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. It was almost like a dream. He was ensnared because his father had. At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. He previously co-owned a truck stop near town. Get exclusive subscriber content and more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. In fact, it wasn't until years later that authorities even had a proper police sketch to seek help from the public in locating the man who killed her. "You and Michelle will forever be in our thoughts, and we are eternally grateful for your support, trustand confidence over the many years.". You can change your address if things get really dark. READ NEXT: Serial Killers Ex Thinks There Were More Victims, Parents of Murdered Teenager Did Not Live to See Her Killer Brought to Justice, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. The third brother was Jerry Lynn Burns (Burns), the defendant in this case. Jerry Lynn Burns WebJerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. WebThat morning police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@dmreg.com or on Twitter @TDavisDMR. Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. 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. Iowa cold case: Michelle Martinko's family says arrest brings joy ", "This is Michelles day," he added. Jerry Lynn Burns was sentenced to live in prison Credit: Cedar Rapids Police Department. But they're not upset about people getting caught. That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. An hour before announcing Burns arrest, police in Cedar Rapids tweeted that there had been a major development in Martinkos murder. The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. Curtis Rogers created the biggest public database, called GEDmatch, that's now used by police to solve crimes. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Laymon said. An obituary for Burns wife, Patricia, says that she died in June 2008 at the age of 55. 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. It was in May 2017 when officers announced that a composite sketch could be made from the DNA recovered. '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? DNA Collected Without Warrant Challenged in "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. Until now, Stonebraker said. The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved. An investigation provided the answer after all those years of who and why someone killed Martinko. I didn't have a close relationship with my dad, so maybe to find some family members and just kind of learn about his side, you know? Maybanks noted that even though Martinko interacted with at least half a dozen friends the night of her death, including at the mall, none of their DNA was found at the crime scene. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. Where Is Jerry Lynn Burns Now? 'Killer Cases' Explores His "One of the areas that continues to tug at my heart," Cedar Rapids' police chief said during a press conference last December, "was (Martinko's sister) expressed how sad their parents passed away without knowing who killed their daughter, Michelle. The media showed up and then it was real. Martinko was a senior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. Jerry Lynn Burns' mugshot. He has been charged, but notconvicted. Leads in the case resulted in dead ends until investigatorsused a genetic genealogy website to connect Burns' DNA to the crime scene. Burns' sentence also included that he wouldn't be eligible for parole. In my case, it's used by the police to try to link me to a crime. He faces a first-degree murder charge after investigators say they found his blood at the crime scene. In October 2018, DNA was covertly collected from an Iowa man, Jerry Lynn Burns, and was found to match the sample discovered on Martinko's clothing. Burns was arrested and, on February 24, 2020, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Martinko. On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Although Michelle was killed, her fighting spirit was a key to solving her case 40 years after the crime. (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. While Burns attorneys didnt offer an alibi for where he was the night of Martinko's murder, Spies did suggest that since Burns had been to Westdale Mall with his family before, DNA he left behind at the mall couldve transferred to Martinko while she was at the mall Dec. 19. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Police said in a statement that officers identified Burns as a suspect after DNA technology allowed them to create a composite sketch. To learn the entire story of Michelle Martinko's murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79. 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. 2 Jerry Burns sentenced to life for killing Michelle Martinko in 1979 Usry's dad seemed too old to be the killer, but Michael was not. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet 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. William Brangham: Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. (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. More:DNA leads federal investigators to suspected serial killer in Iowa; Clark Perry Baldwin charged with killing 3 women in 1990s. Maybanks said it's likely nobody will ever know why Burns committed the crime. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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. Michelle Martinko had planned to attend Iowa State University before her death in 1979. Murderer Jerry Lynn Burns was not caught for almost 40 years. More:Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor. 