Holst said he didn't, but department officials and First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks did consult an expert who specialized in sex offender assessment and treatment to explain what this evidence indicates in this case. [30] The doctor who performed Martinko's autopsy and investigators in the original case, all now retired, took the stand to testify to how the investigation was conducted, and to Martinko's cause of death. 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. Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. "[2] When asked if he had killed someone that night in 1979, Burns repeatedly told investigators, "Test the DNA". Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. The case got nationwide media attention but has remained an unsolved mystery for more than 25 years. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. Visitation will be held from 5 Now in his late 60s, Burns is currently behind bars and will stay there till he dies. Jerry Lynn Burns is pictured in a booking photo released by the Linn County Sheriff's Office on Dec. 20, 2018. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. Accountability doled out to suspects. Exactly 39 years after her death, police took a Manchester man into custody after matching his DNA to blood found at the crime scene. READ NEXT: Serial Killers Ex Thinks There Were More Victims, Parents of Murdered Teenager Did Not Live to See Her Killer Brought to Justice, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Blond / All American Girls - Jodi was a bit older. Denlinger said he intentionally chose that day to interview Burns because it was the anniversary of Martinko's death. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Denlinger said they went to Burns' business, Advanced Powder Coating Concepts in Manchester, and he agreed to talk with them. She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. Investigators matched DNA found in the car to Jerry Burns and arrested him in 2018. A juvenile found carrying a knife was interviewed and ruled out in her murder, as was a shopping center employee who had told police that he enjoyed following women and ogling store mannequins. Even though the police were tipped over 200 times in the weeks following the murder, the case eventually grew cold as investigations stretched on. People around him considered him to be a professional but everything fizzled out shortly after. She claimed to have seen two cars in the lot, one of which was Martinko's, and a man standing next to the open driver's side door of Martinko's car. When the detectives first investigated this case, they thought of the homicide as being personal in nature - based on the 10 stab wounds . See Photos. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. Log In. Burns maintained that he did not know Martinko and was not there when she died, although an investigator later testified that Burns did not specifically deny killing Martinko. "Hmm, strange," Burns responded when Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matthew Denlinger told him he was a suspect for Martinko's death. Rumors began to circulate about the crime. The man charged with killing Michelle Martinko 39 years ago is not a suspect in the death of his wife or disappearance of his cousin, according to investigators. Updated on: August 4, 2021 / 2:29 PM Things that make it difficult. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. . ", Whoever the killer was, he had come prepared. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. Yet they had a DNA match linking the Manchester man to the Cedar Rapids teenager, slain in 1979 outside the Westdale Mall. Ha ha. December . Derek Chauvin's ex-wife . Mason City police won't disclose whether or not they are now looking at Jerry Burns as a suspect in that case. "Well, I kind of think you do a little bit," Denlinger responded in the video interview. Like all the cases I cover, Michelle's was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. [2], In 2006, 27 years after Martinko's killing, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department received a tip connected to the case. 20-1150 APPEAL FROM THE IOWA DISTRICT COURT FOR LINN COUNTY HONORABLE FAE E. HOOVER . A witness testified he signed this image from a newspaper article about the case. Be the first one to comment on this story. I just began listening to the DNA:ID podcast. And he had the daunting task of trying to figure out who that could be, armed only with an unidentified sample of blood DNA. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder. 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. Burns made an initial court appearance via video Thursday morning and said he would fill out an application for a court-appointed counsel. The woman communicated her information to the daughter of the secretary of the Public Safety Commissioner and believed that it would be passed on to police if it was important. [2][3][4] Burns was arrested and, on February 24, 2020, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Martinko. Linn. Some thought that Martinko had received harassing phone calls before her death, but police stated that they did not think so. Thank you!! Burns' wife, Patricia . But he said he and another investigator had no plans to arrest Burns that day. Currently, in his late 60s, he is going to spend the rest of his days behind bars. [9] The killer left no fingerprints, which led police to believe they had worn gloves. Daryl F. Gates' Police Quest: SWAT, a group of 41 people. Updated Sep 20, 2022 at 3:27pm. Subsequently he interviewed Jerry Burns, who denied knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko. God finally won. Denlinger recorded him using a camera that was hidden inside a coffee mug. I like that it's just the facts and case without anyone trying (poorly) to be a comedian or talk about their own personal nonsense lol. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or . As reported by CBS News, Burns was not arrested until 2018, when DNA evidence confirmed he was responsible for Martinko's death. Supreme Court No. His hands and arms were also examined for scars possibly left by the assumed cut sustained during the attack. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. [2], Martinko had been stabbed 29 times in her face, neck, and chest. [16] Based on cash found in Martinko's purse, police concluded that she had not been robbed. Jerry A. Burns, age 69, of Bryan, Texas went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 10:56 p.m. Burns kept pointing to the swab, he testified, and saying, 'Test it. "I asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime?' This revealed everything, and Burns was ultimately declared guilty of first-degree murder. A jailhouse informant also testified in the case Tuesday. He asked Burns for a sample of his DNA, but Burns said no - not without an attorney. 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. . [2], Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953[13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. During the trials, Burns was found to contradict his own statements. 