Bloody, bare footprints lead to decadeslong search for woman's killer

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Minnesota transgression country investigators captured footage erstwhile they got their archetypal look wrong a high-rise flat successful Minneapolis.

According to constabulary reports, astatine astir 5:30 p.m. connected June 13, 1993, a tenant reported h2o seeping into their apartment. A gathering caretaker and a information defender were called to cheque it out, and discovered the h2o was coming from flat 2104.

Bart Epstein | Retired forensic scientist: They went into the flat and they recovered that the ablution was inactive moving and causing each this flooding adjacent door.

After the ablution was turned off, they came upon a gruesome country successful the bedroom. The assemblage of 35-year-old Jeanie Childs was discovered partially nether the bed. That's erstwhile constabulary were called to investigate.

Bart Epstein: This was a violent, bloody transgression country … this is … 1 of the bloodiest that I'd been to.

BLOODY EVIDENCE LEADS TO A PIVOTAL CLUE

Retired forensic idiosyncratic Bart Epstein says cautiously documenting that country was crucial.

Erin Moriarty: Blood stains and humor spatter archer a story.

Bart Epstein: Yes … they definite tin … successful this lawsuit we could found that Jeanie Childs was deed … successful beforehand of the bath door.

Epstein says Jeanie past moved into the bathroom. She was stabbed and slashed dozens of times.

Bart Epstein: She was down connected the level smearing humor on that area.

While the ablution had been turned disconnected earlier, investigators noticed h2o was inactive moving from the descend faucet.

Bart Epstein:There was a batch of enactment going connected there. … Why was the descend faucet inactive dripping? Was helium trying to cleanable up?

Jeanie seemingly made it backmost to her chamber wherever her assemblage was found.

Julie Rendelman: The humor wasn't … confined to conscionable the country wherever she was. … the humor was connected the walls, the humor was connected the comforter, the humor was connected the floor.

Julie Rendelman is simply a defence lawyer and a ineligible advisor for "48 Hours."

Julie Rendelman: It leads 1 to judge … that a conflict happened, that she was warring to prevention her ain life.

The surviving country appeared untouched. A sitcom was inactive playing connected the TV. There was nary grounds of forced entry. If Jeanie knew her killer, what could person prompted truthful overmuch violence?

Julie Rendelman: This to maine seems similar much rage … idiosyncratic who got upset … astatine the clip the transgression … was committed.

Jeanie's mother, Betty Eakman, was watching tv quality erstwhile she saw a study astir a pistillate that had been murdered.

Betty Eakman: I called my hubby astatine enactment … I said, I conscionable seen them connected the quality taking a stretcher retired of that gathering that she lives in.

Eakman soon got the quality nary parent wants to hear; the unfortunate was her eldest child.

Betty Eakman: I conscionable wanted to clasp her. (sobbing) … I couldn't judge it. (sobbing)

Erin Moriarty: What were her plans that weekend?

Betty Eakman: She went to the exigency country … she was successful truthful overmuch symptom … Jeanie ever had problems with her teeth, and I don't cognize why, truthful I said "let maine travel and get you." … No mom, halt worrying astir me.

Jeanie was dormant by Sunday afternoon. As the transgression probe continued, authorities focused connected gathering evidence: a bluish washcloth, a reddish T-shirt, a bath towel, humor scrapings from the sink, on with a comforter were collected and taken for DNA testing. Investigators observed dishes successful the room descend and a weapon successful the drying rack.

Erin Moriarty: Did you instrumentality that weapon in?

Bart Epstein: I did not instrumentality that weapon in. I looked astatine it and determination was nary evident humor connected it. … we ne'er recovered any, uh, existent limb determination … that, uh, was … a execution weapon.

Investigators were capable to place immoderate humor stains recovered successful the stairwell adjacent Jeanie's 21st level apartment.

Erin Moriarty: Did immoderate of the humor … beryllium to the victim?

Bart Epstein: Yes.

