Suspect in 25-year-old Minneapolis murder case jailed

Updated: 7:15 p.m. | Posted: 4:04 p.m.

Minneapolis and federal law enforcement officials Tuesday praised the "tenacious efforts" of investigators whose work led to an arrest in a 25-year-old murder case.

In 1993, Jeanne Ann Childs, then 35, was found dead in the bedroom of her apartment in the 3100 block of Pillsbury Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The man suspected of killing Childs was arrested in Waite Park, Minn., and booked into the Hennepin County Jail Monday night, where he awaits formal charges.

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Minneapolis police spokesperson John Elder said the arrest was the result of work by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the FBI.

"We all hope Jeanne's family can finally find peace as a result of these tenacious efforts by officers and agents," said Jill Sanborn, special agent in charge of the Minneapolis division of the FBI.

Elder said the investigation was also helped in 2018 by a private DNA company. He said through an online genealogy website, "the suspect's DNA was identified as being consistent with DNA left at the crime scene."

Elder didn't name the suspect but described him as a former businessman in Isanti County who has had prior contact with area law enforcement.