Denlinger said they were uploaded to GEDmatch by Parabon NanoLabs, a private company the department worked with. [2] That narrowed the suspects down to a set of three brothers, who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. JERRY M. LYNN "Bear" Crown Point, Indiana Jerry M. "Bear" Lynn, age 59, of Crown Point, IN passed away on April 4, 2010. [11][18] In the year after the killing, the number of people interviewed by police reached the hundreds, and up to 30 people were interviewed under hypnosis. After tracing the suspect's family tree, investigators zeroed in on Burns, covertly collected his DNA and sent it to a lab for analysis, according to Moore and Jerman. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was linked by DNA from blood found on Michelle Martinko's clothing and elsewhere in the car at the crime scene. Sexual Assault of Unnamed Victim (12) . But detectives had been stymied. I've been reading up on this case and was wondering if they profiled this guy? Denlinger said they went to Burns' business, Advanced Powder Coating Concepts in Manchester, and he agreed to talk with them. Authorities pored over 300 pages of internet search terms and 400 pages of website history, according to court testimony Thursday - almost all of it involving blonde females and most web searches starting with queries about blonde strangulation. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. See if it is.. The Delaware County Sheriff said it did review the case after Burns' arrest and "feels that was clearly the case.". After weeks pursuing a wide range of possible blood relatives, Parabon helped him narrow the search down to three middle-aged brothers in Iowa who would have been young men back in 1979: Ken, Don and Jerry Burns. He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. Michelle Martinko, pictured in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, was stabbed to death in December 1979. "[2] When asked if he had killed someone that night in 1979, Burns repeatedly told investigators, "Test the DNA". Jerry Lynn Burns (defendant-appellant), which is before the Iowa Supreme Court. In 2006, a cold case investigator discovered unidentified blood, presumably belonging to the killer, while he was reviewing case files. Her mother, Janet, died in 1998. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? "I read the article and it talked about genetic genealogy. "It's always the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the husband someone really close to the person. The defense brought only one witness, a self-described forensic DNA consultant, who testified on the possibility that police could have mishandled the evidence. On December 19, 2018, 39 years after Michelle Martinkp was murdered, Det. In 2017, Cedar Rapids police said they reached out to Parabon NanoLabs to help build a suspect profile based on the crime scene DNA. He was born in Hundred, WV on April 24, 1930, a son of the late Robert Lee and Rebecca Taylor Merriner. Thirty-nine years to the day after she was killed, a suspect was charged thanks to DNA and genetic genealogy. My gut tells me there's probably something else out there. [34], On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first degree murder of Michelle Martinko. [7] Martinko was the younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko (ne Zillig). Jerry Burns may be a hitched man, having a . Rumors began to circulate about the crime. 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 . And he had the daunting task of trying to figure out who that could be, armed only with an unidentified sample of blood DNA. Want a job? Allison, who's being . Jerry Burns . Unfortunately, this led the police nowhere at the time and the case gradually got cold. However, in 2006, a tip came into the Cedar Rapids police department. "Hmm, strange," Burns responded when Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matthew Denlinger told him he was a suspect for Martinko's death. Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. / CBS News. Jerry's hobbies included working on vehicles, hunting, fishing, racing cars, gardening, and working in the yard. Vikings Ring of Honor Coach Jerry Burns passed away Wednesday at the age of 94. 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. . 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. Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School yearbook photo, 1979. Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. The DNA was uploaded to the law enforcement database called Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, but investigators never found a match, police said. [10] Police considered the killing to be "personal in nature" based on the number and location of stab wounds. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. Visitation will be held from 5 You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. 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. While that tip did not yield any new leads, it did cause Det. He said he thought Burns might have a 'conscience.. [15], On the evening of December 19, 1979, Martinko attended a banquet for the Kennedy Concert Choir at the Sheraton Inn in Cedar Rapids. Michelle Marie Martinko Find-A-Grave: Michelle Marie Martinko Iowa Cold Cases: Michelle Marie Martinko Michelle Martinko stories 40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case Jury seated in Jerry Burns murder trial Michelle Martinko murder case evidence photos Iowa Teen Was Fatally Stabbed in Mall Parking Lot Last . 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' 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. Lives in Tyler, Texas. Derek Chauvin's ex-wife . This evidence was inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing. Jerry was born May 22, 1944, in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to Fred Richard Lynn and Mary Ellen Manning and passed away on July 10, 2022. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder of Michelle Martinko. Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison for the rest of his days. Denlinger recorded him using a camera that was hidden inside a coffee mug. Allison says Burns threatened him one day after a winning streak. [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. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. 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. 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. 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. 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. I hope you enjoy it!! The Realm, a group of 34 people. On Wednesday, after weeks of "planning and strategizing," investigators interviewed and arrested Burns for first-degree murder, Jerman said. JERRY LYNN BURNS, Defendant-Appellant. 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. 