Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Dateline NBC chronicles the murder of Pam Zimmerman, a successful Bloomington businesswoman and single mother of three. The upcoming episode, “Before Midnight,” will air on the network this Saturday, July 20, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. An official synopsis says, “A successful businesswoman and mother of three is found shot in her office; the investigation into her death leaves a family divided. Keith Morrison reports.”
Pam Zimmerman’s neighbor, Julie Koh, and an office manager were the first to find her dead on November 4, 2014. She died of four separate gunshot wounds: two in the torso, one in the arm, and one in the head. Authorities found that Pam’s cell phone and wallet were missing from the crime scene but found the missing items along the side of a road. They believed this was the killer’s attempt to stage the crime scene.
One of the suspects in the case was Pam’s ex-husband, Kirk Zimmerman. The couple had been divorced for several years, but tensions between them had continued to pertain. Moreover, they had been arguing over finances only days before the murder. Authorities then arrested Kirk in July 2015 after a months-long investigation.
How was Pam Zimmerman’s murder case solved?
Pam Zimmerman’s killer never faced justice as the case against her ex-husband, Kirk Zimmerman, resulted in an acquittal. During the initial stages of the murder investigation, detectives suspected three men who could have committed the crime. These men were Kirk, Pam’s then-fiancé Scott Baldwin, and a client named Eldon Whitlow, per Oxygen True Crime.
The outlet stated that Pam, a CPA and financial planner, had a meeting with Whitlow, a long-time client. He was also likely the last person to have seen her alive. However, Whitlow told authorities he left the victim’s office sometime around 5:40 that evening. He claimed that he then went for dinner with his girlfriend, and his alibi checked out. Additionally, police found a 9mm handgun in his possession, which did not match the murder weapon.
Pam Zimmerman’s finacé, Scott Baldwin, was the second suspect, who had been texting multiple other women. Moreover, he displayed disturbing behavior in the days after Pam’s murder. In one such instance, Baldwin took her three children to dinner and announced that he “had nothing to do with” the crime. He also tried to explain to her kids how he has “to move on.” Detectives soon established that he had not left his home that night.
The final suspect was Pam’s ex-husband, Kirk Zimmerman, who was having financial issues with the victim. Even after their divorce, the former couple had continued to argue over finances at the time of the murder. Investigators further found gunshot residue inside Kirk’s car, which led to his arrest on July 22, 2015, reported Rogers Sevantianos & Bante, LLP. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During Kirk Zimmerman’s trial for the murder of Pam Zimmerman, prosecutors alleged that he had a financial motive. Assistant State’s Attorney Brad Rigdon claimed, “He knew that as long as she was still alive, he was going to go broke” as Pam was pursuing more child support. Furthermore, a witness testified in court, claiming to have seen the defendant in the victim’s office building that day. Authorities also alleged that digital data from his car showed he had been in the area.
Kirk’s defense, John Rogers of Rogers Sevastianos and Bante, LLP, argued to dismiss the financial motive. John Rogers later told Dateline, “Kirk had a full pension, guaranteed for life, which he could have taken at any point and time. He was making $95,000 working for State Farm. He had in excess of $240,000 in his 401k.” They called the prosecution’s financial motive theory “ridiculous.”
The defense also called a witness who claimed to have heard gunshots around 5:10 p.m. This suggested that Pam Zimmerman’s killer shot her while her client was still there in her office. Additionally, Kirk Zimmerman and Pam’s three children believed their father was innocent. A jury eventually acquitted Kirk on all counts.
Dateline NBC’s episode on Pam Zimmerman’s murder case premieres on Saturday, July 20.