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. Jerry was married to his second wife at the time of his arrest. An obituary for Burns' wife, Patricia, says that she died in June 2008 at the age of 55 . family - he had 3 kids - tough to sneak away for 4 hours when you have kids unless he was on a business trip. The Delaware County Sheriff said it did review the case after Burns' arrest and "feels that was clearly the case.". But then Denlinger's supervisor, who had been listening to the recorded interview from across the street with other officers, sent Denlinger text message telling him to arrest Burns. But detectives had been stymied. The first piece of progress in the case came in 2006 when a sample of the suspect's DNA from Michelle Martinko's car was submitted to a lab for processing, police said. [33] Prosecutors called a criminalist to contradict the defense's witness; the criminalist said that the storage of Martinko's clothing was not unusual. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. Sign Up. The new technique, started this year with the "Golden State Killer," has identified over two dozen suspects. Jerry Lynn Burns, the suspect in the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, makes a court appearance via video in Linn County, Iowa, Dec. 20, 2018. At the time of arrest, Burns had his own power-coating company called Advanced Coating Concepts. Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. Allison, who's being . This evidence was inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing. [11] As the investigation dwindled, a $10,000 reward was offered for information that would lead police to the killer. [2], On October 29, 2018, an investigator observed one of the brothers, Jerry Lynn Burns, drink multiple sodas using a plastic straw. Denlinger had to consider that Michelle could have been murdered by a stranger. People named Jerry Burns. Police had searched his computer after arresting him, and found a history of searches pertaining to nefarious subjects including the murder of blonde women, and pornographic matter involving blonde women. "We are reviewing the case and at this time have not uncovered any additional information that would implicate Jerry Burns in that disappearance," Sheriff John LeClere told TV9. So Denlinger drew up an elaborate genealogy chart going back to Brandy's great-great grandparents to sleuth out a trail that could lead to the killer's DNA. The company also produced approximations of how the man would have aged in the years since the crime. "In a genetic genealogy database we can reverse engineer the [suspect's family] tree from their distant" relatives who have submitted DNA, Moore said. [2][23] On December 19, 2018, investigators went to Burns' business in Manchester, Iowa, to interview him. [9] After the event, she asked her friend and twirling squad teammate if she wanted to join her on a shopping trip to the Westdale Mall, which had recently opened, and where Martinko worked. State of Iowa. Feb. 1, 2019 | The Des Moines Register. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. . Cases previously considered unsolvable have been getting their answers, & Joseph DeAngelo's arrest (EAR/GSA/ONS) is proving to be just the first of many getting resolved. timing. Jerry Burns. He testified last week he took the straw after it was discarded. A DNA profile was developed from that evidence and entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were found. [8][9] She attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, where she was an above average student and well regarded by school officials. Jerry Burns is still behind bars . DNA Profiling is a modern investigative technology used to compare criminal suspects' profiles to DNA evidence so as to assess the likelihood of their involvement in the crime. We need somebody from their family to have tested in order to resolve these cases.". Doug Larison to reexamine the file and find what he believed to be the killers DNA in blood found on Martinkos dress that was not her blood. Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School yearbook photo, 1979. 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. Investigators struggled over the years to connect DNA collected at the scene to a suspect. Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. Born in 1953, Jerry Lynn Burns grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. In 2018, familial DNA identified a suspect named Jerry Lynn Burns, and the case was finally laid to rest with the accused getting sentenced to life in prison without parole. 6931989, Anamosa State Penitentiary, 406 N. High Street, Anamosa, IA 52205. I hope you enjoy it!! / CBS News. Dave Franzman, a longtime reporter at ABC Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG, even covered the case at the time of Michelle Martinko's killing. 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. [26] When the DNA sample was tested, it matched the blood sample found at the crime scene. On the eve of December 19, 1979, an 18-year-old high school student named Michelle Martinko was discovered dead in her family's car outside a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. The defense requested the case be declared a mistrial as a result, but the judge denied the request and asked the prosecutor to rephrase the question. With genetic genealogy, an unknown killer's DNA from a crime scene can be identified through his or her family members, who voluntarily submit their DNA to a genealogy database. After reading about the Golden State Killer case in 2018, in which serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was finally caught through a long trail of DNA, Denlinger had an epiphany: perhaps he could use that same new technique to solve the Martinko case. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew on flight to space station, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Sneak peek: Murder at the Mall: The Michelle Martinko Case, Michelle Martinko, left, and Jodi Huisentruit. Burns' defense team objected to the wording of one of the prosecution's questions, which they claimed implied unequivocally that Burns' blood had been at the scene. According to the investigator, "Burns showed almost no emotion during the interview, even when he was eventually told he was being arrested. 24. At the department, Burns sked for a lawyer. Jerry Lynn Burns (defendant-appellant), which is before the Iowa Supreme Court. Burns' attorney, Leon Spies, also argued in his suppression motion that the computer evidence is irrelevant because it's from 2018 - 38 years after Martinko's death. The similarities were eerie two pretty, young women, both meeting their final fate in parking lots in Iowa, 16 years apart, in cases that went unsolved for decades. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. In 2017, Cedar Rapids police said they reached out to Parabon NanoLabs to help build a suspect profile based on the crime scene DNA. Jerry Lynn Burns was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1979 murder 18-year-old Michelle Martinko thanks to DNA he left on a straw after drinking a soda. 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