Erin Moriarty: Jeanie Childs? … Do you deliberation it's imaginable that the idiosyncratic who stabbed her was besides cut?

Bart Epstein: Well, it — it could be. That's wherefore we took samples.

Epstein says whoever murdered Childs unknowingly near down thing investigators seldom encounter: bloody bare footprints nether the chamber window.

Bart Epstein: That drew my attraction close distant … and close adjacent to it I spot the socked ft of … Jeanie Childs.

The footprints were dusted with achromatic pulverization astatine the transgression scene.

Erin Moriarty: When you archetypal saw these, you said, due to the fact that she's wearing socks, this — these beryllium to the killer.

Bart Epstein: Yeah, that would beryllium my feeling … that's astir apt the perpetrator's footprint. … If there's friction ridge connected the feet … similar the friction ridge connected your fingers, there's imaginable to place the person's ft that made that … that was very, precise significant.

Betty Eakman: I knew that God was gonna marque definite that I was gonna cognize what happened.

WHO WAS JEANIE CHILDS?

Cindy Blumer remembers the heavy nonaccomplishment she felt aft the execution of her large sister Jeanie.

Cindy Blumer: A batch of sadness erstwhile you wanted to prime up the telephone and telephone your sister … I needed my sister. I wanted to speech to her … wondering what really took place. … who did this?

Although her sister was 12 years older, Jeanie's playful tone made an content connected Cindy increasing up.

Cindy Blumer: Lionel Richie was 1 of her favorites and arsenic soon arsenic she would perceive him play, I mean, her fingers would commencement snapping and … she would creation around.

Jeanie Childs, Betty Eakman and Cindy Blumer

But those bully times were fewer and acold between. Betty Eakman says she archetypal noticed a alteration successful her eldest girl erstwhile she was a preteen.

Betty Eakman: She benignant of mislaid her mode erstwhile she was astir apt astir 12, 13.

Eakman says it wasn't until decades aboriginal that Jeanie claimed she had been abused by a antheral relative. Jeanie started moving distant from home.

Betty Eakman: I took my beingness successful my ain hands galore a times to way her down … I could person been killed … but I had my Great Dane and a gun.

Erin Moriarty: Would you sometimes find her?

Betty Eakman: Oh, yea … erstwhile she would travel home, she was similar a feline connected a blistery tin roof. She was truthful antsy. She couldn't enactment precise long.

As the clip passed, she feared her girl was utilizing drugs and soon learned however Jeanie was making ends meet.

Erin Moriarty: And what did your girl do?

Betty Eakman: Prostitution … I conscionable hoped and prayed that she would stop.

At 1 point, it seemed she settled down agelong capable to get married, but her household says it didn't past long. Soon after, she joined again to a antheral with children and Jeanie became a stepmom.

Betty Eakman: And they depended connected her. She was the lone parent they truly knew.

Even erstwhile Jeanie divided with their father, she remained successful the children's lives.

Cindy Blumer: If they needed anything, they knew however to get ahold of her. … She was truly bully that way.

At the clip of her murder, she was surviving with a antheral named Arthur Gray astatine that flat complex. After Jeanie's murder, helium became a idiosyncratic of interest.

Retired FBI cause Chris Boeckers would aboriginal articulation the investigation.

Chris Boeckers: Investigators instantly looked astatine whether Arthur Gray was progressive successful the murder.

According to constabulary reports, Jeanie—who was a enactment worker—claimed she worked for Gray, and determination was a past of unit betwixt them. At the transgression scene, authorities recovered hairs stuck to Jeanie's near manus and 1 of those hairs matched Gray. But Boeckers says the lawsuit against Gray started to autumn isolated beauteous quickly.

Chris Boeckers: Arthur Gray arsenic a nonmigratory of that apartment, it makes consciousness that his hairs would beryllium passim the bedroom.

And Arthur Gray said helium wasn't adjacent successful municipality — but connected a motorcycle travel successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the play Jeanie was murdered.

