During Jerry Lynn Burns initial interrogation, he said that he could not offer the authorities a plausible explanation as to why his DNA was found at the crime scene. Burns' DNA profile was developed from blood on Martinko's black dress. Four decades ago, 18-year-oldMichelle Marie Martinko was found stabbed to death in the family's car in the parking lot of a Cedar Rapids mall. Burns, 66, was arrested at his Manchester, Iowa, business on Dec. 19, 2018 the 39th anniversary of Martinko's death and charged with first-degree murder in Martinko's slaying. Burns further argues the trial courts refusal to instruct the jury on the law related to a witnesss motive to testify against Burns constitutes a prejudicial abuse of discretion. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. In June the following year police released a sketch of a white man, in his late teens or early twenties, and around 6ft tall, on interviews with two witnesses. He previously co-owned a truck shop and worked for John Deere. The teen was stabbed 29 times, according to testimony. WebLike all the cases I cover, Michelles was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. Distractify is a registered trademark. Based on the number of stab wounds particularly to the young womans face police considered the homicide personal in nature. Exactly 39 years after her death, police took a Manchester man into custody after matching his DNA to blood found at the crime scene. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. In 2006, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department was tipped with an update. For some reason, people really get upset about serial killers, mass killers and serial rapists being caught. He was convicted of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Speaking to KCRG, a classmate of Martinkos, Elizabeth Laymon, spoke about the day after her friend was killed saying, We went to school that day and it wasnt announced. And, recently, a Florida judge granted a warrant on one case to let police in even more. William Brangham: Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of Chief Wayne Jerman announced that a suspect has been arrested in the 39-year old murder case involving Michelle Martinko. Investigators then narrowed down family trees of great grandparents to a first cousin and then Burns and his two brothers. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. After genealogy websites proved helpful in the investigation of the Golden State Killer, Iowainvestigators asked Parabon-NanoLabs, which had access to hundreds of thousands of genetic samples people uploaded,to see if there was a match in its database. Jerry Lynn Burns Cedar Rapids police then used DNA genetic genealogical research to narrow the profile "down to a specific pool of suspects, which included Burns, according to a criminal complaint. The trial for the grisly killing of an Iowa teen in the 1970s will likely be delayed, court records show. 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed Dec. 19, 1979, Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. Decades of technological advancements ultimately allowed experts to construct a partial male DNA profile from a blood scraping on the gear shift of the Martinko family car and a blood stain on the back of Martinkos dress. CEDAR RAPIDS - The Martinko family lived without answers for 39 Christmases. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns makes a statement before his sentencing by Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Burns said 'somebody else stabbed Martinko that night. Puro cash': Latinos are opening more small businesses than anyone else in the US, Julian Assange: Why he matters more than you think, Watch: 'She didn't let time just slip away': Family and friends remember Michelle Martinko. Now in his late 60s, Burns is currently behind bars and will stay there till he dies. All rights reserved. Burns left the drinking straw behind. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. The Kennedy High School senior had drivento the mall after a school choir banquet to shop for a new winter coat. An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. Stonebrakersat in the front row of the courtroom, flanked by her husband, John, and oldest son, Robert. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of Jennings. She thinks this new crime-fighting tool is a great thing With Burns having been found guilty and in prison, however, Martinko's family finally has some sense of closure. Jerry Burns - Wikipedia I am very appreciative of the work of our investigators and their persistence with this case, including the use of the latest technology that can aid in the investigation regardless of how long ago the violent act occurred., READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Being Porn Stars on the Side, Jerry Lynn Burns: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry Lynn Burns: Offender Number: 6931989: Sex: M: Birth Date: 12/23/1953: Location: Anamosa State Penitentiary: Offense: MURDER 1ST DEGREE: TDD/SDD * LIFE: Commitment Date: 08/14/2020: Recall Date: Mandatory Minimum (if applicable) * TDD = Tentative Discharge Date * SDD = Supervision Discharge Date Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested Wednesday and accused of fatally stabbing the 18-year-old, whose body was found in her parents' 1972 Buick Electra in the For nearly 40 years, the family of slain high schooler Michelle Martinko waited for an arrest. Police suspected he'd been involved in the brutal 1996 rape and murder of an Idaho woman named Angie Dodge. Photos are courtesy of Robert Riley. Jerry Lynn Burns' DNA sample was collected from a plastic straw he drank soda with. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Laymon said. By William Brangham, Rhana Natour, Nsikan Akpan. Martin stops in Dubuque, Refurbished bells return to Univ. It was almost like a dream. William Brangham shares a "cautionary tale" of how one person's DNA testing can have a wide impact. Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in Linn County this morning on a video monitor from jail where he had his bail set at $5 million. WebThat morning police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester. The only way Burns DNA couldve ended up in two spots in the crime scene, Maybanks concluded, was if Burns was the murderer. Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. The reward for information leading to an arrest in Martinkos murder was $15,000. She could hardly speak.. To learn the entire story of Michelle Martinko's murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79. accused of killing Michelle Martinko begins hearing The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. All Rights Reserved. But by 2 a.m., her father called the police because she had not returned home. Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. At the time of his arrest, Burns had beenliving in Manchester, a town of about 5,000 people 45 minutes north of Cedar Rapids, for longer than Martinko's case had been cold. Maybanks, in asking Hoover to sentence Burns to life, said this verdict and sentence would not only give peace to the family and many friends of Martinko who have waited four decades for justice, but provide 'enormous relief to the community. District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. Offender Information Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 2023 Iowa Judicial Branch. "Ialso feel bad for, you know, his current family and friends because now they have to go through all this as well.". "The people in law enforcement take on their duty and their task seriously," Maybanks told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network,afterthe verdict. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. Michael Usry Jr. was cleared. Hiscousin, Brian Burns,vanished Dec. 19, 2013 exactly 34 years after Martinko was killed. An investigation provided the answer after all those years of who and why someone killed Martinko. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matt Denlinger listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (out of frame) speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. But Burns will 'forfeit his freedom forever and die alone. What we know about Jerry Burns and the woman he's While Burns attorneys didnt offer an alibi for where he was the night of Martinko's murder, Spies did suggest that since Burns had been to Westdale Mall with his family before, DNA he left behind at the mall couldve transferred to Martinko while she was at the mall Dec. 19. They were so grateful to the Police Department for continuing to work on this case. KCRG-TV9: 10PM Newscast, December 19, 2018 Arrest in Michelle Martinko Case, KCRG-TV9 Staff Anchors: Bruce Aune and Beth Malicki Meteorologist: Joe Winters Executive Producer: Aaron Hepker Producer: Ellen Kurt Director: Terri Walter Reporters: Dave Franzman, Forrest Saunders, Chantelle Navarro Photographers: Rebecca Varilek, Jay Greene, Michelle Martinko's Family Speaks to Law & Crime Network About the Jerry Burns Verdict, Michelle Martinko's Family Speaks to Law & Crime Network About the Jerry Burns Verdict #JerryBurns #JerryBurnsTrial #MichelleMartinko, Serial Killers Ex Thinks There Were More Victims. Burns argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress where the warrantless extraction of his DNA profile violated his rights under the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution. His trial is set for June 2021. In October 2018, an investigator was able to snag a straw used by one of the three brothers, Jerry Lynn Burns, and tested it against the sample, getting a match. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Considering Retiring From The Practice of Law? The couple was married in April 1975 in Manchester, Iowa, four years before Martinkos murder. That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. A retired music teacher, Kathryn Birky, of Swisher, who taught private piano and organ lessons, said she had a regularly scheduled lesson with Martinko in the Westdale Mall the night of the attack, Spies said. Maybanks noted that even though Martinko interacted with at least half a dozen friends the night of her death, including at the mall, none of their DNA was found at the crime scene. At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. Kathleen T. Zellner Nicholas M. CurranElizabeth A. AragusRita Bettis AustenJennifer LynchNathan Freed Wessler Vera Eidelman Patrick Toomey, Sep 30, 2022 1:30 PM University of Iowa, College of Law, Levitt Audiotorium. Jerry Lynn Burns murdered Michelle Martinko in 1979 (Images via Google) On the eve of December 19, 1979, an 18-year-old high school student named Michelle RAW: Exclusive Interview with Michelle Martinko%. Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953 ) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. He grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. Spies argued that if the defense had this evidence at trial, jurors might have come back with a different verdict. 'Killer Cases' Explores His GUILTY - IA - Michelle Martinko, 18, stabbed to Then in 2018, DNA phenotyping company GEDmatch, a public genealogy website that famously helped catch the Golden State Killer, started creating a family tree based on the killers DNA. Burns, who would have been 25 at the time of Martinko's death, said he could not offer a "plausible explanation" forwhy his DNA was found at the crime scene, authorities said at the time of his arrest. COLD CASE: Burns denies involvement with Huisentruit - KWWL She never had any school problems. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I feel bad for the victims family becausetheyve been wondering every day of their life what happened to their daughter," Russ Wright, who served Burns nearly every day at a local BP gas station, said last December. Burns owns a powder-coating company, Advanced Coating Concepts, in Manchester. You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. ", Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said shevividly remembersthe day classmates sobbed after they learned of the stabbing. Correction: In an earlier version of this story we said Brian Dripps was charged and convicted for the murder of Angie Dodge. Burns denied killing Martinko at the time of his initial questioning. The police considered the murder personal in nature based on the manner of death, according to Little Village magazine. Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns 28, 2023 6:50 pm2d ago, Orlan Love - correspondent Sports 3h ago3h ago, Jeff Johnson Minor League Sports 20m ago20m ago. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. Copyright 2023 Distractify. In December 1979, Martinko, a high school senior who was on the twirling squad at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, went to the recently opened Westdale Mall after her choir banquet at school to buy a new winter coat. At this time, however, Burns remains behind bars. On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch, developed based on descriptions provided by two witnesses, of the man they believed stabbed Martinko. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. ", Martinko's family in a statement last December credited "the work of several generations of Cedar Rapids uniformed police and detectives in bringing Mr. Burns to justice. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. She affirmed her rulings made before and during trial regarding the defense's motion. So, you spend three or four weeks thinking, I'm a suspect in a brutal murder. You can't edit your genome. And Murphy says those decisions, made by others, cannot be undone. This is part of our regular series on the Leading Edge of science and technology. He waited for her at the mall and apprehended her in the parking lot, according to the theory. William Brangham is a correspondent and producer for PBS NewsHour in Washington, D.C. Years after Michael Usry Jr. was cleared, further genetic genealogy helped authorities identify the man they believe is Angie Dodge's real killer. Birky said she recalled Martinko was dressed up that night and said she came from a musical banquet, according to the affidavit. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns is led from the courtroom following his sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. The victim, Martinko, was an 18-year-old high school student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who was visiting a mall to buy a winter coat. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. William Brangham, Nsikan Akpan Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. Burns, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, remains in jail on a $5 million, cash-only bail. "She finally got justice. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) react as Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover reads Burns' sentence at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The sisters' parents died more than 20 years ago,Albert Martinko in 1995and his wife, Janet, in 1998. Janelle Stonebraker, Michelle's older sister, thinks that by fighting so vehemently that the suspect wounded himself and left his DNA behind, Michelle contributed to the investigation into her own murder. Jerry Lynn Burns faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Michelle Martinko. Burns Sentenced To Life In Prison For Martinko Murder, Plans To John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. It's not just, oh, my brother chooses to do this, but my sixth cousin I never met chose to do this. The cold-case murder has drawn intense public interest, and Friday's hearing was livestreamed because of limited seating. But after authorities in California used GEDmatch to catch the Golden State Killer, Rogers began to slowly welcome police into the database. In his statement, Stonebraker said he will never forget Janet Martinko calling them early Dec. 20, 1979, after she had identified the 'bloody, torn, broken body of her beautiful daughter. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. Police looked at numerous suspects during the initial investigation, including a man who raped a woman at knifepoint and later died while in prison for that crime, but DNA testing ruled him out. He didn't know who or why. Until now, Stonebraker said. Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns after almost 40 years. The charge against Jerry comes as a complete shock to us and we are doing our best to carry on with our lives, the family said in the statement on Saturday. A father took an at-home DNA test. His son was then falsely - PBS In October 2018, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator,saw Burns drink sodas out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. Man arrested nearly 40 years after Thank you. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, of Manchester, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday, nearly 40 years after the brutal murder of 18-year-old The Cedar Rapids Police Department said in a statement on December 19 that Burns, 64, of Manchester, Iowa, was arrested at his place of work in the town. 29, 2023 9:23 am1d ago, Crime and Courts Apr. Investigators later sought the services of a company that specializes in DNA phenotyping, which Cedar Rapids police described as the process of predicting physical appearance and ancestry from unidentified DNA evidence. 'The Dating Game' Killer Was Active for Almost 10 Years Before He Was Caught, Angie Dodge's Killer Evaded Capture for Over 20 Years, Where Is Convicted Murderer Jeffrey MacDonald Now? Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, says The preliminary hearing was on Dec 28, 2018. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) speaks at Burns' sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Debates across the country have arisen about whether the use of such information is a violation of people's privacy. He also wished the Burns family well, saying they now have to pick up the pieces of their lives just like the Martinko family did. Aug. 7, 2020 6:12 pm, Updated: Aug. 7, 2020 8:23 pm. Cedar Rapids Police Department That decision essentially erases the genetic privacy of everyone else. He joined the flagship PBS program in 2015, after spending two years with PBS NewsHour Weekend in New York City.

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