Kriti Mehrotra
When Jeanne “Jeanie” Childs was found horrifically stabbed to death in her apartment in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, it left the entire community baffled to the core. That’s because, as explored in CBS’ ’48 Hours: The Footprint,’ it took almost 26 years for officials to even make an arrest in connection with the matter, but when they did, they were spot on. However, despite justice having been served, the loss of her life is undeniably still deeply felt by her loved ones, especially her elderly mother, Betty Eakman, and younger sister, Cindy Blumer.
Jeanie Childs’ Complex Childhood Led to Her Troubles as a Teen
Born on April 21, 1958, to Betty and Eugene Childs as the elder of their two kids, Jeanne “Jeanie” Childs reportedly knew early on that her relationship with the male figures in he life was far from normal. In fact, as per Betty’s own accounts, her daughter sadly underwent an unspecified ordeal at the hands of her grandfather before learning that her father never actually wanted a daughter. Therefore, according to the matriarch, her young daughter spent most of her early years trying to fight for her father’s attention and prove that she is enough too.
However, by the time Jeanie became a teenager, she had fallen into the bad crowd and even started down the path to drugs and substance addiction in the worst of ways. This led her to run away from home a few times too, and it was Betty who tried her best to ensure she safely returned home most of the time. From standing by her side as she battled addiction to going down dark alleys and basements with nothing but a gun in her bag to ensure her safety, she did it all.
Betty was genuinely afraid of finding her daughter lying dead somewhere, so she did her best to help her stay clean, but it didn’t work for a few years. Jenaie often ran away from home before later evolving into a prostitute to make ends meet, but she stayed in touch with her mother every weekend. The only regret she had was not being able to see her younger sister grow up – she didn’t permit her mother to watch her vehicles and dabble in her degree.
Jeanne “Jeanie” Childs’ Family Still Remembers the Last Time They Spoke
Although Jeanie had started running away from home at the age of 13, she eventually relocated to Minneapolis after her mother had decided to settle down in Isanti, Minnesota. That’s because Betty had lost her husband to murder at the tender age of 21, so with three children to care for, she decided to enrol in business class and learn some additional skills. In the end, Jeanie chose to stay away, but she kept in touch with her mother on calls and even relied on her for bailing her out of jail whenever needed.
As for Jeanie’s bond with her siblings, per Cindy’s own accounts, she often wrote them letters to encourage them to do better and not make the same mistakes she did in life. Therefore, one weekend in June 1993, Berry asked if she should come visit to help her with her dentist’s appointment to get a tooth extracted, just for her to say, in front of her siblings as routine, that she can take care of herself.
At the time, there were no phones, and Betty served as a hospice worker, so the moment she saw her daughter’s building on the news on June 13 and heard there had been a murder, she knew something was wrong. She almost immediately called the coroner’s office in Minneapolis, who confirmed her worst fears, but what made it even worse for the family was how Jeanie was killed. Both Betty and Cindy knew that Jeanie was not a perfect human, but they could never have imagined that someone would stab her 65 times.
With Justice Now Served, Jeanie’s Family Seems to be Moving Forward in Life
For over 25 years, Jeanie’s loved ones had no idea who had killed her in such a heinous manner, so when officials finally made an arrest in February 2019, Betty asked them if they were sure. The matriarch didn’t want to get her hopes up just in case they were wrong, but officials asserted they weren’t because they’d made the arrest based on DNA and a footprint. Nevertheless, it wasn’t until local business owner Jerry Westrom was also found guilty of murder in August 2022 that they finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Since then, though, Betty has asserted that although she is grateful for closure, it isn’t enough. “I just hope that he can close his eyes at night and see her face every night,” she once said. “That’s how I feel. I want him to suffer. And I really don’t want her being blamed for what happened, because his choice was the wrong choice.” She also added, “[Jeanie] was still a human being. Did not deserve to be slaughtered like an animal. I want people to know that he could have left the apartment, and my daughter would still be here.”
Coming to Betty and Cindy’s current standing, they both continue to reside in Isanti, Minnesota, to this day, where they are surrounded by loved ones at every turn. While the former is a God-loving and God-fearing woman, crediting her faith for helping her get through the darkest of times, Cindy credits her own family for the same. After all, the Herzing University graduate is a digital creator as well as a family woman whose priority as of writing is her husband, Peter Blumer, and their kids. The loss of Jeanie still hangs over their head like a dark cloud, yet it’s evident that both Betty and Cindy are now moving forward in life together, all the while keeping her memories alive in their heart.
Read More: Jerry Westrom: Where is Jeanie Childs’ Killer Now?