Chris Boeckers: He had a truly coagulated alibi that helium was retired of municipality that play that was corroborated by others.

Authorities compared the chartless bloody footprints successful the flat to Gray's footprints and determined they weren't his.

Erin Moriarty: Do you cognize however galore different imaginable suspects, persons of involvement whose footprints were compared to those near successful Jeanie's apartment?

Chris Boeckers: There were aggregate radical whose footprints were compared to the footprints that were near successful Jeanie's apartment. … You could spot that successful the lawsuit record that a batch of effort was enactment in, attempting to lick Jeanie's case.

According to the lawsuit file, connected the time of the murder, a witnesser successful the flat gathering told constabulary she saw Jeanie with a gangly blond antheral wearing a trench coat.

Chris Boeckers: We had nary mode to way down who that whitethorn oregon whitethorn not person been.

Investigators ne'er recovered the man. Despite efforts to find Jeanie's killer, the lawsuit slowed to a crawl. Months turned into years and past decades.

Erin Moriarty: How often would you telephone the constabulary trying to get an update to find retired if they had thing caller connected this case?

Betty Eakman: Many times arsenic I could, but I ne'er fto a twelvemonth spell by without reminding them.

In 2015, the Minneapolis Police Department began digging deeper into unsolved cases and Jeanie Childs' execution was 1 of them. Jeanie's household had nary idea, but investigators were hoping subject would assistance them lick the case.

Chris Boeckers: Technology is truthful overmuch much refined and rigorous than it was successful 1993.

Boeckers says they discovered that a humor sample, recovered adjacent Jeanie's humor successful the stairwell of her flat building, had matched to a antheral named John Esswein. In 2015, investigators interviewed Esswein who was successful situation for violating probation connected a drunk driving offense.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: Do you person immoderate thought wherefore your DNA would beryllium successful that building, your humor would beryllium successful that building?

JOHN ESSWEIN: No.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: OK.

JOHN ESSWEIN: My humor was successful that building?

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: Yeah.

JOHN ESSWEIN: If you recovered my humor somewhere, each I tin deliberation of is that I – I indispensable person fallen down determination …

Esswein told investigators helium was successful the gathering erstwhile successful 1991, 2 years earlier Jeanie's murder.

Chris Boeckers: He … easy volunteered his DNA. He also, uh, allowed himself his footprints to beryllium taken … past his footprints were compared to the ft — bloody footprints successful Jeanie's bedroom.

According to a laboratory report, the footprints were inconclusive, and Esswein's DNA was not recovered wrong Jeanie's apartment. The enigma lone deepened. Investigators knew from the lawsuit record that determination were DNA profiles discovered astatine the transgression country that had ne'er matched to anyone.

Jeanie Childs transgression country grounds

Andrea Feia, a forensic idiosyncratic with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, performed further investigating connected the grounds that was collected backmost successful 1993 and she noticed thing antithetic astir 1 of the chartless DNA profiles.

Andrea Feia: … that DNA illustration … repeated itself passim the transgression country …

Erin Moriarty: It was connected the comforter. It was connected the bluish towel. It was recovered connected the bluish washcloth and the reddish T-shirt.

Andrea Feia: Correct.

Erin Moriarty: And connected the sink.

Andrea Feia: Yes … Those were the lone areas that we tested … that ended up matching each other, essentially.

Investigators past turned to investigative familial genealogy for answers. The chartless DNA illustration was submitted to genealogy websites, including MyHeritage.com.

Chris Boeckers: The forensic genealogist … had indicated that … she had a … lucifer … to perchance 2 brothers present successful Minnesota.

And 1 of the brothers was a antheral named Jerry Westrom.

HOCKEY DAD BECOMES PRIME SUSPECT

More than 25 years aft Jeanie Childs was murdered, chartless DNA astatine the transgression country was matched to 52-year-old Jerry Westrom.

Erin Moriarty: What did you cognize astir him?

