His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. When Burns finished eating, he got up and walked out of the restaurant. Although Martinko's case was eventually solved, the mystery outlived both of her parents, who died years before Burns was found guilty, and Killer Cases explains, the hope of finding her killer and figuring out what happened and why slowly dwindled throughout the years. Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in the Linn County Courthouse today for a preliminary hearing as his lawyer looked to get evidence against him suppressed ahead of the trail. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns listens as Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover (not pictured) speaks at his sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. 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 Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. Thus began the quest to finally nab Martinko's killers. But there's some. He rebutted some of the prosecution's factual claims, insisting that there wasn't substantial evidence that Burns' DNA was retrieved from his blood, noting previous testimony indicating it could have been saliva or even transferred skin cells and that the presence of DNA in itself could not implicate Burns. Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns after almost 40 years. Genetic genealogy, the technique millions of people are using to learn about their family history, has now become a potent tool with which law enforcement can solve crimes. All Rights Reserved. Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. Police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, in the decades-old fatal stabbing. The sketch indicated a white man in his late teens or early 20s, weighing between 165 and 175 pounds, and standing about 6 feet tall. Rhana Natour. I kept asking questions, like, did somebody I know do something horrible? Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer, Latinos are opening more small businesses than anyone else in the US, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It lies in a 'deeply selfish, lifelong personal need. Subscribe to Heres the Deal, our politics All rights reserved. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) makes arguments on behalf of the state at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Bailey Cichon Podcasts Apr. More:Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor. He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. In one of those profiles, authorities said there were fewer than one in 100 billion unrelated individuals who would have had the same profile. Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. 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 left the drinking straw behind. She was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, and chest. Man arrested nearly 40 years after He didn't know who or why. She could hardly speak.. Burns argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress where the warrantless A witness testified he signed this image from a newspaper article "Mr. Burns is presumed innocent, and we look forward to the evidence showing otherwise," said the statement. While that tip did not yield any new leads, it did cause Det. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Her family shares the story you've never heard and pleads for your help. Curious to see if the suspect in the 1979 Michelle Martinko murder looks anything like this DNA composite. But her sister Janelle and Janelles husband John Stonebaker were present at Burns sentencing. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry Lynn Burns was sentenced to live in prison Credit: Cedar Rapids Police Department. Genetic testing was key to the state's case against Burns. Stonebraker said he is sad for the Burns family and wanted to 'wish them well.. The case itself had initially led investigators to assume the crime had been one of passion, with the amount of stab wounds to Martinko's face, but even now, there have been no answers as to why it happened. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. WebMichelle fought back and was able to injure Jerry, who bled on the gear handle and Michelles dress. His trial is set for Oct. 14 in Linn County District Court. The court also should have dismissed statements the defendant made while speaking with investigators after his arrest in December 2019. The wait ended Monday, when a jury convicted Jerry Lynn Burns of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Martinko. Finally, Burns argues the evidence was insufficient to establish his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ", "We don't exactly know the whys and some of the details, but we definitely know who did it, and that was terribly important to us," Janelle Stonebraker, Michelle Martinko's older sister, said after the verdict was read. 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. DAVENPORT, Ia. He has been charged, but notconvicted. More:Taking genetic genealogy sites to trial: Iowa homicide case among first of its kind to argue DNA requires search warrant. Life sentence in Michelle Martinko murder After her dad died, Brandy Jennings, like millions of Americans, used one of those DNA testing kits to learn more about him and other relatives. Cutting-edge DNA technology was used to solve the cold case. Investigators saw Burns eating at a Pizza Ranch in Manchester. 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 Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Your login session has expired. In this video, I interviewed Robert Riley, one of the administrators for the Michelle Martinko Cold Case 1979 Facebook page. (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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. Five years ago, Michael Usry Jr., largely because his father had done DNA testing, ended up in a police station in downtown New Orleans. 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 (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. But not everyone is so eager to have their DNA end up in a police dragnet. Martinko's body was found in her parents' Buick, which was parked near J.C. Penney at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids. She was stabbed and killed 39 yrs ago today in the Westdale Mall parking lot. The judge ordered a $5 million cash-only bond. Debates across the country have arisen about whether the use of such information is a violation of people's privacy. But when she got her results, she tried something new. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. You can change your address if things get really dark. COLD CASE: Burns denies involvement with Huisentruit - KWWL She thinks this new crime-fighting tool is a great thing. Jerry Lynn Burns (64) was arrested 12/19/2018 and faces first-degree murder charges. Police suspected he'd been involved in the brutal 1996 rape and murder of an Idaho woman named Angie Dodge. Reporter covering state and federal courts. Michelle Martinko - Jerry Burns appeal may I miss all her singing and her beautiful music. Then, in 2018, police used new DNA technology that hadn't been available in 1979 or even the '80s, when the composite sketch was released, to zero in on Burns and arrest him for Martinko's murder. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The sisters' parents died more than 20 years ago,Albert Martinko in 1995and his wife, Janet, in 1998. But you can't cancel your genome. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. Burns was drinking soda through a clear plastic straw. WebJerry Lynn Burns Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. And then it takes a few days for it to upload and analyze, and I just kind of forgot about it. Ahead of the Dateline NBC episode about her death, heres what you need to know about the crime, the perpetrator, and what sentence he received at trial. 28, 2023 6:50 pm2d ago, Orlan Love - correspondent Sports 3h ago3h ago, Jeff Johnson Minor League Sports 20m ago20m ago. "This was a brutal, violent, horrendous crime," Linn County Assistant Attorney Mike Harris said at the time. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Erin Murphy, New York University School of Law: You can change your phone number if someone starts harassing you. Michelle Martinko: Her murderer captured by Pizza Straw Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Friends and family of Jerry Burns react as he is led from the courtroom following his sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Police questioned Burns at work in Manchester, Iowa where he denied killing Martinko. The trial for the grisly killing of an Iowa teen in the 1970s will likely be delayed, court records show. They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Friends and family of Michelle Martinko react as Burns' motion for a new trial is denied at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. It was in May 2017 when officers announced that a composite sketch could be made from the DNA recovered. Burns is being held at Linn County Jail. Michael Usry Jr. was cleared. We all kind of found out through classes we were in. You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. The detective looked through the case files and found what he thought to be the murderer's blood. Jerry Lynn Burns: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Law enforcement said Burns hasnt been able to explain why his DNA would be at the crime scene, nor does he remember committing the crime. With little to no leads to go on, there was little that detectives could do to solve the case. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Martinko's older sister, Janelle Stonebraker, told the Des Moines Register that their family had waited years for answers. Police found Martinko's body in her parents' tan 1972 Buick at Cedar Rapids Westdale Mall parking lot around 4 a.m. on Dec. 20, 1979. "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. The wait ended Monday, when a jury convicted Jerry Lynn Burns of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Martinko. (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. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Investigators then narrowed down family trees of great grandparents to a first cousin and then Burns and his two brothers. She was 18 years old. She uploaded them to a free public DNA database to find out more about her dad's side of the family. Her obit says that she enjoyed farming and gardening with her husband. The third brother was Jerry Lynn Burns (Burns), the defendant in this case. He and his wife, who now residein Florida,said they were gratefulfor the Cedar Rapids community's commitment to the case over the past 40 years. Burns, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder for the 1979 killing of Michelle He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden listens from the gallery at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. This is part of our regular series on the Leading Edge of science and technology. 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. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Jerry Lynn Burns' DNA sample was collected from a plastic straw he drank soda with. An analyst at the Iowa state crime lab found that DNA from the straw matched the blood found on Martinkos dress. Additionalconcerns were raised in the motion about the jury-building process, instructions given to the jury andtestimony fromstate witnesses. Offender Information William Brangham: Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of Martinkowas found dead in her parents' Buickin the parking lot of Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids early on the morning of Dec. 20, 1979, curled onto the passenger seat floorboard, stabbed multiple times and bloodied from the wounds she sustained," first assistant Linn County attorney Nick Maybanks previously told jurors. The medical examiner later determined that she died between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. She had not been robbed or sexually assaulted, and defensive wounds were found on her hands, indicating she fought back. It was really scary, those three or four weeks, just because I knew that I had not been involved in any crime. She says, remember, Michael Usry never tested his own DNA. 11, 2023 3:03 am19d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Sep. 12, 2021 10:48 am595d ago, Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Jul. Get exclusive subscriber content and more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. After listening to almost two weeks of testimony, a jury of seven women and five men returned the guilty verdict after deliberating just shy of three hours. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Burns reacts as he is sentenced at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. 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. It's not just, oh, my brother chooses to do this, but my sixth cousin I never met chose to do this. 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. But Usry knew he hadn't done anything wrong. accused of killing Michelle Martinko begins hearing Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. Of course I want those people, serial killers and murderers and terrible rapists, to be caught. Authorities believe Burns stabbed the Kennedy High School senior in the chest and face inside a car parked at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids.
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