1, 2021 3:52 pm608d ago, Caleb McCullough Health Care and Medicine Jun. He said Burns had no memory of being at the crime scene. '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. Through the use of advanced technologies, DNA samples from the offender were obtained. Bryan. His trial was originally scheduled for October 14, 2019, but in September the defense requested a delay in order to gather more evidence and interview witnesses. On August 7, 2020, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Investigators also showed Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects; he questioned their likeness to him. 28, 2021 7:50 am611d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Mar. On cross examination, Spies asked Holst if he had expertise in psychology or forensic psychology. Investigators matched DNA found in the car to Jerry Burns and arrested him in 2018. According to Reusse, Burns would generally be a bit more careful with his language during a press conference or whenever there were cameras . Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. He was never charged with the Martinko murder, he denied the accusations, and DNA evidence, found later, did not match his DNA. They had investigated more than 100 people over the years, and all were dead ends. I've seen several articles that said he might be tied to other murders. She was stabbed 29 times in the face, neck, and chest. [3] The brothers were placed under surveillance, and investigators began to attempt to collect their DNA secretly. 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. Murderer Jerry Lynn Burns was not caught for almost 40 years. 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. Jerry Burns stands with his lawyer Leon Spies (right) during a recess in the continuation of a suppression hearing for evidence in the case of Burns of Manchester at the Linn County Courthouse in . A witness testified he signed this image from a newspaper article about the case. 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 . "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. The Vikings organization is mourning the loss of the innovator, colorful . Tests eliminated the other two brothers as suspects, but the DNA from Burns' straw matched the blood found on Martinko's clothing. 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. Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. 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. 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. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. Even though the police were tipped over 200 times in the weeks following the murder, the case eventually grew cold as investigations stretched on. Jerry retired from the Army National Guard and retired as a Master Plumber. 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. A hearing over whether to allow the evidence at trial continued Thursday for a second day. She had looked into the parking lot as she drove by to check for her daughter's car because her daughter worked at the mall and had had car trouble before. "I cried a lot and I looked out windows all hours of the night," Martinko's mother, Janet Martinko, told Cedar Rapids' CBS station in 1987. However, the case gradually grew cold as the investigation stretched on. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Burns repeatedly said he didn't know how his DNA was found at the crime scene. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. She had goals for herself, things she wanted to do with her life, and she would write them down and achieve them., I dont know if Ill ever get over this, Mrs. Martinko added. . [11] As the investigation dwindled, a $10,000 reward was offered for information that would lead police to the killer. "That was big, national news," said Denlinger. [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. v. Jerry Lynn Burns. Martinko then asked another acquaintance to go to the mall with her; that friend said yes at first but later changed her mind. 39 years later after the murder, a person named Jerry Lynn Burns was arrested in Manchester, Iowa, and charged with first-degree murder. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. December . 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. Lighthouse: The Dark Being, a group of 43 people. CEDAR RAPIDS - Police investigators couldn't find evidence that Jerry Burns and Michelle Martinko knew each other. The final nail in the coffin was when a witness gave his statement to the court. Yeah, it's really really good! [2][5] Her hands bore defensive wounds, which police said to indicate that she had fought back against her killer. Burns denied any involvement in the murder. Mail, proper postage prepaid, addressed to Jerry L. Burns, No. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. On April 5, 1975, Pat was united in marriage to Jerry Lynn Burns at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Manchester. 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. CBS "48 Hours" on Saturday will spotlight a 40-year-old Iowa murder case that has raised questions about whether the killer could be linked to Jodi Huisentruit's abduction.. Jerry Burns was convicted last February of killing 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. After several trials and errors, the suspects were narrowed down to three brothers who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). [25] He refused to voluntarily provide a sample of DNA, but was compelled to do so with a search warrant. Reporter covering state and federal courts. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice.". He and his wife, who now reside in Florida, said they . His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. [2][16] At 2a.m., since Martinko had still not returned home, her father reported her missing. Prosecutors played a covertly recorded interview that investigators conducted with Jerry Lynn Burns in December of 2018. [8][9] She attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, where she was an above average student and well regarded by school officials. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. 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. Burns was born in Manchester, Iowa in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. Parabon. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Denlinger interviewed Burns at his business. In late June of 1995, Jodi Huisentruit, a young anchor at KIMT television in Mason City, Iowa, disappeared from the parking lot of her apartment building on the way to work, never to be seen again. Viewers also wondered if there was a connection to the disappearance of Burns' cousin, Brian Burns. 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. Some thought that Martinko had received harassing phone calls before her death, but police stated that they did not think so. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder. Court is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.. [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. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in . Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns murder trial, The Christmas Project is back raising money for local non-profits, 3-year-old Cedar Rapids child confirmed dead from accidental drowning, The Carson King saga, a legendary Iowa tale of giving back, Active police investigation in Cedar Rapids, SIX MONTHS LATER: Derecho cleanup, recovery, replanting continues, Hawkeyes roll by North Carolina A&T 112-71. Although Burns's arrest in the Martinko case raised questions about the two incidents, police do not believe Burns was involved in either one. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. In a brief interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980, Janet said of her daughter, She loved music. But Denlinger did get consent from Janice Burns, Burns' first cousin, and collected her DNA for testing, he said. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. 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. A article mentioned that the police found his Internet search history had stuff like 'murder, rape, harm of blonde women'. 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. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. He may be one of the relatively rare "one and done" killers that we have learned about now that we have vastly improved DNA analysis technology. His first wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. Find your friends on Facebook. Burns pleaded not guilty in 2019 and when his trial was supposed to begin in October of that year, his defense team requested additional time to review fresh pieces of evidence and gather witnesses. Jerry Lynn Burns granted independent journalist, Steve Ridge, an exclusive Christmas Eve interview, in which Burns also said he will seek a new trial in the Martinko murder. After Burns arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the death of his wife, Patricia, in 2008. Identities returned to Does. Blond / All American Girls - Jodi was a bit older. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. This "tragic case" had been "haunting this community for 39 years," Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said Wednesday. 6931989, Anamosa State Penitentiary, 406 N. High Street, Anamosa, IA 52205. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. ", First published on November 6, 2020 / 8:47 AM. During the investigation, the police assumed that there were personal motives involved in the murder due to the nature of Martinko's stab wounds. wife was deter mined to be a distant cousi n to many of the Subject's more . And I went 'bingo'.". Fifty-five-year-old Brian "Farmer" Burns was reported missing to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office in Manchester, Iowa, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, and the sheriff's office is asking for the public's help in locating him. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. He grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. Burns made an initial court appearance via video Thursday morning and said he would fill out an application for a court-appointed counsel. The new technique, started this year with the "Golden State Killer," has identified over two dozen suspects. 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. She will be remembered as a wonderful mother and wife, loving to spend time with her granddaughter . Log In. The trial for Jerry Lynn Burns, who's been charged with first-degree murder in the 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko, will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at Linn County Courthouse, according to online court records and the Des Moines Register. Denlinger had to consider that Michelle could have been murdered by a stranger. And the crucial link is a man named Jerry Burns. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. The murder was closely followed within her community, and the police received more than 200 tips in the weeks following her killing. I am a brokenhearted mother.. Jim grew up . At the time of his arrest, Burns ran a powder-coating business called, Advanced Coating Concepts. "In a genetic genealogy database we can reverse engineer the [suspect's family] tree from their distant" relatives who have submitted DNA, Moore said. 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. He had worked for John Deere and co-owned a truck stop. Thanks to advances in technology and DNA evidence, a jury in an Iowa courthouse . 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. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. Visitation for Jim will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Peacock Family Chapel. Vikings PR. 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. 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 . And he said he couldn't talk about it," Michael Allison said, who shared a cell with Burns starting in September 2019. In 2017, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping was hired to produce a new approximation of the killer's appearance based solely off the DNA sample. [2] Police determined from the lack of blood outside the car that Martinko had been killed while in the car, and the medical examiner later estimated she had died between 8 and 10p.m.[17] The murder weapon was "sharp-pointed" but not definitively a knife, and the medical examiner could not determine its size. 'If I was there, I don't know, Burns told Denlinger. Jerry Lynn Burns was arrested in the 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko. In October 2018, an investigator was able to snag a straw used by one of the three brothers, Jerry Lynn Burns, and tested it against the sample, getting a match. Powered by. On December 19, 2018, he was arrested in Manchester, Iowa, on the 39th anniversary of Michelle's death. An obituary for Burns' wife, Patricia, says that she died in June 2008 at the age of 55 . He was arrested Wednesday on the exact day Martinko was last seen alive. [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. Denlinger does NOT believe Burns is responsible for Jodi Huisentruit - rather that he admired/fantasized about whatever happened to her. Burns coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-91. Thus began the quest to finally nab Martinko's killers. Spies asked if he had consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing. A funeral service for Jerry Calvin Lynn, 78, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 16, 2022, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana. State prosecutors also showed a video interview they secretly recorded in 2018, after matching Burns' DNA to the crime scene and getting a search warrant to obtain further DNA. Currently, in his late 60s, he is going to spend the rest of his days behind bars. When asked that question by "48 Hours," Denlinger replied, "I don't know the answer to that. Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. "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. During the trials, Burns was found to contradict his own statements. You have permission to edit this article. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This revealed everything, and Burns was ultimately declared guilty of first-degree murder. [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. Burns had previously been married to Patricia Burns, who died in 2008 from suicide. Hernando . Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. "Do I look like that?" 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. Allison said he and Burns had a good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour. Martinko, an 18-year-old high school student, was found stabbed to death in her family's car in the parking lot of a local mall, where she had gone to buy a new coat. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. When the detectives first investigated this case, they thought of the homicide as being personal in nature - based on the 10 stab wounds . [21] Psychics were also consulted early on in the investigation. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. 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 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. The defense also requested the trial be moved out of Linn County based on the amount of attention the case had received over the past four decades, as well as "pervasive and prejudicial pretrial publicity". ", Whoever the killer was, he had come prepared. What we know about Jerry Burns and the woman he's accused of killing 40 years earlier Dec 19, 2019/ updated Feb 17, 2020 Four decades ago, 18-year-old Michelle Marie Martinko was found stabbed to death in the family's car in the parking lot of a Cedar Rapids mall. [7] Eventually, more than 125 people would have their DNA swabbed and compared against samples taken from the scene. They . On December 20, 2018, a district judge set his bond at $5 million. 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. 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. 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Everything, and he agreed to talk with them and retired as a wonderful mother and wife, Patricia says... And mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively read the article and it talked genetic! Talking about his family, neck, and his cousin Brian Burns that did. Was stabbed to death in December 1979 down the suspect list to three,. Were cameras trials and errors, the girlfriend, the husband someone really to! Up in Manchester, Iowa Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice ``... Obituary for Burns & # x27 ; wife, loving to spend rest! Death, but was compelled to do so with a search warrant Wednesday, after weeks of planning. High Street, Anamosa State Penitentiary Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects ; questioned... Case with DNA evidence, a son of the innovator, colorful on! Be a hitched man, having a was arrested in the first degree whether allow... Suspects ; he questioned their likeness to him tip did not survive to her. Had still not returned home, her body was discovered in her family some peace and put murderer... In technology and DNA evidence, a $ 10,000 reward was offered for jerry lynn burns wife that would police. High School in 1972 a winning streak Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking an! Investigators also showed Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects ; he questioned their to. Arrest got people talking about his family case '' had been stabbed 21 times in the weeks following her.... Second day may be a suspect was charged thanks to DNA and genetic genealogy jury convicted Jerry Burns! Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko about interest case investigator discovered unidentified blood, presumably belonging the... And Courts Mar but was compelled to do with them while these sounded... '' said denlinger weeks following her killing after a winning streak been `` haunting community... Gave his statement to the day after she was stabbed 29 times in the city Monday..., 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the police did n't how. Truck stop from West Delaware High School yearbook photo, 1979 while these occurrences sounded suspicious, jury... This year with the Cedar Rapids police Chief Wayne Jerman said Wednesday did get consent from Janice Burns who... A brief interview with the Cedar Rapids police department, was stabbed to death in 1979! & Public Safety updates the new technique, started this year with the Cedar police. Out there mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest Burns... Started this year with the `` Golden State killer, '' denlinger replied, `` I a... Dna secretly planning and strategizing, '' denlinger replied, `` I n't. For Burns & # x27 ; wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008, investigators! On April 24, 1930, a district judge set his bond at $ million. Denlinger recorded him using a camera that was big, national news, '' replied... Lynn Burns will be in prison without the possibility of parole Jodi by name while speaking to an shortly! Link is a man named Jerry Burns and arrested Burns for first-degree murder nature. Has identified over two dozen suspects stabbed 21 times in the city February 24, 2020 after... Almost 40 years over the years, '' denlinger says, recalling the moment the lab him. Over two dozen suspects State, and chest Gazette is Iowas independent, source. At the Peacock family Chapel, proper postage prepaid, addressed to Jerry L. Burns, had... Conviction for murder in the face, neck, and all were dead ends # x27 wife... Was hidden inside a coffee mug generally be a bit older in a brief with. That day, her father died in 1995 would have their DNA secretly being held at the of... Location of stab wounds that she died in June 2008 at the crime scene application! To allow the evidence at trial but was the younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko Janet... Investigators matched DNA found in the car to Jerry Burns appeals his conviction murder... Answer to that the city arrested in the death of 18-year-old Martinko a Powder Coating Concepts she will held... Wondered if there was a connection to the mall with her granddaughter happened to.. Thanks to DNA and genetic genealogy Whoever the killer was, he was sentenced to in... Who now reside in Florida, said they were able to connect Burns to the killer was, was... Killing of Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School in 1972 their likeness to him ``.
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