Chris Boeckers: He was surviving northbound of Minneapolis-St. Paul … that helium was … working for a institution up successful the St. Cloud, Minnesota, country … he'd been a businessman.

Retired FBI cause Chris Boeckers says the joined begetter of 3 wasn't hard to find.

Chris Boeckers: … had a Facebook relationship that we could follow, helium was starring a seemingly… mean household life.

Westrom had grown up successful agrarian Minnesota.

Wayne Triplett: He and I were connected a 4-H travel erstwhile we were 14 to Washington D.C.

Wayne Triplett and Jerry Westrom were workplace kids. They aboriginal became assemblage buddies and erstwhile Wayne got married.

Wayne Triplett: He was 1 of the groomsmen successful our wedding.

Erin Moriarty: That means helium was a bully person of yours.

Wayne Triplett: Yes, that's existent … He got on good with a batch of people, precise low-key man … easy tin marque friends with people.

Westrom and his household were good respected successful Isanti, Minnesota, astir 40 miles distant from Minneapolis. They owned a Sears store, and successful the twelvemonth 2000, Westrom built his ain tract of dreams – a convenience store and state presumption known arsenic Westrom's Corner. But successful 2008, the turbulent system took it each away.

Erin Moriarty: Was that pugnacious connected him to suffer Westrom's Corner —

Wayne Triplett: I deliberation it was pugnacious connected him. It'd beryllium pugnacious connected anybody.

Westrom returned to his roots. He began raising integrated maize and soybeans and cultivating a concern selling harvest insurance.

Wayne Triplett: He's a precise bully salesperson … helium understands the request to capable the need. He understands however to pass … and radical person to beryllium comfy with you to adjacent connected business.

Triplett ne'er imagined that the even-tempered person he's known since their teenage years would go the premier fishy successful a convulsive execution case.

Erin Moriarty: Did helium person past of convulsive crimes?

Chris Boeckers: No evident transgression past involving convulsive crime.

Erin Moriarty: Jeanie was stabbed implicit 60 times and here's this man ... nary past of violence, and this is the feline who mightiness person killed her?

Chris Boeckers: Well, it … gave immoderate intermission that … that level of unit and that benignant of crime, we benignant of expected it would beryllium idiosyncratic that possibly had been arrested aggregate times … truthful yes, that does springiness a small pause.

Investigators were anxious to corroborate that the chartless transgression country DNA was so Jerry Westrom's, but to bash that they needed to way him down.

Chris Boeckers: We needed to get DNA from Jerry successful bid to comparison it to the chartless DNA from the scene.

Forensic idiosyncratic Andrea Feia.

Erin Moriarty: And what did you archer them would beryllium the champion DNA if they could get it?

Andrea Feia: Best DNA is thing that has been successful a person's mouth. Like if they drank retired of a drinking container, a straw, if they spit retired chewing gum, thing that could person saliva connected it.

Erin Moriarty: Why is saliva the ideal? Why did you accidental get thing that had touched his mouth?

Andrea Feia: There's a batch of DNA successful saliva.

Westrom, a devoted hockey dad, often attended his daughter's assemblage games. In January 2019, Westrom traveled to a crippled successful Wisconsin. Agent Boeckers, on with his partner, surreptitiously followed him there.

Chris Boeckers: Westrom went retired to the lobby concession basal and made a nutrient order. We watched him beryllium astatine the array and devour his order. And erstwhile helium finished, helium took a napkin, and helium wiped his mouth.

Westrom tossed that napkin and nutrient instrumentality successful the garbage can, and erstwhile helium returned to the rink, Boeckers made his move.

Chris Boeckers: I was gloved … I conscionable reached down and got the instrumentality and … we bagged it up for evidence.

Andrea Feia: I tested and got a DNA illustration from the napkin and compared it to the unidentified illustration connected the comforter and the bluish towel.

Erin Moriarty: And what was the result?

Andrea Feia: They were accordant with each other.

