Shivangi Sinha
In November 2014, Pam Zimmerman’s children woke up to find she was not home. Their texts from the previous evening had not been delivered, leading them to conclude that she had never returned. A family friend, upon checking Pam’s office, discovered her shot to death behind her desk. This murder drastically changed the lives of her three young children, who lost their mother to an inexplicable tragedy. NBC’s ‘Dateline’ episode ‘Before Midnight’ delves into the list of suspects the police interviewed and answers whether the perpetrator was ever caught.
Pam Zimmerman Was Looking Forward to Her Second Marriage
Pamela S. Zimmerman was born on February 18, 1961, to James W. Smith and Barbara J. Alexander. Growing up with four siblings—Diane Gifford, Jim Smith, Eileen Milligan, and Larry Alexander—Pam was always the brightest among them. In 1979, she graduated from Maroa-Forsyth High School as valedictorian, and her parents always knew she would build a reputable career. She soon joined Eastern Illinois University, where she double-majored in Accounting and Business Management, eventually becoming a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner.
Pam steadily built a reputation in her field and founded her financial services firm. She had a long list of clients who trusted and appreciated her work. Pam also had a long and happy marriage with Kirk Zimmerman, with whom she had three children: a son, David Zimmerman, and twin daughters, Heidi and Rachel Zimmerman. The family made Bloomington, Illinois, their home. However, in 2012, Pam and Kirk’s marriage ended in divorce. Despite this, Kirk remained a consistent presence in his children’s lives, and Pam also moved on from the separation. By 2014, she was engaged to a man named Scott Baldwin and was looking forward to starting a new chapter in her life.
Pam Zimmerman Was Shot to Death in Her Office
On the evening of November 3, 2014, Pam Zimmerman’s children, who were all in high school by this time, grew worried as their mother had not returned home. They had sent her a few texts but went to sleep, hoping she would return later. On the morning of November 4, they saw that her bedroom was still empty, the bed untouched, and their texts had not been delivered. The three kids were very concerned, as their mother had never stayed out all night without informing them. They tracked her phone and found it in a random location that made no sense.
Before they could take action, Julie Koh, Pam’s friend and neighbor, knocked on the door and asked the kids where their mother was. Julie had received a call from Scott Baldwin, who had been unable to reach Pam. When Julie learned that Pam had not made it home, she told the kids to go to school and went to Pam’s office to check. Upon arriving, Julie found Ina Hess, the office manager, outside the building, and they entered together. Inside, they discovered Pam lying in a fetal position behind the front desk. Panicked, the two women immediately called the police.
The police found Pam’s body and concluded that she had been shot with a 9mm gun. She had been shot twice in the chest, once in the head, and once in the back, suggesting that the shooter had a strong intent to kill her. Pam’s wallet and phone were missing, but no other items from the office were gone. This led to the immediate launch of an official investigation into the homicide.
Pam Zimmerman’s Killer Tried to Stage the Crime Scene
Pam Zimmerman’s purse and wallet were found on the side of the road, quite far from her office. How they were placed led the police to believe someone had attempted to stage the scene. The brutality of the murder and the fact that there were no signs of forced entry made them suspect that someone close to Pam had committed the crime. They identified three primary suspects: Scott Baldwin, her fiancé; Eldon Whitlow, a client who had the last appointment with her that evening; and Kirk Zimmerman, her ex-husband.
Baldwin was called in for interrogation and claimed to be at his house on the night of the murder. An examination of his phone confirmed his alibi, although it also revealed he had been talking intimately with a couple of other women. Whitlow was similarly ruled out as a suspect after questioning, but the question of Kirk lingered. Pam’s family alleged that their relationship had turned quite bitter during and after the divorce. A close friend of Pam’s claimed that Pam had confided in her, saying that if anything happened to her, Kirk was the one who should be investigated.
Pam Zimmerman’s Killer Has Still Not Been Found
Ina Hess, the office secretary, also attested to Pam’s fears about Kirk, stating that Pam worked at the front desk when everyone else had left because she was scared. The front of the office was better lit, and Pam feared someone coming for her when she was alone. Kirk was called in for questioning, and he claimed to be at home on the night of the murder. However, when his girlfriend was asked to corroborate his alibi, she said that when she arrived at his house on November 3, no one had opened the door for her, and he had canceled their date on concise notice.
The police conducted a thorough sweep of Kirk’s car and house, discovering gunpowder residue on the gear stick. They also found that Pam had demanded $3,900 from him for child support, and when he failed to pay, she had sent a letter of intent stating she would take him to court. The prosecutors believed this provided enough motive for Kirk to commit the crime, leading to his arrest on July 22, 2015. He secured bail after a short while but was placed on house arrest. In April 2019, the trial commenced, and Kirk was found not guilty of the crime. To this day, no other arrests have been made, and Pam’s killer remains at large.
Read More: Kirk Zimmerman: Where is Pam Zimmerman’s Ex-Husband Now?
