The media showed up and then it was real. Martinko was a senior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. Jerry Burns Sentenced to Life in Prison for Michelle View Others View Public Details & Court Records See Who's Searching for You See Sites with Your Personal Info Make Changes to What Other's See Lock Sections of Your Profile Request Personal Reviews & 'A complete shock': Family of suspect in Martinko murder releases statement, Game of Thrones author George R.R. Decades after the death, he had a voice in the first-degree murder sentencing of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester. Jerry Lynn Burns, 66, was found guilty in Februaryof first-degree murderin the 1979 stabbing death of18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Jerman, Cedar Rapids' police chief, credited police and investigators who "showed tenacity and dedication" over the four decades it took to take the case to trial, and the Linn County Attorney's Office for its role in Burns' arrest and prosecution. 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. "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. accused of killing Michelle Martinko begins hearing In January 2019, he pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set. I kept asking questions, like, did somebody I know do something horrible? ", 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. Predictions were made for ancestry and facial features, police said. Years after Michael Usry Jr. was cleared, further genetic genealogy helped authorities identify the man they believe is Angie Dodge's real killer. (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. Usry was targeted because investigators, using an early form of genetic genealogy, linked his father's DNA to DNA from the murder scene. Experts in 2018built a male profile based on DNA left at the scene of Martinko's death. Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. I don't know why this upsets people. 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. He Felt Like He Had Won Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? 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. 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. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. A man named Brian Dripps, who was her neighbor, was charged with rape and murder and will go on trial in 2021. It can also accuse the wrong person. Of course I want those people, serial killers and murderers and terrible rapists, to be caught. Stonebraker said he is sad for the Burns family and wanted to 'wish them well.. And, finally, after maybe about an hour or two, they had to just basically go, no, we think that you you were involved with this crime. He was convicted of first-degree murder For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm William Brangham. According to KWWL, at the sentencing, Stonebaker said that Burns stole those 39 years and many more from a sweet smart, talented girl who never got her chance at college, a career, marriage, children and by now, even grandchildren.. Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. But he also said his private investigator had uncovered new evidence that wasn't discovered until June. (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. Usry's dad seemed too old to be the killer, but Michael was not. 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. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@dmreg.com or on Twitter @TDavisDMR. (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. And, more importantly, the decisions that you make about your genomic privacy can be overridden by anybody, not only in your immediate family tree. A need Mr. Burns kept hidden all his adult life. Police chief believes DNA 'snapshots' were money In 2006, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department was tipped with an update. The music books either were dropped somewhere police didn't searched or the killer disposed of them, he said. On the night of December 19th, 1979 someone killed 18-year-old Michelle Martinko inside her car in the parking lot at the new Westdale, The Mystery of Michelle Martinko: The Story Behind the Facebook Page. 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. ", 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. Copyright 2023 Distractify. Follow reporter Anna Spoerreon Twitter at@annaspoerre. Offender Information Until now, Stonebraker said. In my case, it's used by the police to try to link me to a crime. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. ", Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said shevividly remembersthe day classmates sobbed after they learned of the stabbing. Investigators then narrowed down family trees of great grandparents to a first cousin and then Burns and his two brothers. He joined the flagship PBS program in 2015, after spending two years with PBS NewsHour Weekend in New York City. KWQC (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. Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. How at-home DNA tests helped solve this 30-year-old murder, Use of online DNA databases by law enforcement leads to backlash and website changes. Laymon said she and Martinko were in a self-defense class together, but added that "no amount of self-defense could have saved her from that.". Cedar Rapids Police Department Five years ago, Michael Usry Jr., largely because his father had done DNA testing, ended up in a police station in downtown New Orleans. It took around a month for police to process Usry's DNA to see if it matched the DNA from the crime scene. At the time of arrest, Burns had his own power-coating company called Advanced Coating Concepts. Michelle Martinko - Jerry Burns appeal may All Rights Reserved. "For Michelles family and friends, we know that the pain of losing a daughter, sister or friend will never go away," Jermansaid. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (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. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County Court. He faces a first-degree murder charge after investigators say they found his blood at the crime scene. But, months later, Jennings was shocked to learn that police had used her DNA information from that public Web site, and used a technique called genetic genealogy to identify the killer in a 40-year-old cold case in Iowa. 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. And then it takes a few days for it to upload and analyze, and I just kind of forgot about it. First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said the information wouldn't have changed the verdict. It was almost like a dream. John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. GUILTY - IA - Michelle Martinko, 18, stabbed to 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. 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 said 'somebody else stabbed Martinko that night. 