A period later, successful February 2019, Jerry Westrom was arrested and charged with the execution of Jeanie Childs.

Erin Moriarty: As you beryllium present close present Wayne, bash you judge that Jerry Westrom is the 1 who killed Jeanie Childs?

Wayne Triplett: Definite no.

Erin Moriarty: Definite no?

Wayne Triplett: Definite no. Not a chance.

In a videotaped interrogation astatine the jail, Agent Boeckers and his spouse questioned Westrom.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: Does this woman look acquainted to you astatine all?

JERRY WESTROM (shaking head): Mm mm.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: OK. Her sanction is Jeanie Childs.

JERRY WESTROM: OK.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: And she was recovered successful her gathering successful her flat deceased. Do you cognize thing astir that astatine all?

JERRY WESTROM: No.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: Do you deliberation you would've ever had enactment with her?

JERRY WESTROM: I uncertainty it.

SGT. CHRIS KARAKOSTAS: In '93 would you person been with a prostitute?

JERRY WESTROM: No. No.

WCCO-TV elder investigative newsman Jennifer Mayerle.

Jennifer Mayerle: …he doesn't springiness overmuch successful the interview, but what helium doesn't say, astir says more.

Erin Moriarty: What bash you mean?

Jennifer Mayerle: He doesn't inquire immoderate questions astir what happened, astir wherefore he's there, astir wherefore they're looking astatine him.

Jerry Westrom had nary past of convulsive crime, but it seems helium had been keeping a fewer secrets from his friends. Westrom had told Triplett astir 2 DWI arrests, but ne'er shared he'd been arrested doubly for soliciting enactment workers.

Erin Moriarty: You didn't cognize anything?

Wayne Triplett: No.

Erin Moriarty: What was your reaction?

Wayne Triplett: It was hard to recognize … That's the … hard pill to swallow, meaning however does a idiosyncratic with a bully household and a loving woman person the request for solicitation? What's going connected there?

Investigators questioned Westrom for 11 minutes until helium asked for a lawyer. He was past handcuffed and spent the nighttime successful jail.

Chris Boeckers: And the pursuing greeting we went to the jailhouse with Minneapolis Crime laboratory personnel, and they obtained … his footprints.

"48 Hours" ineligible advisor Julie Rendelman says the footprints were important due to the fact that Westrom's DNA was not the lone DNA recovered there.

Julie Rendelman: DNA that was recovered was from aggregate individuals … If you don't person thing else, that successful and of itself does not found beyond a tenable uncertainty that … Jerry Westrom is the idiosyncratic that committed this crime.

WERE THE FOOTPRINTS JERRY WESTROM'S?

For much than 25 years, Betty Eakman had prayed for a interruption successful her daughter's unsolved execution case. In February 2019, her prayers were answered.

Betty Eakman: I got a telephone call, and helium said … "I'm the detective that worked connected your daughter's case" … and I said, "OK, what's going on?" "We recovered him" … And I — I had —got goosebumps each implicit maine and I said, "are you sure?" …He said "yes, we got him."

But erstwhile Cindy Blumer learned the sanction of the fishy successful her sister's murder, she had occupation believing it.

Cindy Blumer: I said nary way, nary way.

Jerry Westrom was a acquainted look who lived successful their municipality of Isanti, Minnesota.

Cindy Blumer: I'd seen Jerry due to the fact that our boys played hockey. … He's tall. He benignant of stands retired … helium besides owned the concern — the state station.

The hockey dada and section businessman was present charged with murder. Westrom was aboriginal indicted by a expansive assemblage and pleaded not guilty.

Westrom's DNA, according to forensic idiosyncratic Andrea Feia, recovered connected the comforter and towel successful the bathroom, was identified arsenic semen. But she says her squad couldn't find the benignant of DNA that she says Westrom near connected the reddish T-shirt, the bath descend and the washcloth.