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. Because this moment has finally come. Burns Sentenced To Life In Prison For Martinko Murder, Plans To After the verdict was read and court was adjourned, they stood and embraced as Martinko's friends around them wept. It took around a month for police to process Usry's DNA to see if it matched the DNA from the crime scene. (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. She can be contacted at aspoerre@dmreg.com, 515-284-8387or on Twitter at@annaspoerre. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. 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. It was a case, Cedar After several trials and errors, the suspects were narrowed down to three brothers who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. 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. Distant relative learns her DNA He previously co-owned a truck shop and worked for John Deere. During this difficult time and as the justice system runs its course we ask that our privacy be respected.. 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. Burns said 'somebody else stabbed Martinko that night. They were so grateful to the Police Department for continuing to work on this case. Killer who brutally stabbed female high school senior to - The Sun All Rights Reserved. Commission on Unauthorized Practice of Law, Information for Current Shorthand Reporters, Judicial Branch Building and Courthouse Tours, Judicial Branch Building Media Interviews. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. "I wish my parents could be here to see this. Thank you. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Jerry Lynn Burns 'Mr. William Brangham Rogers initially built it so people like Brandy Jennings could use their DNA results to build out their family tree. "I wish my parents could be here to see this.". pic.twitter.com/0rGdwIk89N. Police suspected he'd been involved in the brutal 1996 rape and murder of an Idaho woman named Angie Dodge. By William Brangham, Rhana Natour, Nsikan Akpan. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. In one of those profiles, authorities said there were fewer than one in 100 billion unrelated individuals who would have had the same profile. pic.twitter.com/Pm9mA8kccv, Matt Hammill (@Matt_Hammill) December 20, 2018. Music is courtesy of FesliyanStudios. She never had any school problems. 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.. The state's search and seizure of Burns' and Burns' family members' DNA is a violation of the Fourth and 14th Amendments, according to the motion, and the court erred by not suppressing that evidence. 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. 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. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. The only way Burns DNA couldve ended up in two spots in the crime scene, Maybanks concluded, was if Burns was the murderer. (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. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of Jennings. She thinks this new crime-fighting tool is a great thing Stills of news coverage comes from Fox 28 and KCRG. YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Bailey Cichon Podcasts Apr. A man named Brian Dripps, who was her neighbor, was charged with rape and murder and will go on trial in 2021. Burns was arrested and questioned when his DNA matched that of some found on Martinko's clothes at the time of her murder. Then for proof. And, more importantly, the decisions that you make about your genomic privacy can be overridden by anybody, not only in your immediate family tree. Spies argued that if the defense had this evidence at trial, jurors might have come back with a different verdict. But he also said his private investigator had uncovered new evidence that wasn't discovered until June. His trial was most recently set to begin Oct. 14, but was delayed afterBurns' defense team requested additionaltime to review new evidence and witnesses. Heretrievedit after Burns left it behind, according to search warrants. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. At the time of arrest, Burns had his own power-coating company called Advanced Coating Concepts. Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? New Details Arrested 1979 Unsolved (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Family and friends of Jerry Burns react as Burns is sentenced at his sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. It's becoming such a powerful crime-fighting tool. 2023 The Gazette | All Rights Reserved. Jerry Burns - Wikipedia 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. When 18-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa resident Michelle Martinko went missing on Dec. 19, 1979, it became a case that soon ran cold. 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.. 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 & https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/a-father-took-an-at-home-dna-test-his-son-was-falsely-accused-of-murder. But Burns will 'forfeit his freedom forever and die alone. WebJerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested Wednesday morning and is facing a first-degree murder charge in the case. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But not everyone is so eager to have their DNA end up in a police dragnet. There had been no signs to indicate the killing had been a sexual assault or robbery. Investigators saw Burns eating at a Pizza Ranch in Manchester. 11, 2023 3:03 am19d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Sep. 12, 2021 10:48 am595d ago, Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Jul. Follow the Register on Facebook and Twitter for more news. (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. 2023 Iowa Judicial Branch. 'Shock, anguish and horror permeated the family them they first learned that 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was killed Dec. 19, 1979, John Stonebraker, her brother-in-law, said Friday in a videotaped victim impact statement. I miss all her singing and her beautiful music. 