Truer Crime – "Behind the Footprint: Reporting Jeanie Childs’ Story"

Podcast: Truer Crime
Host: Celisia Stanton
Guest: Jennifer Mayerly, Senior Investigative Reporter at WCCO
Date: November 17, 2025

Overview

In this in-depth episode, host Celisia Stanton interviews investigative journalist Jennifer Mayerly about the making of the acclaimed documentary "Footprint to Murder" and the complex reporting behind Jeanie Childs’ case—a brutal 1993 Minneapolis murder that remained unsolved for decades. Together, they explore the intricacies of cold case reporting, the emotional work of building trust with victims' families, advances in investigative techniques like forensic genetic genealogy, the ethics of victim representation, and the unresolved questions in cases like Jeanie's.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins and Personal Draw to the Case

• Jennifer Mayerly shares how WCCO covered Jeanie’s murder from the start (02:57). Her personal involvement began following the 2019 arrest, after decades of the family fighting for justice.

  "The moment an arrest was made is when I got involved." – Jennifer Mayerly [02:57]

• She emphasizes that the depth of Jeanie's story, beyond the details in court records, was revealed through relationships with her mother Betty and sister Cindy (04:10).

2. Humanizing the Victim

• Early reports described Jeanie by circumstance—age, profession (sex worker), location—but family painted a fuller picture:

  "She was someone that loved Lionel Richie, that loved dancing, that loved motorcycles, that loved to have fun and was smiling. And yet she was also a troubled person." – Jennifer Mayerly [04:10]

3. Reporting Process: Daily News vs. Documentary

• Initial coverage was as daily news, focusing on court hearings and gathering pieces of the investigation (05:54).

• Documentary work enabled deeper exploration—off-record interviews, building trust, visual storytelling with sensitive choices around what to show (06:55).

• Decision to make the full documentary was prompted, in part, by the family’s readiness to talk after all appeals were exhausted (08:45).

  “We realized we could build something larger and bigger and more in depth, that our audience … could dig into and really listen to and hear a different side that they had never heard before in this case." [09:13]

4. Balancing Compassion and Journalism: Navigating Gruesome Details

• The team took a victim-centered approach, keeping Jeannie at the center while ensuring rigorous coverage of investigative developments (10:48).
• Jennifer describes the decision—guided by the family’s wishes—to show more graphic aspects of the crime scene, in contrast to TV norms:

  "She was stabbed at least 65 times. ... We showed, you know, the comforter that had blood on it...because the family wanted people to know how terrible this was, like, what really happened to her." – Jennifer Mayerly [11:48]

5. Alternative Suspects and Footprint Analysis

• The defense sought to present five alternative suspects. Only Jeanie’s boyfriend at the time, Arthur Gray, was allowed as a plausible alternative—others lacked sufficient evidence (15:59).

• Detailed discussion on the critical role of footprint analysis:

  “That’s the key in this case ... Two experts found that at least one footprint found ... belonged to Jerry Westrom. And that was enough for us to move forward with confidence.” – Jennifer Mayerly [15:59]

  • Footprint analysis is similar, but more challenging than fingerprinting; only Jerry Westrom’s footprint could be conclusively matched (18:14).

  "It’s really rare. ... With our feet, they're covered most places we are. ... Even if they're not covered, it’s still harder to know that there could be a footprint somewhere unless it was left in blood, like in this case." [18:14]

• Defense-hired experts for footprint analysis actually ended up corroborating the prosecution’s findings, which led to a strategic pivot from the defense (19:37).

6. Forensic Genetic Genealogy & Privacy Concerns

• This was Minnesota’s first case solved this way. Jennifer unpacks how police used public DNA databases to build a family tree—zeroing in on Jerry Westrom as the only match (21:17):

  "If you've uploaded your DNA into a genealogy website, ... it potentially could be used to match in a case where a crime was committed. And it might not just be you, it could be a family member." [21:17]

• The family was unaware of the new DNA work until after the arrest (22:33).

• Discussion of privacy concerns:

  “How do you balance that... especially if you were not the person that uploaded your DNA? Because ... a cousin or an uncle or someone uploaded it, how could you potentially be impacted?” [28:39]

  • Jennifer reports most people she spoke to believed that "the right to solve a case outweighs the right to privacy," but acknowledges ongoing debate and legal uncertainty (29:25).

7. Limitations of Forensic Evidence

• DNA is not a timestamp; context is key. In this case, the bloody footprint provided crucial support beyond DNA alone (30:28).

  “DNA does not leave a timestamp... That’s why the footprint, which was, they believe, a timestamp, because you would have had to have been there when the blood was wet to leave a footprint.” [30:28]

8. Impact and Takeaways

• Jennifer hopes listeners remember Jeannie’s humanity, not just the way she died:

  "It's always important to remember, when there's a victim of a crime, that they're a real person, that they have people that care about them, that love them, that miss them desperately." [31:40]

• Acknowledgment of the family's courage and role in telling Jeannie’s fuller story (32:41):

  "Jeannie matters. We couldn't have done it without their vulnerability."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On building trust:

  "I'd show up to court hearings... and over time we developed a relationship. ...They always said that at some point, when the time was right, they did want to go on camera." – Jennifer Mayerly [04:10]

• On investigative rigor and compassion:

  "We knew that we wanted to center Jeannie... you can do the other part, which is dig into the case, really dive deep..." – Jennifer Mayerly [10:48]

• On privacy and DNA evidence:

  "If you've uploaded your DNA into a genealogy website, ... it potentially could be used... it might not just be you, it could be a family member." – Jennifer Mayerly [21:17]

Important Timestamps

• [02:57] – Jennifer Mayerly’s entry into the case
• [04:10] – Human side of Jeannie Childs
• [06:55] – Transition from daily reporting to documentary production
• [10:48] – Discussing balance of compassion and investigative rigor
• [11:48] – Decision to show the crime's graphic reality
• [15:59] – Alternative suspects and importance of footprint evidence
• [18:14] – Footprint analysis explained
• [21:17] – How forensic genetic genealogy led to the arrest
• [28:39] – Privacy implications of genetic genealogy
• [30:28] – Limitations of DNA without context
• [31:40] – Lessons and hopes for Jeannie's legacy
• [32:41] – Acknowledging the family’s pivotal role

Tone & Style

Throughout, the conversation is empathetic and reflective, with a strong commitment to both investigative integrity and humanizing crime victims. The episode provides a nuanced inside look at modern true crime reporting, the challenges of justice, advances in forensic technology, and the real people at the heart of these tragedies.

Listen Further

• Documentary: "Footprint to Murder" on WCCO/YouTube
• Jennifer Mayerly’s Reporting: wcco.com and CBS News Minnesota

For updates and more in-depth explorations of real-life crime stories, follow Truer Crime on your preferred podcast app or on social media.