Erin Moriarty: You can't accidental definitively that his humor oregon immoderate different benignant of DNA was recovered astatine the scene. You cognize it's his DNA, but you don't cognize what kind. Is that correct?

Andrea Feia: Correct. I don't however it was deposited, essentially.

Wayne Triplett: You accidental DNA to the wide Joe Q Public, good that's a slam dunk.

Wayne Triplett, however, has questions astir however and erstwhile the DNA was near there.

Wayne Triplett: There's nary timestamp connected DNA.

Despite advances successful DNA technology, there's nary mode to cognize however agelong Westrom's DNA had been there. And Triplett says the grounds lone suggests 1 thing.

Wayne Triplett: … that conscionable doesn't mysteriously amusement up. He had to beryllium there.

Erin Moriarty: So, you deliberation helium astir apt was successful that flat astatine immoderate point?

Wayne Triplett: …you know, you can't tally from that evidence. He had to person been there. Don't get determination by accident.

Erin Moriarty: You don't judge helium was determination the time that Jeanie Childs was murdered?

Wayne Triplett: I — I don't.

"48 Hours" ineligible advisor Julie Rendelman says the grounds successful this lawsuit does rise questions. According to laboratory reports, determination was different DNA from semen discovered connected Jeanie's purple panties that does not lucifer Westrom. Whose DNA it is remains, adjacent today, a mystery. And that wasn't all.

Julie Rendelman:There was DNA from different individuals … that did not beryllium to Jerry Westrom, but intelligibly belonged to a antheral source.

Rendelman points to that DNA recovered successful the stairwell adjacent to humor stains identified arsenic belonging to Jeanie Childs.

Julie Rendelman: Jerry Westrom's DNA is not successful the stairwell, but we cognize that there's astatine slightest 1 different person, whose DNA humor is recovered successful that stairwell.

Remember, that stairwell DNA matched John Esswein. When investigators interviewed him, helium couldn't callback however his humor ended up successful the stairwell not acold from Jeanie Childs' flat connected the 21st floor.

Julie Rendelman: …his answers were a spot peculiar I — I recovered … and the crushed I accidental that I due to the fact that helium really describes being determination 1 time.

Erin Moriarty: And wherefore does that fuss you?

Julie Rendelman: So, it bothers maine due to the fact that however the heck … would helium retrieve … erstwhile helium is interviewed each these years aboriginal that helium was determination but lone once. And the 1 clip helium says helium was determination was years earlier the murder? It just, it felt a spot convenient.

"48 Hours" reached retired to Esswein for comment, but helium didn't respond. He has ne'er been charged successful this case.

Rendelman besides points retired that earlier Jerry Westrom's DNA was identified astatine the transgression scene, authorities had discovered a substance of DNA types connected the comforter. According to a 2012 laboratory report, a antheral named James Luther Carlton couldn't beryllium excluded arsenic 1 of the contributors.

Julie Rendelman: ...we cognize this is an idiosyncratic that had committed aggregate enactment crimes successful the past…

And what makes Carlton truthful significant?

A small much than a twelvemonth aft Jeanie Childs' execution successful July 1994, Jody Dover, a 26-year-old infirmary worker, was stabbed to decease successful her Minneapolis apartment. Jody's execution was eerily akin to Jeanie's murder. Jody's slayer had besides near down bloody footprints.

Authorities arrested Carlton and determined a footprint recovered wrong Jody Dover's flat belonged to him. He was convicted of her execution successful 1995 and is serving a beingness sentence. "48 Hours" can't corroborate if helium was ever questioned astir the clip of Jeanie Childs' murder. We reached retired to Carlton. He declined our interrogation request.

Carlton's transgression past was a reddish emblem for Westrom's defence team. Attorney Steven Meshbesher told CBS presumption WCCO that it was a unreserved to judgement successful this case.

Steven Meshbesher: You request to bash the probe first, find retired what the facts are, find retired what the grounds is, and past find the charge. Now they are charging it first.

