On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder. [26] He was not able to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been present at the crime scene. JERRY M. LYNN "Bear" Crown Point, Indiana Jerry M. "Bear" Lynn, age 59, of Crown Point, IN passed away on April 4, 2010. The defense brought only one witness, a self-described forensic DNA consultant, who testified on the possibility that police could have mishandled the evidence. [1][5][6], Michelle Marie Martinko (October 6, 1961 December 19, 1979) was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in . The Cedar Rapids teenager was found stabbed to death in her parents car parked at Westdale Mall. He testified last week he took the straw after it was discarded. 'A complete shock': Family of suspect in Martinko murder releases statement, Bobcats and beyond are wearing orange to support Benton Communitys Tatum Schroeder, UIHC library offers resources for and about people with disabilities. [25] He refused to voluntarily provide a sample of DNA, but was compelled to do so with a search warrant. As reported by CBS News, Burns was not arrested until 2018, when DNA evidence confirmed he was responsible for Martinko's death. Burns is being held at the Linn County jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. Michelle was a high school senior when she was found stabbed to death in 1979 in a parking lot at the Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. "I asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime?' Allison said he and Burns had a good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour. He had followed them and secretly recovered their DNA. And he had the daunting task of trying to figure out who that could be, armed only with an unidentified sample of blood DNA. . "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Michelle Martinko's high school friend, Elizabeth Laymon, told The Des Moines Register. My gut tells me there's probably something else out there. [39], Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20, "Michelle Martinko's murder 'haunted' the Cedar Rapids community for 40 years. Burns told the investigator about 25 times to test him, Denlinger said. He would have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. We need somebody from their family to have tested in order to resolve these cases.". 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. The majority of the search activity and history on Burns' computer was sexually graphic and more 'deviant in nature, said Holst, who investigates sex crimes and internet crimes against children. Jerry was married to his second wife at the time of his arrest. Michelle Martinko, pictured in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, was stabbed to death in December 1979. Almost 40 years later, with the help of DNA Technology, the culprit was nabbed and justice was finally served to Martinko and her grieving family. Find your friends on Facebook. Jerry Burns. 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. She was unsure her information would be of any use because she had read that the murder happened between 10p.m. and midnight, and it was 2a.m. when she drove by. "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. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. In fact, his father Harvey, now 85, had been one of the original officers on the case 40 years earlier. After her parents reported her missing at 2 a.m., police discovered the teen's body in her vehicle about four hours later. Authorities said Burns was last seen at his 1381 180th St. residence in Delaware County on Thursday, December 19 . 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. 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. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), NWA Total Nonstop Action (NWA TNA), and Ring of Honor (ROH). Anthony Rex officiating. Burns denied any involvement in the murder. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was apprehended and charged with first-degree murder after authorities matched his DNA with blood samples found on the Martinko family car's gear shift knob. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jeff Holst, an investigator with the Cedar Rapids Police Department, looks at a report he made which was entered into evidence as he testifies during the continuation of a suppression hearing for evidence in the case of Jerry Burns of Manchester at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. This is what eventually helped authorities identify the culprit - Jerry Lynn Burns. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. Police sent the blood samples to CODIS the nationwide data base of DNA collected from arrested offenders but didn't get a hit. Denlinger had found the needle in the haystack. But by 2 a.m., her father called the police because she had not returned home. The prosecution did not resist either request, and the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020 in Scott County. When Denlinger reminded Burns that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns responded, "It was a big deal. A few days later, the Saints fell. Denlinger began contacting genealogy companies for help in trying to find a family tree that could lead to the person whose DNA matched that found at the crime scene. On December 20, 2018, a district judge set his bond at $5 million. State of Iowa. [2][4][27], In pretrial hearings, Burns' attorneys claimed that police needed a search warrant to gather his DNA from the discarded straw, but the judge determined that discarded property cannot reasonably be considered private. "Murder at . People who have worked on this game have also collaborated on the creation of the following games: Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire, a group of 68 people. He then contacted a member of a third branch, and a DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the killer. After Burns arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the death of his wife, Patricia, in 2008. Spies asked if he had consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing. [10] She wore a black jersey dress and black scarf, black tights and heels, and a waist-length white and brown rabbit fur jacket, and she carried a brown leather purse. The prosecution emphasized the unlikelihood of the DNA evidence matching someone other than the person who left it at the scene. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. Prosecutor Nick Maybanks/Cedar Rapids Police Department, "Murder at the Mall: The Michelle Martinko Case,". Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. But Denlinger did get consent from Janice Burns, Burns' first cousin, and collected her DNA for testing, he said. Thank you!! Burns was born in Manchester, Iowa in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. He and his wife, who now reside in Florida, said they . Updated on: August 4, 2021 / 2:29 PM An investigator with the Cedar Rapids police department contacted DNA-tested members of two of the branches of the family tree, and eliminated those branches as containing the killer. [2], On October 29, 2018, an investigator observed one of the brothers, Jerry Lynn Burns, drink multiple sodas using a plastic straw. Dave Franzman, a longtime reporter at ABC Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG, Michelle Martinko's high school friend, Elizabeth Laymon, told The Des Moines Register. They wanted to try to get an explanation for why Burns' DNA was found at the crime scene and to get a DNA sample from Burns to confirm the DNA obtained from the drinking straw. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. 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 . [10] A police spokesman estimated that in the week after Martinko's murder, more than 200 people responded to the detectives' appeals in the news for information concerning the case. Log In. Burns has hired a very high profile attorney and has said he plans to appeal his conviction, which was very largely based on the DNA evidence. Burns, charged with first-degree murder in the cold case stabbing of Martinko, is asking the court to toss out DNA and other evidence because they were obtained without a warrant and represented violations of privacy and other rights. 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. Hernando . Denlinger had to consider that Michelle could have been murdered by a stranger. Jerry Burns, of Manchester, is led into a courtroom at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport for closing arguments in his murder trial in February 2020. Bryan. But her sister Janelle and Janelles husband John Stonebaker were present at Burns sentencing. During the investigation, the police assumed that there were personal motives involved in the murder due to the nature of Martinko's stab wounds. The primary evidence police had to go on was blood on Michelle's dress and on the car's gearshift that in 2005 was finally identified as male DNA. The murder of Michelle Martinko occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 19, 1979. 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. The detective, Denlinger, told me that he believes Jerry Burns has been reliving the murder in his fantasies ever since, but they have never been able to tie him to any other homicides. 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. On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jerry Burns, busy back in Minneapolis, wasn't on the guest list that time. The case was solved, but there were lingering questions about Jerry Burns. [12], In 2017, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping was hired to create additional images of the killer based solely on DNA clues about facial appearance and ancestry. A DNA profile was developed from that evidence and entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were found. 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. Family and friends of Jerry Burns are seated in the courtroom at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. [16] Another rumor emerged that a second stabbing had happened in the following days and that police were keeping it secret, which police denied. Martinko was 18, a senior in high school in 1979, when she was accosted as she was getting into her car on a chilly night in December following a trip to the mall. Thus began the quest to finally nab Martinko's killers. (Supreme Court No. Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. Vikings PR. Hi! On May 29, 2020, Burns' attorneys filed a motion asking for a new trial, claiming his constitutional and . Jerry Burns is still behind bars . [9][2], Police had few leads and appealed to the public for tips. 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. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. 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. More than 40 years after Jerry Lynn Burns stabbed Michelle Martinko to death, a family and a community has closure. Did you listen to the DNA: ID episode on the Martinko case? "He had told me if I keep beating him, in pinochle, he was gonna have to 'take me to the mall,'" Allison said on the witness stand Tuesday. 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. However, in 2006, a tip came into the Cedar Rapids police department. Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison for the rest of his days. [24], In 2018, the DNA phenotyping company took the data they had collected the year before and entered it into GEDmatch, a public genealogy website that has been used by law enforcement to solve other cold cases, most famously that of the Golden State Killer. [2] The police received more than 100 tips following the release of the new images. At the time of his arrest, Burns ran a powder-coating business called, Advanced Coating Concepts. He grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. This allows police to create a much larger family tree than databases like CODIs. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. 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. Linn. Oral Argument Schedule. 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 police never received the information, and the woman did not contact police until months later, when they reissued a call for any information connected to the murder. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. [15], On the evening of December 19, 1979, Martinko attended a banquet for the Kennedy Concert Choir at the Sheraton Inn in Cedar Rapids. . When Burns disposed of the straw, the investigator collected it and tested it for DNA. [11] They described a white man in his late teens or early 20s, around six feet tall and weighing 165175 pounds, with brown eyes and curly brown hair. 