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. A covert DNA sample was matched to blood found at the crime scene. By William Brangham, Rhana Natour, Nsikan Akpan. In 2018, Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested and charged with the teen's murder and, although it had been decades after the crime, the once cold case is now a subject of discussion on A&E's Killer Cases. Using newer technology, Cedar Rapids police last yearcreated profiles fromDNA procured from case evidence in 2006. WebJerry Burns, 67 - Manchester | Free Public Reputation Profile Home People Search B IA Manchester Jerry Burns Not the right Jerry Burns? On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch, developed based on descriptions provided by two witnesses, of the man they believed stabbed Martinko. 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. When Burns finished eating, he got up and walked out of the restaurant. More than 60 were tested and cleared. But not everyone is so eager to have their DNA end up in a police dragnet. When 18-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa resident Michelle Martinko went missing on Dec. 19, 1979, it became a case that soon ran cold. The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved. Jerry Lynn Burns faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Michelle Martinko. He pointed out that Martinko's sister and brother-in-law said Martinko didn't take organ lessons; Carma Lou's House of Music wasn't in Westdale; and none of the many witnesses who testified at trial about seeing Martinko at the mall that night never mentioned it. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. There had been no signs to indicate the killing had been a sexual assault or robbery. 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. The main argument from Burns' defense team was that the evidence used in the case from back in 1979 was mishandled at the time, but on Feb. 24, 2020, Burns was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. Follow the Register on Facebook and Twitter for more news. A father took an at-home DNA test. His son was then falsely - PBS At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. But more than 60 suspects were eliminated and the case ran cold. 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. 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. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. Burns then turned toward his family, sitting in the courtroom, and thanked them for their support. She wasn't crying so much as gasping, choking. 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. 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. Heretrievedit after Burns left it behind, according to search warrants. At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. Please logout and login again. YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. Aug. 7, 2020 6:12 pm, Updated: Aug. 7, 2020 8:23 pm. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. A pathologist said the fatal stab wound was to her heart and that she bled to death. William Brangham, Nsikan Akpan (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover as she reads Burns' sentence at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. But her sister Janelle and Janelles husband John Stonebaker were present at Burns sentencing. It lies in a 'deeply selfish, lifelong personal need. The only way Burns DNA couldve ended up in two spots in the crime scene, Maybanks concluded, was if Burns was the murderer. CEDAR RAPIDS - The Martinko family lived without answers for 39 Christmases. Now in his late 60s, Burns is currently behind bars and will stay there till he dies. Jerry Lynn Burns' DNA sample was collected from a plastic straw he drank soda with. During the original investigation, detectives compiled a list of more than 80 potential suspects. Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 29, 2023 9:23 am1d ago, Crime and Courts Apr. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. "Those were issues that we raised earlier and we wanted toreurgethem in hopes that the court reexamines them," Leon Spies, Burns' attorney, told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. During the trial, he initially denied knowing Martinko but his statements were found to contradict when his defense argued that evidence had been mishandled back in 1979 and that different articles of clothing from the crime scene should not have been stored together in one evidence bag. But there's some. If found guilty of his first-degree murder charges, he'll face life in prison. Investigators covertly collected a straw used by Burnsto test his DNA. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. (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 was sentenced to live in prison Credit: Cedar Rapids Police Department. (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. (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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed Dec. 19, 1979, Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. "She finally got justice. Rhana Natour. 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. The police considered the murder personal in nature based on the manner of death, according to Little Village magazine. "Ialso feel bad for, you know, his current family and friends because now they have to go through all this as well.". Michelle Martinko slaying: Jerry Burns' found guilty of murder in 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. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Before 6th Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover sentenced Burns to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Burns, who never showed any emotion during his trial in February, gave a short statement. Thank you. 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 Distractify is a registered trademark. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Jerry Burns was born on December 23, 1953. 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. Police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, on Wednesday morning in the decades-old fatal stabbing. This week in 1979 someone killed Michelle Martinko at Westdale Mall. She was 18 years old. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. His family and friends remained seated after Martinkos family left the courtroom. 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 Killer who brutally stabbed The third brother was Jerry Lynn Burns (Burns), the defendant in this case. 28, 2023 6:50 pm2d ago, Orlan Love - correspondent Sports 3h ago3h ago, Jeff Johnson Minor League Sports 20m ago20m ago. WebMichelle fought back and was able to injure Jerry, who bled on the gear handle and Michelles dress. His trial was most recently set to begin Oct. 14, but was delayed afterBurns' defense team requested additionaltime to review new evidence and witnesses. on straw leads to conviction in 1979 murder The brothers were eliminated as suspects during the investigation. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Laymon said.