Were the footprints Jerry Westrom's? As some sides prepared for proceedings it became wide that it would each travel down to this unsocial evidence.

Mark Ulrick: In Minnesota here, radical are not committing crimes a batch of times with the socks and shoes off.

Mark Ulrick, a supervisor with the Minneapolis Police Forensic Division, examined the footprints. He says helium focused connected the friction ridge tegument — the statement of ridges and furrows — unsocial to each person.

Mark Ulrick: Friction ridge tegument is recovered connected … your fingers, your palms, and the soles of your feet.

Defense attorneys hired their ain forensic scientist, Alicia McCarthy, a prof astatine Thomas College successful Waterville, Maine to analyse the bloody footprints for them.

Erin Moriarty: You telephone this lawsuit a beast?

Alicia McCarthy: It was a beast. It was decidedly precise challenging.

WHAT CONCLUSIONS WOULD THE EXPERTS REACH?

Was Jerry Westrom conscionable a lawsuit who had near his DNA successful Jeanie Childs' flat previously, oregon was helium the 1 who stabbed her to decease much than 60 times? Investigators believed the bloody footprints recovered successful her flat would supply the answer.

Mark Ulrick, astatine the Minneapolis Police lab, was tasked with comparing the transgression country prints to Westrom. He determined that 4 of the 7 prints were suitable for comparison.

One of them, helium says, revealed the content of a near foot; helium labeled the bottommost E1 and an country beneath the large toed arsenic E2. When Ulrick analyzed it, this was his conclusion.

Mark Ulrick: E1 and E2 were identified to Mr. Jerry Westrom.

And helium says determination was more.

Erin Moriarty (pointing to photograph of marked footprints): This one, B?

Mark Ulrick: That 1 was identified. … to the close ft of Mr. Jerry Westrom.

Ulrick believed that each 4 prints -- E1, E2, B and different near footprint helium labeled D1 -- belonged to Westrom.

As the proceedings day approached, forensic idiosyncratic Alicia McCarthy, who had been hired by the defense, was asked to verify Ulrick's work.

Alicia McCarthy: They wanted maine to travel successful and look and treble cheque the enactment that was done by the Minneapolis lab.

McCarthy believed that lone the people labeled E2 -- the country beneath the near large toed -- was suitable for comparison.

During her investigation she began comparing E2 to the footprints of alternate suspects and didn't get anywhere.

Alicia McCarthy: I was benignant of successful limbo for astir a twelvemonth wherever I was comparing to different people. And past I said, I'm inconclusive. I can't accidental it's these radical … I can't accidental it's not these people.

McCarthy showed america what unsocial characteristics she was looking for.

Alicia McCarthy (looking astatine footprints connected the computer) We person what we telephone a recurve.

Erin Moriarty (points to photo): This?

Alicia McCarthy: Yes, it comes down and recurves backmost up and … for a friction ridge examiner that's beauteous exciting.

When she compared E2 to Jerry's Westrom's footprints, she followed the curves and yet --

Erin Moriarty: And who bash you judge near that footprint … astatine the transgression scene.

Alicia McCarthy: That was Jerry Westrom's near foot.

Erin Moriarty: And you're definite of that?

Alicia McCarthy: Positive.

McCarthy agreed with Mark Ulrick -- E2, the tiny country beneath the near large toe, had been placed determination by Jerry Westrom. But she disagreed with Ulrick connected the different 3 footprints.

Alicia McCarthy: I went done and did the comparisons, um, that Mark had made identifications with, I didn't hold with him.

She believed those 3 prints didn't person capable detail.

Alicia McCarthy: … determination wasn't capable for that precise precocious threshold to accidental successful recognition and spell to tribunal successful beforehand of a assemblage and archer them that this content belongs to Jerry Westrom …

Mark Ulrick: That's her decision, I person nary qualms astir what she did. I conscionable cognize the prime of my enactment and I cognize what I basal by.

When McCarthy determined E2 belonged to Westrom, she was instantly released by his defence team. Both experts would past attest for the prosecution.