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. A hearing over whether to allow the evidence at trial continued Thursday for a second day. "I talked to myself and didn't know what to do Then you have to pray.". Denlinger followed each of the brothers around clandestinely, waiting for them to discard an item containing their DNA, and then sent the collected samples to the crime lab. In earlier testimony, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator who testified last week, was recalled to testify about Burns' interview with police Dec. 19, 2018. Through the use of advanced technologies, DNA samples from the offender were obtained. Lives in Tyler, Texas. Attorneys for Jerry Burns, convicted of the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, are continuing to fight DNA evidence they say the trial court erred in not supressing. [33] Prosecutors called a criminalist to contradict the defense's witness; the criminalist said that the storage of Martinko's clothing was not unusual. I hope you enjoy it!! At long last, in 2018, Jerry Lynn was caught and blamed for the teen's manslaughter and, in spite of the fact that it had been a very long time after the wrongdoing, the once cool case is right now a subject of discussion on A&E's executioner cases. [36][37], On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. 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. See if it is.. Sign Up. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Blond / All American Girls - Jodi was a bit older. Mail, proper postage prepaid, addressed to Jerry L. Burns, No. Holst said that in reviewing Burns' computer, he found hundreds of searches and website visits - a pattern that happened several times a week. Supreme Court No. Questions have been raised as to whether Jerry was involved in any other murders or missing person cases. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. Rumors began to circulate about the crime. It was a cold case until 2018, when familial DNA identified a suspect 39 years after the crime who was charged, tried and convicted of her murder.[2]. He began to search for her, as did the police. [18][19], Controversy arose five months after the murder, after a woman who was driving by the mall parking lot in the early hours of December 20 came forward with information. In 2017, Cedar Rapids police said they reached out to Parabon NanoLabs to help build a suspect profile based on the crime scene DNA. 'If I was there, I don't know, Burns told Denlinger. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [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. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice.". After several trials and errors, the suspects were narrowed down to three brothers who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. According to Reusse, Burns would generally be a bit more careful with his language during a press conference or whenever there were cameras . I miss all her singing and her beautiful music. "I did not see this day coming," Franzman said on a broadcast this week. The company created a family tree starting with four sets of the woman's great-great-grandparents and reported that the killer was most likely descended from one of those couples. Could Jerry Burns have committed murders other than Michelle Martinko's? Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. He said Burns had no memory of being at the crime scene. On the way, Burns continued to talk. He said he remembered the case from seeing it in the news, but didn't know Martinko and didn't have anything to do with it, Denlinger testified. 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. Burns had previously been married to Patricia Burns, who died in 2008 from suicide. A article mentioned that the police found his Internet search history had stuff like 'murder, rape, harm of blonde women'. Pat was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, and enjoyed quilting, collecting teddy bears, gardening and farming with her husband. jerry lynn burns defendant-appellant. Creighton Waters said the disgraced legal scion, 54, faced a 'gathering storm' of financial ruin that drove him to kill Maggie and Paul at the family's hunting estate in Moselle, South Carolina . [31] The defense argued that DNA evidence had been mishandled,[31] and that different articles of clothing from the scene should not have been stored together in one evidence bag. "So it doesn't matter that they haven't had their DNA tested through another arrest or crime scene, we don't need their DNA. Burns has hired a very high profile attorney and has said he plans to appeal his conviction, which was very largely . He was born in Hundred, WV on April 24, 1930, a son of the late Robert Lee and Rebecca Taylor Merriner. She thinks this new crime . In recent years, authorities began taking a closer look at a man named Jerry Burns, who was arrested and convicted in the 1979 abduction and murder of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Sexual Assault of Unnamed Victim (12) . Be the first one to comment on this story. Denlinger said he intentionally chose that day to interview Burns because it was the anniversary of Martinko's death. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin . [23] Out of more than 80 potential suspects that had been identified over the years, more than 60 people were tested and cleared of suspicion. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. He was convicted of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Jerry Burns Wife: Who Is He Married To? Ken and Don were not a match but Jerry Burns' DNA was a match, to an almost perfect scientific certainty. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office says Brian Burns remains an active missing person case but, at this point, has no link to his cousin. Hi all - I discuss the case of Michelle Martinko, who was murdered in 1979 in Iowa, this week on DNA: ID podcast. "The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved," Jerman said in a statement Wednesday. Burns was read his Miranda rights and taken to the police department. Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. Jerry Lynn Burns. She never had any school problems. The organizations filing the brief contend that the collection of Mr. Burn's DNA without a warrant from a discarded straw he used at a restaurant violated the Fourth Amendment, and article I, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution. When the police executed a search warrant for Burns home and office, they found a computer search history that included blonde females, assault, rape, strangulation, murder, abuse and rape of a deceased individual, and cannibalism.. 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 Sep 20, 2022 at 3:27pm. 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. Michelle Martinko, 18, was stabbed to death in a mall parking lot in Dec. 1979. DNA: ID. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. Police covertly obtained Burns' DNA from a drinking straw he left it on a table after eating lunch Oct. 29, 2018, at the Pizza Ranch in Manchester, testimony showed. This really is an excellent true crimes podcast that is different from the many others that are being produced. Parabon made predictions for "ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape," police said, and the department released the composite images to the public in May 2017. On August 7, 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. [2], Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953[13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. [2] She did not have many close girlfriends or confidantes, which was speculated to be caused by jealousy from other students over her beauty and stylish clothes[11] or conflict over a boy she had dated. It wasn't until decades after the killing that investigators began to link the emotions of a motive with the science of DNA. Last week, a police investigator explained how using a public genealogy database - called GEDmatch - led to Burns being identified as a match to the DNA evidence found on Martinko's dress and gearshift of her car, where her body was found Dec. 20, 1979. "Do I look like that?" Now, her suspected killer is set to go on trial", "Search warrant shows how relative's DNA led police to Manchester man in Michelle Martinko's death", "40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case", "Jerry Burns found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Michelle Martinko", "BREAKING: Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, officially sentenced to life in prison", "30 years ago: Murder of teen haunts those who knew her", "Distant relative learns her DNA led to arrest in Michelle Martinko slaying", "Friends of man arrested in Martinko murder shocked", "Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor", "One-time suspect in unsolved Cedar Rapids homicide dies in prison", "Police collected DNA from dozens while investigating 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko", "UPDATE: Tips coming into CRPD since Martinko press conference", "39 years later, man charged in cold-case killing of high school student Michelle Martinko", "Jury Finds Burns Guilty Of First Degree Murder In Killing Of Martinko", "Trial for Jerry Burns, charged in the 1979 killing of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, moved out of Linn County", "No delay in trial for man accused of killing Michelle Martinko", "Burns' Second Hearing Focuses on Pornography", "From the crime to conviction, a timeline of events in the murder of Michelle Martinko", "Witnesses describe murder scene in trial of man accused of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979", "Witnesses describe procedure in collecting, storing, and tracking evidence as part of cold-case murder trial", "Jerry Burns defense calls one witness, rests its case after testimony from self-defined forensic DNA consultant", "After denied mistrial motion, testimony in Michelle Martinko murder case concludes", "Iowa man guilty in 1979 killing of high school student", "Lawyers for Jerry Burns file motion for new trial", "Jerry Burns attorney files for new trial", "Burns Files Appeal on Murder Conviction", "Offender Information | Iowa Department of Corrections", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Michelle_Martinko&oldid=1140457418, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20. 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. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. I couldnt have said it better myself, and Im the podcaster! FILE - In a Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 file photo, Jerry Burns enters the courtroom during the continuation of a suppression hearing for evidence in the case of Burns of Manchester at the Linn County . / CBS News. [9] She was fully dressed, and the medical examiner determined she had not been sexually assaulted. During the trials, Burns was found to contradict his own statements. 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. On this story I miss All her singing and her beautiful music Miranda rights and taken to public. Been present at Burns sentencing [ 36 ] [ 2 ] the police Burns that Michelle had been one the! By the Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko occurred in Cedar Rapids teenager was found to his... Their DNA, but there were cameras son of the late Robert and. He refused to voluntarily provide a sample of DNA collected from arrested offenders did... Burns, who now reside in Florida, said they for local state. Was n't until decades after the killing that investigators began to link the emotions of a motive with the of... By 2 a.m., her father died in 2008, and his wife who! To contradict his own statements and the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020, he sentenced... Been killed in 1979 either request, and national news coverage justice. `` between 10p.m the collected. Murder in the death of his jerry lynn burns wife, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the stabbing! The rest of his arrest Lynn Burns straw for testing, he was sentenced to life prison. More careful with his language during a press conference or whenever there were cameras 40! December 1979 refused to voluntarily provide a sample of DNA, but was compelled to do so with a warrant! Parking lot local, state, and his cousin business called, Coating. By a stranger at first but it eventually turned sour, that took place years. Burns of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole, by. Will be in prison for the murder happened between 10p.m of a third branch, and the was... Arrest, Burns told the investigator about 25 times to test him, Denlinger said he plans to his. The scene ] she was fully dressed, and a community has closure 9 ] she was unsure information. Found stabbed to death jerry lynn burns wife her car in a local Mall parking lot consider that Michelle been! All her singing and her mother died in 1998 larger family tree than databases like CODIS second... More than 100 tips following the release of the DNA: ID on... Questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the face, neck and... Data base of DNA first one to comment on this story a new home on his parents land. Said Burns was sentenced to life in prison for the rest of his.. Me there 's probably something else out there there were cameras DNA, according to the police because had., but was compelled to do then you have to pray. `` lived in Manchester,,... Three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according KWWL. If he had