Rare clue at Minneapolis crime scene points to a barefoot killer

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Sneak peek: The Footprint

It was a grisly country erstwhile constabulary arrived astatine a Minneapolis flat analyzable connected June 13, 1993, to analyse the execution of 35-year-old Jeanie Childs. Her assemblage was recovered partially nether her bed, her chamber was successful disarray, and determination was humor spatter crossed the walls and floor. Childs had been stabbed much than 60 times. As investigators tried to portion unneurotic what unfolded, they recovered a uncommon hint successful the bedroom: bloody, bare footprints.

"That drew my attraction close distant … I mean, wow," Bart Epstein, a retired forensic scientist, told "48 Hours" analogous Erin Moriarty successful "The Footprint," airing May 17 astatine 10/9c connected CBS and streaming connected Paramount+. "You don't spot this astatine transgression scenes successful general, bare feet that person stepped successful blood," said Epstein.

Investigators knew the footprints had to beryllium to Childs' slayer due to the fact that she was wearing socks astatine the clip of her death. Those footprints had to person been near determination aft the perpetrator stepped successful her bedewed humor aft the murder. Investigators documented and photographed the footprints.

"So the footprints, beyond being thing that would thin to amusement guilt, besides was important to amusement to wide radical who mightiness person been nether immoderate suspicion," said retired FBI cause Chris Boeckers, who would aboriginal articulation the investigation.

According to the lawsuit file, investigators compared the footprints near astatine the transgression country to aggregate people, including a antheral named Arthur Gray, whom Childs lived with astatine the clip of her murder. According to constabulary reports, authorities recovered hairs stuck to Childs' near manus and 1 of those hairs matched Gray.

But Boeckers says the lawsuit against Gray started to autumn isolated beauteous quickly. "He had a truly coagulated alibi that helium was retired of municipality that play that was corroborated by others." Gray, who enjoyed riding motorcycles, told authorities helium was successful Milwaukee. Forensic scientists besides examined Gray's footprints and determined helium did not permission those footprints astatine the transgression scene.

Days turned into years and past decades without uncovering the idiosyncratic who near those footprints. In 2015, forensic idiosyncratic Andrea Feia, who was asked to bash DNA investigating connected items collected astatine the transgression scene, determined determination was an chartless DNA illustration that kept repeating itself. It was recovered connected the comforter, a towel, a washcloth, a T-shirt and connected the bath sink.

Investigators past turned to investigative familial genealogy for answers. A forensic genealogist submitted the chartless DNA illustration to genealogy websites. "The forensic genealogist indicated she had a lucifer to perchance 2 brothers present successful Minnesota," Boeckers said. One of those brothers was businessman and hockey dada Jerry Westrom.

Investigators were anxious to corroborate that the chartless transgression country DNA was so Westrom's, but to bash that, they needed to way him down. In January 2019, investigators followed Westrom to his daughter's assemblage hockey crippled successful Wisconsin and obtained a napkin and nutrient instrumentality helium had utilized aft eating astatine the arena. They took the items to the laboratory for investigating and the results revealed determination was a match.

The pursuing month, successful February 2019, Westrom was arrested for the execution of Childs. During his constabulary interview, Westrom denied being astatine the flat and knowing Childs. The adjacent day, authorities collected his footprints for comparison.

Although Westrom's DNA was astatine the scene, it was important to corroborate the footprints belonged to him due to the fact that determination was different antheral DNA recovered astatine Childs' flat that did not beryllium to Westrom.

Mark Ulrick, a supervisor with the Minneapolis Police Forensic Division, examined the footprints. "In Minnesota here, radical are not committing crimes a batch of times with the socks and shoes off," helium told "48 Hours." He says helium focused connected the friction ridge tegument — the statement of ridges and furrows — unsocial to each person. "Friction ridge tegument is recovered connected … your fingers, your palms, and the soles of your feet," Ulrick explained. During his examination, helium compared the chartless footprints to Westrom's prints and to those of alternate suspects.

Westrom's defence squad hired its ain forensic scientist, Alicia McCarthy, to verify Ulrick's work. What would the experts reason astir the footprints? Watch "The Footprint" Saturday, May 17 astatine 10/9c connected CBS and streaming connected Paramount+.

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