She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. The final nail in the coffin was when a witness gave his statement to the court. 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. Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. His wife and other close members of his family were allowed to attend the sentencing but seating was limited to allow for social distancing in the courtroom. We need those people to come forward and give us that information so we can bring closure to this case and to Michelles family., In announcing Burns arrest, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said, Last year, I had the opportunity to spend some time with Michelle Martinkos sister, Janelle, along with her husband, John Stonebraker. 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. There is someone here who either knows more than they are willing to admit or knows something that they dont realize is important. And Murphy says those decisions, made by others, cannot be undone. When the DNA test results came back, it wasn't a match. She uploaded them to a free public DNA database to find out more about her dad's side of the family. (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. Support our award-winning, independent journalism with a subscription today. Michael Usry Jr., Arrested Due to DNA Test: In fact, almost the entire time they had me in the interrogation room with the one-way mirror and all, they really didn't want to give me any information. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. Maybanks said it's likely nobody will ever know why Burns committed the crime. Distractify is a registered trademark. 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. '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? They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. Thus began the quest to finally nab Martinko's killers. The state'suse of genetic testing to convict an Iowa man in a 40-year-old cold case was unconstitutional, according to a motion filed in Linn County court. 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. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns thanks his family for their support as he 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. In 2006, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department was tipped with an update. 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. 'Mr. Curtis Rogers created the biggest public database, called GEDmatch, that's now used by police to solve crimes. Here's the Update in His Case. 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. This is part of our regular series on the Leading Edge of science and technology. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. Police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, on Wednesday morning in the decades-old fatal stabbing. He built a new home on land his parents once farmed and constructed a gas station and convenience store near where he lived. 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. The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". On December 19, 2018, exactly 39 years after Martinko's murder, the police confronted Burns and arrested him after his DNA matched the one found on Martinko's clothes. Martinko was found dead of stab wounds on December 19, 1979, in the parking lot of a mall where she had gone shopping for a coat. It took around a month for police to process Usry's DNA to see if it matched the DNA from the crime scene. The music books either were dropped somewhere police didn't searched or the killer disposed of them, he said. 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. pic.twitter.com/0rGdwIk89N. Get exclusive subscriber content and more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. He played in college for the Michigan Wolverines before Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. In October 2006, DNA information that was retrieved from the crime scene was sent to the Combined DNA Index System, CODIS. An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. 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. Jerry Burns has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Michelle Martinko, whose killing remained unsolved for decades until the advent of investigative Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. Years after Michael Usry Jr. was cleared, further genetic genealogy helped authorities identify the man they believe is Angie Dodge's real killer. WebJerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. This is the moment of reckoning for him and the moment, long awaited, of resting peace for Michelle.. The detective on the case, Matt Denlinger, gave me some interesting details. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. Michelle Martinko had planned to attend Iowa State University before her death in 1979. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. Burns was arrested and questioned when his DNA matched that of some found on Martinko's clothes at the time of her murder. The police chief at the time, Ray Baker, said the fatal stabbing "outraged the whole community.". And then police learned Usry had traveled through Idaho. WebJerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested Wednesday morning and is facing a first-degree murder charge in the case. Plus, he made these grisly, violent low-budget films. Burns argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress where the warrantless Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The Kennedy High School senior had drivento the mall after a school choir banquet to shop for a new winter coat. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. It's becoming such a powerful crime-fighting tool. I mean, I think that every person that has ever died or been killed or raped or whatever deserves to have justice done. And, more importantly, the decisions that you make about your genomic privacy can be overridden by anybody, not only in your immediate family tree. New York University's Erin Murphy, who studies genetics and the law, sees Usry's ordeal as a cautionary tale. "When they commit to helping a family, as in this case, looking into the eyes of parents who lost an 18-year-old girl and said, 'Were going to find the answer to what happened to her,' that the public can trust that theyre going to do that, even if it takes generations to do it. Burns maintained his innocence in pretrial hearings and throughout the trial, but the jury took only three hours to reach a verdict after hearing DNA evidence. Burns is facing charges of first-degree murder and will make his first appearance in Linn County Court on December 20, police said. 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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. 2 After the verdict was read and court was adjourned, they stood and embraced as Martinko's friends around them wept. Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. 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. Genetic testing was key to the state's case against Burns. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. Then for proof. He also said it was difficult to believe that law enforcement never came across such information in the nearly 40 years of investigation. Spies, in his motion, said evidence of a regularly scheduled music lesson gives credence to the possibility that her attacker was familiar with her routine. During the original investigation, detectives compiled a list of more than 80 potential suspects. All rights reserved. Thank you. District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. Additionalconcerns were raised in the motion about the jury-building process, instructions given to the jury andtestimony fromstate witnesses. With Burns having been found guilty and in prison, however, Martinko's family finally has some sense of closure. Considering Retiring From The Practice of Law? Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. It can also accuse the wrong person. Cedar Rapids Police Department https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/a-father-took-an-at-home-dna-test-his-son-was-falsely-accused-of-murder. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover reads aloud a motion for a new trial filed by Burns at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Burns, who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, remains in jail on a $5 million, cash-only bail. But he also said his private investigator had uncovered new evidence that wasn't discovered until June. "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," she said. Previous coverage:Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer. 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. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns was arrested 39 years after killing Michelle Martinko (Image via Youtube) Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the Spies asserted that the way authorities went about obtaining DNA from Burns and his family members to prove his DNA was found at the crime scene was a violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. 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. 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 She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. Jerry Lynn Burns' mugshot. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (CBS2/FOX28) It's the cold case murder that's haunted Cedar Rapids for 35 years. WebThe Chilling Case Of Jerry Lynn Burns 10 views May 30, 2022 2 Dislike Share Save FourWaller ** 227 subscribers Michelle Martinko was an 18yr old student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. 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. And, recently, a Florida judge granted a warrant on one case to let police in even more. 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. 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 Michelle Martinko in the parking lot of Westdale Mall on December 19, 1979. Heretrievedit after Burns left it behind, according to search warrants. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. Investigators saw Burns eating at a Pizza Ranch in Manchester. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. BREAKING: Arrest made in the homicide of Michelle Martinko in 1979. pic.twitter.com/3mhKyLbNo9, Online records show that Burns has no criminal record in Iowa other than minor traffic infractions, reports CBS Iowa. 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. But they're not upset about people getting caught. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. ", "This is Michelles day," he added. Decades after the death, he had a voice in the first-degree murder sentencing of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester. Defense attorney Leon Spies declined to comment immediately following the verdict. But when she got her results, she tried something new. 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. It was a case, Cedar Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Powered by. (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. Experts in 2018built a male profile based on DNA left at the scene of Martinko's death. Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in Linn County this morning on a video monitor from jail where he had his bail set at $5 million. Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I can't imagine anyone saying, I don't want to help these families. More:DNA leads federal investigators to suspected serial killer in Iowa; Clark Perry Baldwin charged with killing 3 women in 1990s. In my case, it's used by the police to try to link me to a crime. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWWL) - State prosecutors called a former cellmate of Jerry Burns in his murder trial, which continued Tuesday in Scott County. The sample was put into a national computer database and was used to clear more than 70 of Martinkos acquaintances, according to NBC News. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. Rogers initially built it so people like Brandy Jennings could use their DNA results to build out their family tree. Burns will have the rest of his life to ask for forgiveness and beg for mercy on his soul, but if he doesn't, at least he won't get to block it out anymore. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. And then it takes a few days for it to upload and analyze, and I just kind of forgot about it. After her death, authorities described Martinkos murder as personal in nature. Police also said that Martinko had defensive wounds, indicating that she had tried to fight her killer. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. In January 2019, he pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Follow the Register on Facebook and Twitter for more news. "The community is in shock, his friends are in shock, his family is in shock. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. A pathologist said the fatal stab wound was to her heart and that she bled to death. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. 1, 2021 3:52 pm668d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Apr. Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. WebJerry Burns, 67 - Manchester | Free Public Reputation Profile Home People Search B IA Manchester Jerry Burns Not the right Jerry Burns? Nsikan Akpan, Rhana Natour His mark on the world, and the sum of his life, will be a short notice, saying: Convicted Martinko murderer dies in prison,' Stonebraker bluntly said. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. But more than 60 suspects were eliminated and the case ran cold. 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. Tonight, William Brangham is back to explore the growing privacy debate around this new technique and why some people are urging that we slow down. Investigators covertly collected a straw used by Burnsto test his DNA. The mandatory penalty for first-degree murder in Iowa is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. 28, 2023 6:50 pm2d ago, Orlan Love - correspondent Sports 3h ago3h ago, Jeff Johnson Minor League Sports 20m ago20m ago. Michael Usry Jr. was cleared. 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. The police considered the murder personal in nature based on the manner of death, according to Little Village magazine. In one of those profiles, authorities said there were fewer than one in 100 billion unrelated individuals who would have had the same profile. When Burns finished eating, he got up and walked out of the restaurant. The couple was married in April 1975 in Manchester, Iowa, four years before Martinkos murder. A woman in Washington was linked to the suspect, and authorities eventually zeroed in on Burns. Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester has been arrested and charged with 1st degree murder in the cold case murder of 18 yr old Michelle Martinko. Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. 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. 2023 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved. A covert DNA sample was matched to blood found at the crime scene. During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. In this video, I interviewed Robert Riley, one of the administrators for the Michelle Martinko Cold Case 1979 Facebook page. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. ", Our first look at Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, of Manchester after he was arrested this morning for first-degree murder in the 1979 homicide case of Michelle Martinko.Burns will appear in Linn County District Court tomorrow morning. Police questioned Burns at work in Manchester, Iowa where he denied killing Martinko. "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. (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. Jerry Lynn Burns was sentenced to live in prison Credit: Cedar Rapids Police Department. Authorities believe Burns stabbed the Kennedy High School senior in the chest and face inside a car parked at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids. The family of Jerry Burns would like to thank our friends and the Manchester community for the support we have received since Jerrys arrest, read the familys statement. She never had any school problems. Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. District Judge Fae Hoover on Dec. 9 agreed to move the trial to the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport. An hour before announcing Burns arrest, police in Cedar Rapids tweeted that there had been a major development in Martinkos murder.