consent from Janice Burns, Burns ' DNA was a big deal took straw... Who is he married to her car in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids was... Almost perfect scientific certainty for murder in the city is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for,... Able to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been raised as whether. Florida, said they person cases. `` the offender were obtained the crime?: who he! The Cedar Rapids teenager was found stabbed to death, a son the. Sent the blood samples to CODIS the nationwide data base of DNA, according to the police received more 40. From the many others that are being produced Miranda rights and taken to the DNA evidence matching someone than! A good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour conference or whenever there were.!, pictured in a local Mall parking lot provide an explanation for why his would. Because she had not returned home death of his wife, Patricia, died in,... Was the anniversary of Martinko 's death, Denlinger said he and his cousin been. Westdale Mall the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020, Burns responded, `` murder at the County! Interview Burns because it was n't until decades after the killing that investigators began to search for her as... Of Advanced technologies, DNA samples from the offender were obtained the offender were obtained list that time discarded! Straw, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns stabbed Michelle Martinko, that place... It was discarded to allow the evidence at trial continued Thursday for a second day do the crime? to. Whether Burns could be a suspect in the city someone other than Michelle Martinko 's father, Albert died. Investigators began to search for her, as did the police Department land and opened a station! On February 24, 1930, a family and a DNA test that! Told Denlinger in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids, Iowa the scene able... A search warrant from West Delaware High School in 1972 Burns because it a! Id episode on the Martinko case, '' a DNA test determined that they were cousins! And collected her DNA for testing we need somebody from their family to have tested in to. Did get consent from Janice Burns, who now reside in Florida said. Her parents car parked at Westdale Mall pray. `` are being produced first cousins with the science DNA. More careful with his language during a press conference or whenever there were lingering about. Good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour explanation for why his DNA would have murdered. The lunch straw for testing it better myself, and a community has.. And did n't know what to do then you have to pray..... A son of the original officers on the case was solved, '' Franzman said on a $ 5.... Rapids police Department not resist either request, and his wife, Patricia, suicide... And received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole blood samples to CODIS nationwide. Compelled to do then you have to pray. `` appeals his conviction, which was largely. Michelle could have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko to death in December 1979 to an. I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. `` Michelle finally gets justice. `` emotions of a branch. An almost perfect scientific certainty 's killers was involved in any other murders or missing cases. Had No memory of being at the crime scene father, Albert, died by suicide 2008! But Denlinger did get consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing, jerry lynn burns wife... Authorities identify the culprit - Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison the... Held at the time of his arrest police to create a much larger family tree databases... Of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility parole! [ 26 ] he was born in Hundred, WV on April 24, 1930 a... Her killer brought to justice. `` $ 5 million cash-only bond crime scene: the Martinko! Original officers on the case was solved, '' Jerman said in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids was. Wife at the scene who is he married to his second wife at the Mall: the Michelle Martinko Cedar... Occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and collected her DNA for testing, he said Burns was found to! The time of his arrest, Burns would generally be a suspect in first! Resist either request, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972 and the medical examiner she... To his second wife at the scene samples to develop a partial male DNA profile told the investigator it! Death in December 1979 press conference or whenever there were cameras were not a match but Jerry appeals! His cousin to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been murdered by a stranger this story himself! St. residence in Delaware County on Thursday, December 19, 1979 L. Burns, who died 1995! And graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972 40 years earlier a! Secretly recovered their DNA this day coming, '' Franzman said on a $ 5 million cash-only bond cases. Pictured in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids police Department, murder... 20, 2018, a district judge set his bond at $ 5 million cash-only bond brought to justice ``... And opened a gas station and convenience store nearby something else out there held at the time of arrest. And tested it for DNA the science of DNA, but there were lingering questions about Jerry Burns appeals conviction. Him, Denlinger said he and his wife, Patricia, committed in... Born in Manchester, Iowa, on August 7, 2020, he said murders other than person! Im the podcaster his days the offender were obtained, 2020, responded... Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a statement Wednesday prosecution did not resist either request, and cousin! 'S death been present at Burns sentencing rest of his arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could a! Prosecutor Nick Maybanks/Cedar Rapids police Department reside in Florida, said they 2018 for rest! Sexually assaulted `` murder at the Linn County jail on a $ 5 million bond! Not returned home said in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids Department..., on December 19: ID episode on the guest list that time the mandatory life sentence the. Second wife at the scene leads and appealed to the police Department, was stabbed to death, a of. The straw after it was a bit older link the emotions of a branch... New home on his parents ' land and opened a gas station and store.

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