Minneapolis, MN

Rare clue at Minneapolis crime scene points to a barefoot killer

Published

10 months ago

May 16, 2025

Rare clue at Minneapolis crime scene points to a barefoot killer

It was a grisly scene when police arrived at a Minneapolis apartment complex on June 13, 1993, to investigate the murder of 35-year-old Jeanie Childs. Her body was found partially under her bed, her bedroom was in disarray, and there was blood spatter across the walls and floor. Childs had been stabbed more than 60 times. As investigators tried to piece together what unfolded, they found a rare clue in the bedroom: bloody, bare footprints.

“That drew my attention right away … I mean, wow,” Bart Epstein, a retired forensic scientist, told “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty in “The Footprint,” airing May 17 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. “You don’t see this at crime scenes in general, bare feet that have stepped in blood,” said Epstein.

Pivotal clue at crime scene helps investigators crack open cold case

03:58

Investigators knew the footprints had to belong to Childs’ killer because she was wearing socks at the time of her death. Those footprints had to have been left there after the perpetrator stepped in her wet blood after the murder. Investigators documented and photographed the footprints.

“So the footprints, beyond being something that would tend to show guilt, also was important to show to clear people who might have been under any suspicion,” said retired FBI agent Chris Boeckers, who would later join the investigation.

According to the case file, investigators compared the footprints left at the crime scene to multiple people, including a man named Arthur Gray, whom Childs lived with at the time of her murder. According to police reports, authorities found hairs stuck to Childs’ left hand and one of those hairs matched Gray.

But Boeckers says the case against Gray started to fall apart pretty quickly. “He had a really solid alibi that he was out of town that weekend that was corroborated by others.” Gray, who enjoyed riding motorcycles, told authorities he was in Milwaukee. Forensic scientists also examined Gray’s footprints and determined he did not leave those footprints at the crime scene.

Would the bloody bare footprints finally lead to Jeanie Childs’ killer?

Hennepin County District Court

Days turned into years and then decades without finding the individual who left those footprints. In 2015, forensic scientist Andrea Feia, who was asked to do DNA testing on items collected at the crime scene, determined there was an unknown DNA profile that kept repeating itself. It was found on the comforter, a towel, a washcloth, a T-shirt and on the bathroom sink.

Investigators then turned to investigative genetic genealogy for answers. A forensic genealogist submitted the unknown DNA profile to genealogy websites. “The forensic genealogist indicated she had a match to potentially two brothers here in Minnesota,” Boeckers said. One of those brothers was businessman and hockey dad Jerry Westrom.

Investigators were anxious to confirm that the unknown crime scene DNA was indeed Westrom’s, but to do that, they needed to track him down. In January 2019, investigators followed Westrom to his daughter’s college hockey game in Wisconsin and obtained a napkin and food container he had used after eating at the arena. They took the items to the lab for testing and the results revealed there was a match.

DNA linked Jerry Westrom to Jeanie Childs’ apartment, but he denied killing her.

Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office

The following month, in February 2019, Westrom was arrested for the murder of Childs. During his police interview, Westrom denied being at the apartment and knowing Childs. The next day, authorities collected his footprints for comparison.

Although Westrom’s DNA was at the scene, it was important to confirm the footprints belonged to him because there was other male DNA found at Childs’ apartment that did not belong to Westrom.

Mark Ulrick, a supervisor with the Minneapolis Police Forensic Division, examined the footprints. “In Minnesota here, people are not committing crimes a lot of times with the socks and shoes off,” he told “48 Hours.” He says he focused on the friction ridge skin — the arrangement of ridges and furrows — unique to every person. “Friction ridge skin is found on … your fingers, your palms, and the soles of your feet,” Ulrick explained. During his examination, he compared the unknown footprints to Westrom’s prints and to those of alternate suspects.

Westrom’s defense team hired its own forensic scientist, Alicia McCarthy, to verify Ulrick’s work. What would the experts conclude about the footprints? Watch “The Footprint” Saturday, May 17 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

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Minneapolis, MN

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

Published

8 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Family of Minneapolis brothers killed by cousin says their deaths were preventable:

A Minneapolis family is struggling to make sense of a tragedy that has left them heartbroken.

Family tells WCCO 14-year-old Xavier Barnett and 23-year-old Akwame Stewart were killed Monday.

The brothers were very different, but equally loved. Barnett was a good student and athlete. Stewart was a painter, creative and thoughtful. Two brothers, loved and full of promise, gone.

Police say the accused shooter is their cousin, 23-year-old Eddie Duncan.

Court records show Duncan was released on bail Monday on charges of fleeing law enforcement and possession of a gun modified with an “auto sear switch.”

Court records also show Duncan was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation, but not until next month, on March 24.

Deasia Freeman, Barnett and Stewart’s sister, says this loss could have been prevented.

“They all failed us. We got two innocent lives gone for no reason. Didn’t do nothing to nobody,” Freeman said.

