Suvechha Sarkar
On June 13, 1993, the tragic homicide of 35-year-old Jeanne Ann Childs, lovingly known as Jeanie, sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The investigation into the case initially stalled as authorities were unable to find any leads for over two decades before detectives used genetic genealogy and forensic evidence to identify Jerry Arnold Westrom as the killer. The case comes into focus on CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Footprint.’ It includes in-depth interviews with Jeanie’s loved ones and the law enforcement officials who helped bring the killer to justice.
Jerry Westrom’s Past Included Minor Offenses Before He Was Linked to Jeanie Childs’ Murder
Jerry Arnold Westrom was born on May 16, 1966, and grew up in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. He graduated from the UMN Carlson School of Management with a degree in Business and Economics in 1989. In 2000, he opened Westrom’s Corner, a convenience store and gas station, but it closed in 2008 due to the turbulent economy. Reports state that he and his family eventually opened a Sears store. Around the same time, Jerry began raising organic soybeans and corn. In October 2012, he started working as a Risk Management Specialist for Crop Revenue Management, Inc.
By 2019, Jerry had been married to Elizabeth Westrom and welcomed three children into their lives. Jerry and his family settled in Isanti, Minnesota. Court records state that Jerry was arrested twice for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), but it remains unclear if he was ever convicted of those charges. Furthermore, he was arrested for soliciting prostitution in Minnesota and was later convicted of the charge. Beyond his minor criminal history, he came under scrutiny in January 2019, when forensic experts were working on the homicide of Jeanne Ann “Jeanie” Childs. She was found dead from multiple stab wounds in her apartment in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 13, 1993.
A DNA Breakthrough and Footprint Match Connected Jerry Westrom to the Murder
Reports state that during the inspection of Jeanie’s apartment in 1993, forensic experts collected a comforter, a blue washcloth, a bath towel, a red t-shirt, and bloody footprint evidence from the crime scene. When the case was reopened in 2015, forensic experts recovered DNA from items collected at the scene and used genetic genealogy to identify a possible suspect. It led authorities to two brothers, including Jerry. According to police records, to get a definitive result, experts needed his DNA. In January 2019, officials followed him to a hockey game in Wisconsin.
At the game, investigators reportedly collected a napkin Jerry had used, and the DNA obtained from it matched the DNA recovered from the crime scene. In February 2019, he was arrested and charged with second-degree intentional murder. However, he was released shortly after posting his $500,000 bond. In June 2020, the grand jury indicted him on the charge of first-degree premeditated murder. Meanwhile, another expert determined that four of the bloody footprints from the crime scene were suitable for comparison, as per records. When they were compared with Jerry’s foot pattern, they were found to be a match.
Jerry Westrom is Incarcerated at a Minnesota Prison Facility Today
Jerry’s jury trial finally began in August 2022, during which the prosecution focused on the DNA evidence. They argued that the defendant’s DNA was found in multiple locations inside Jeanie’s apartment and highlighted the bloody footprints that matched him. The prosecution produced several witnesses, including two experts who testified that at least one of those footprints matched Jerry’s foot patterns. They further highlighted the brutality of the crime, noting that the 35-year-old was stabbed over 60 times. On the other hand, the defense challenged the reliability and interpretation of the forensic evidence. They maintained that Jerry was innocent and pointed out that authorities focused on the wrong man.
The defense claimed that other individuals were responsible for the murder. Moreover, they challenged the way investigators obtained the defendant’s DNA from the discarded napkin and argued that it violated his constitutional rights. On August 25, 2022, the jury deliberated for 2 hours and found Jerry guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years for the first-degree murder conviction on September 9, 2022. Following that, Jerry filed a direct appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court, arguing that his constitutional rights were violated when officials obtained his DNA from the napkin without a warrant.
Jerry further claimed that the trial court improperly limited evidence regarding other possible suspects. On May 8, 2024, the Supreme Court affirmed his first-degree murder conviction, but noted that the defendant could not legally be convicted of both first-degree and second-degree murder. Hence, the court vacated the second-degree murder conviction and sent the case back to the District Court to remove that particular conviction. It is essential to note that his original sentence remained intact. Jerry subsequently filed a petition seeking further review of the case with the US Supreme Court, but the court denied the petition. Currently, Jerry is serving his sentence at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
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