with his DNA being found at the scene"
Westrom was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 2052. He challenged the verdict in a higher court, but the Minnesota Supreme Court maintained the first-degree murder ruling.
5) Jeanie Childs' family continues to seek recognition of her humanity
Jeanie Childs' background included s*x work and a troubled adolescence, but her family insists she should not be reduced to those circumstances. Her mother, Betty Eakman, and sister, Cindy Blumer, have consistently emphasized her compassion and individuality. Betty Eakman told CBS News in a May 1, 2025, interview,
"She was still a human being. Did not deserve to be slaughtered like an animal,"
As 48 Hours revisits the case, the program highlights technological advances and also underscores the emotional endurance of families affected by unsolved crimes.
Stay tuned for more updates.