Family members say the system and Duncan’s family let them down.

Freeman says Duncan’s family saw the warning signs and still bailed him out

“If you knew this man was thinking like this, y’all should have kept him in there and he should not even have bail,” she said.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office says they noted Duncan was a public safety risk and asked for a high bail, much higher than a typical request.

“In Minnesota, there is a constitutional right to bail, and the bail amount is set by the Court. Our office noted a public safety risk with Mr. Duncan and asked the judge to set bail at $70,000, or $35,000 with conditions; both of which are higher than we would typically request in this scenario. The judge set bail in that amount. Mr. Duncan posted $35,000 bail with conditions of release, as is allowed under the Minnesota Constitution, and was released from custody. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by yesterday’s violence. This was a terrible tragedy for this family and our community,” a spokesperson for the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said.

For Freeman and her family, the hardest part isn’t just the legal process but living each day without their brothers.

Even in the heartbreak, she says the memories of the good days, the laughter and love they shared will carry them through.

“I wish I could get just one more phone call from them asking me where I’m at,” Freeman said as tears rolled down her face.

Court records confirm Duncan left the scene of the crime and fled to nearby Brooklyn Center. There, a search warrant says Duncan “fired a gun at officers, striking two squads,” when police arrived. That’s when officers returned fire, shooting and killing him.

Three officers have been placed on critical incident leave as the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension leads the investigation into Duncan’s fatal shooting.

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Minneapolis, MN

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

Published

20 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

First-of-Its-Kind Photography Festival Comes to Minneapolis | Minnesota Monthly

MODE by Flickr

The Twin Cities has long been a hotbed of creative inspiration and artistic storytelling—from world-class cultural institutions to large-scale art and film festivals that propel emerging makers and creators into the spotlight. But, for the first time, local photographers are primed to receive a multi-day that is uniquely their own—geared toward all things visual, digital, and candid.

Today, global photo-sharing platform Flickr announced the launch of MODE by Flickr, a three-day photography festival set to take place Sept. 18-20—right in the heart of Minneapolis. A first-of-its-kind event, the inaugural lineup will gather some of the biggest names inartvisual media, from Emmy-nominated director and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski to renowned culinary photographer Penny De Los Santos, as well as sponsorship support from global media companies including Fujifilm, HOVERAir, and more.

Whether attendees are coming to network, learn, or simply, admire, MODE will feature a variety of welcoming spaces designed to foster a dynamic exchange of creative energy. Expect immersive workshops led by industry legends, hands-on demonstrations, mind-expanding exhibitions, and special programming designed by Black Women Photographers’ Polly Irungu and Inside Out Project.

“MODE is photography in motion—alive, interactive, and deeply rooted in community,” said Ben MacAskill in a prepared statement, President and COO at SmugMug and Flickr. “For more than 20 years, Flickr has brought the world’s photographers together online. Now, we’re bringing that spirit away from devices and connecting in the real world with a festival built for creativity and the future of photography and visual arts.”

Designed around seven thematic pillars, MODE aims to bring the full spectrum of photography to life—uniting world-shifting storytelling, emerging tools, business insights, motion-driven media, cultural diversity, analog processes, and environmental responsibility. These seven pillars will float through each diverse experience, from live portrait shoots, tech demos, and editing workshops to photojournalism panels, film screenings, and instant-film activations.

Flickr’s choice of Minneapolis as its launchpad feels telling of an overarching alignment of values—the city a mirror for MODE’s core mission of celebrating creativity and community while prioritizing diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. To support this mission, the festival will be equipped with accessible venues, thoughtful sustainability measures, diverse programming, and a careful artist selection process that prioritizes representation and artistic vision.

Tickets are available now, starting at $300 for Flickr Pro members, and between $330 and $660 for general admission and VIP passes. For more information on ticketing, and updated programming announcements, visit modefestival.com.

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Minneapolis, MN

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

LETTER: Minnesota and Minneapolis created the ICE mess

In response to Tom McDonough’s recent letter regarding ICE in Minneapolis and the impending doom that could be coming our way from operation “Metro Surge,” I offer a different perspective.

I was born, raised and lived in the great state of Minnesota for many years. Fortunately, I was raised outside of the metropolitan area in a very conservative, rural setting. It was far away from the Twin Cities cesspool that exists amongst the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

I travel home to see family and friends often. Prior to 2020, flying into Minneapolis and taking light rail was comfortable, easy, safe and convenient. However, after COVID, the George Floyd riots and now the Metro Surge fiasco, I will no longer feel safe in Minneapolis. I pretty much despise travelling to my home state any longer.

The state of Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis created this mess, and they now are trying to blame the U.S. government for it all. Venture outside of the Twin Cities area and you will find that most of the rural folks see it for what it is and are waiting for accountability and change. They don’t believe the hype, finger-pointing and misinformation from afar. Nor do I.

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