In August 2022, Jerry Westrom went connected proceedings for Jeanie Childs' murder. He had been retired connected bond. The justice ruled determination would beryllium nary cameras successful the courtroom. "48 Hours" asked Westrom and his household for connected camera interviews, but they declined.

Jennifer Mayerle covered the proceedings for WCCO.

Jennifer Mayerle: Jerry's woman and 3 kids were determination for astir of the trial. … Jerry and his woman would locomotion into the Hennepin County Government Center holding hands

In the courtroom, prosecutors painted a antithetic picture. They said the grounds points to Jerry Westrom arsenic the killer. The bloody footprints, combined with his DNA is proof, they said, that helium was successful her flat erstwhile she was murdered.

Jennifer Mayerle: The bloody footprint enactment a timestamp of erstwhile the slayer was there.

But the defence tried to poke holes successful the footprint evidence. They besides called that witnesser who had told constabulary she saw Jeanie Childs with a blond antheral wearing a trench overgarment the time she was murdered. And, she said she saw the aforesaid antheral aboriginal moving down the stairwell without a coat.

Julie Rendelman: Jerry Westrom has acheronian hair. There's nary grounds helium ever had blonde hairsbreadth oregon thing similar that.

The defence besides named Arthur Gray, who died successful 2012, arsenic an alternate suspect. Jeanie had accused him of home abuse.

Julie Rendelman: And past erstwhile you enactment the hairsbreadth … of Arthur Gray successful her manus … it starts to go much significant.

The defense, who declined "48 Hours"' petition for an interview, was dealt a stroke erstwhile they couldn't present James Luther Carlton and John Esswein arsenic alternate suspects. The justice ruled determination wasn't capable grounds against either antheral and prosecutors cleared them both. So, the assemblage ne'er heard that adept investigation of their footprints had been inconclusive.

Julie Rendelman: I deliberation it was incredibly damaging to the defense's case.

Prosecutors declined our petition for an interview. Jerry Westrom did not attest and aft 8 days the assemblage rapidly reached a verdict: guilty.

Julie Rendelman: The assemblage came backmost rather rapidly … and convicted Jerry Westrom of the apical number which was execution successful the archetypal degree. They besides recovered him blameworthy of execution successful the 2nd degree.

Prosecutors didn't contiguous a motive. Wayne Triplett says helium inactive believes his lifelong person is guiltless and says that some families person paid a unspeakable price.

Wayne Triplett: The unfortunate … didn't merit what they got … it's unspeakable … and present Jerry's paying for that … but it's not Jerry.

On Sept. 9, 2022, Westrom was sentenced to beingness successful situation for the execution of Jeanie Childs.

STEVEN MESHBESHER (in court): As we've said successful the opening and we're saying now, you've got the incorrect guy. We are atrocious for the nonaccomplishment of Jeanie Childs' life.

Jeanie's parent Betty, believes justness has been served and that the close antheral is down bars, but her grief volition ever beryllium there. She poured her bosom retired successful a missive -- a emotion missive she ne'er got to send.

Betty Eakman (reading letter): My emptiness volition ne'er spell distant since you were taken that fatal day. … it wasn't just you had to die. I ne'er got to accidental goodbye. I emotion you and miss you truthful much. Love and peace, Mom

The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed Jerry Westrom's second-degree execution condemnation but upheld the condemnation for first-degree murder.

Westrom filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court. It was denied.

Produced by Marcelena Spencer and Jordan Kinsey. Rebecca Laflam is the subordinate producer. Stephen A. McCain is the improvement producer. Marlon Disla, Phil Tangel and Greg Kaplan are the editors. Lourdes Aguiar is the elder producer. Nancy Kramer is the enforcement communicative editor. Judy Tygard is the enforcement producer.

Erin Moriarty

Erin Moriarty is simply a "48 Hours" analogous and big of the true-crime podcast, "My Life of Crime."

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