29, 2023 9:23 am1d ago, Crime and Courts Apr. Manchester man sentenced to life Reporter covering state and federal courts. Wounds on the teens hands showed she fought her killer. Detectives found no weapon or fingerprints to identify a suspect and said Martinko had not been robbed. But her sister Janelle and Janelles husband John Stonebaker were present at Burns sentencing. Id sit through classes where people were crying and I didnt know why, until someone finally told me. "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. She wasn't crying so much as gasping, choking. 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. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. Burns argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress where the warrantless Here's the Update in His Case. She could hardly speak.. 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. You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Experts in 2018built a male profile based on DNA left at the scene of Martinko's death. Before sentencing, defense attorney Leon Spies made a motion for a new trial, arguing many of the same issues that had been ruled upon before. "We left Cedar Rapids, but Cedar Rapids never left us," he said, choking up outside the courthouse while his wife nodded in agreement. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. Plus, he made these grisly, violent low-budget films. Life sentence in Michelle Martinko murder Police chief believes DNA 'snapshots' were money WebLike all the cases I cover, Michelles was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. 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 granted independent journalist, Steve Ridge, an exclusive Christmas Eve interview, in which Burns also said he will seek a new trial in the Martinko People around him considered him to be a professional but everything fizzled out shortly after. Judge Hoover, who had reviewed Spies' written arguments and Maybanks' resistance before the hearing, quickly denied the motion for a new trial. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. He waited for her at the mall and apprehended her in the parking lot, according to the theory. The court also should have dismissed statements the defendant made while speaking with investigators after his arrest in December 2019. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. Jerry Burns was born on December 23, 1953. 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. But when she got her results, she tried something new. (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. A father took an at-home DNA test. His son was then falsely - PBS Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. 'A complete shock': Family of suspect in Martinko murder When it came crashing down was when they walked out of the room and the biggest state policeman that I have ever seen in my life came in with latex gloves and a cotton swab and said, I'm going to take your DNA now. 'This case has haunted the community for 39 years'; arrest made in William Brangham shares a "cautionary tale" of how one person's DNA testing can have a wide impact. KWQC Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. 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. Then, in 2018, police used new DNA technology that hadn't been available in 1979 or even the '80s, when the composite sketch was released, to zero in on Burns and arrest him for Martinko's murder. DAVENPORT, Ia. Martin stops in Dubuque, Refurbished bells return to Univ. She affirmed her rulings made before and during trial regarding the defense's motion. An analyst at the Iowa state crime lab found that DNA from the straw matched the blood found on Martinkos dress. Court documents said blood on clothing worn by Martinko and a blood stain on the gear shift of the car, where the teens body was discovered, were analyzed and found to belong to someone else. More than 60 were tested and cleared. 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. Todays announcement makes it clear that this Police Department and our investigators never gave up on this case either. (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. Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. 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 retrieved the straw. Supreme Court Oral Argument Schedule - Iowa Judicial Branch 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. I uploaded it. 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. Birky said she recalled Martinko was dressed up that night and said she came from a musical banquet, according to the affidavit. A need Mr. Burns kept hidden all his adult life. He Felt Like He Had Won Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? "This was a brutal, violent, horrendous crime," Linn County Assistant Attorney Mike Harris said at the time. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. (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. The brothers were eliminated as suspects during the investigation. Burns' attorneys claimed the case has been surroundedby "pervasive and prejudicial pretrial publicity" and has been in the public eye for the past four decades,court filings show. Archived Supreme Court Opinions Prior to 2017, Archived Court of Appeals Opinions from 1/10/2018 to 2/7/2018, Archived Court of Appeals Opinions from 2017 and Earlier, How to Become a Qualified Court Interpreter in Iowa, Information for Current Court Interpreters, State Court Administration Organizational Chart, Submission of CLE Programs by CLE Sponsors. Erin Murphy, New York University School of Law: You can change your phone number if someone starts harassing you. Curious to see if the suspect in the 1979 Michelle Martinko murder looks anything like this DNA composite. 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. Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. 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.