Detectives found no weapon or fingerprints to identify a suspect and said Martinko had not been robbed. Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in the Linn County Courthouse today for a preliminary hearing as his lawyer looked to get evidence against him suppressed ahead of the trail. Jerman, Cedar Rapids' police chief, credited police and investigators who "showed tenacity and dedication" over the four decades it took to take the case to trial, and the Linn County Attorney's Office for its role in Burns' arrest and prosecution. It was almost like a dream. He was arrested This is the moment of reckoning for him and the moment, long awaited, of resting peace for Michelle.. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@dmreg.com or on Twitter @TDavisDMR. He Felt Like He Had Won Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Michelle Martinko had planned to attend Iowa State University before her death in 1979. Supreme Court Oral Argument Schedule - Iowa Judicial Branch Wounds on the teens hands showed she fought her killer. WebThat morning police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matt Denlinger listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (out of frame) speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. Birky said she recalled Martinko was dressed up that night and said she came from a musical banquet, according to the affidavit. Powered by. 'A complete shock': Family of suspect in Martinko murder The mandatory penalty for first-degree murder in Iowa is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Please logout and login again. Maybanks, in asking Hoover to sentence Burns to life, said this verdict and sentence would not only give peace to the family and many friends of Martinko who have waited four decades for justice, but provide 'enormous relief to the community. They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. 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. Because this moment has finally come. 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. She affirmed her rulings made before and during trial regarding the defense's motion. You can change your address if things get really dark. Testimony showed Burns was the major contributor of the profile - less than one in 100 billion of unrelated individuals would have the same profile, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalists said. Michelle Martinko - Jerry Burns appeal may It's not just, oh, my brother chooses to do this, but my sixth cousin I never met chose to do this. "The people in law enforcement take on their duty and their task seriously," Maybanks told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network,afterthe verdict. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Get exclusive subscriber content and more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. Police suspected he'd been involved in the brutal 1996 rape and murder of an Idaho woman named Angie Dodge. I don't know why this upsets people. If they could see some of the e-mails from these families that have had some closure, I can't imagine that anyone would say it's the wrong thing to do. NewsHour regrets the error. The investigator reported Birky said the lessons were once a week; although she wasn't sure which day of the week they were, she recalled the last lesson was the night Martinko was killed outside the mall. Burns is After the verdict was read and court was adjourned, they stood and embraced as Martinko's friends around them wept. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, says It was really scary, those three or four weeks, just because I knew that I had not been involved in any crime. WebJerry Lynn Burns Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. The only way Burns DNA couldve ended up in two spots in the crime scene, Maybanks concluded, was if Burns was the murderer. No match was made through that system. 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. 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. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. "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. ", Martinko's family in a statement last December credited "the work of several generations of Cedar Rapids uniformed police and detectives in bringing Mr. Burns to justice. 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. Burns will have the rest of his life to ask for forgiveness and beg for mercy on his soul, but if he doesn't, at least he won't get to block it out anymore. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Laymon said she and Martinko were in a self-defense class together, but added that "no amount of self-defense could have saved her from that.". You can't edit your genome. And, finally, after maybe about an hour or two, they had to just basically go, no, we think that you you were involved with this crime. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. Then for proof. When questioned by police, officers said that Burns had no explanation as to why his DNA would have been at the scene. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was But there's some. DAVENPORT, Ia. She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. The Jan. 28, 2021 episode also sheds light on the trial that led to Burns' sentencing and how he still denied having anything to do with the murder, to the best of his knowledge, leading up to it. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns after almost 40 years. A need Mr. Burns kept hidden all his adult life. On the night of December 19th, 1979 someone killed 18-year-old Michelle Martinko inside her car in the parking lot at the new Westdale, The Mystery of Michelle Martinko: The Story Behind the Facebook Page. Burns sentencing is likely to be scheduled for early April, though a date has notbeen set, District Judge Fae Hoover said. Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch, developed based on descriptions provided by two witnesses, of the man they believed stabbed Martinko. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. 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. Life sentence in Michelle Martinko murder Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. He was ensnared because his father had. Rhana Natour. Jerry Lynn Burns, 66, was found guilty in Februaryof first-degree murderin the 1979 stabbing death of18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. This is part of our regular series on the Leading Edge of science and technology. Police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, in the decades-old fatal stabbing. She can be contacted at aspoerre@dmreg.com, 515-284-8387or on Twitter at@annaspoerre. I can't imagine anyone saying, I don't want to help these families. A covert DNA sample was matched to blood found at the crime scene. Reporter covering state and federal courts. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. Leads in the case resulted in dead ends until investigatorsused a genetic genealogy website to connect Burns' DNA to the crime scene. Police questioned Burns at work in Manchester, Iowa where he denied killing Martinko. While that tip did not yield any new leads, it did cause Det. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), 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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. Police chief believes DNA 'snapshots' were money Burns is being held at the Linn County jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. Michelle Martinko: Her murderer captured by Pizza Straw In this video, I interviewed Robert Riley, one of the administrators for the Michelle Martinko Cold Case 1979 Facebook page. (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. Burns is being held at Linn County Jail. She says, remember, Michael Usry never tested his own DNA. His wife and other close members of his family were allowed to attend the sentencing but seating was limited to allow for social distancing in the courtroom. All rights reserved. "You and Michelle will forever be in our thoughts, and we are eternally grateful for your support, trustand confidence over the many years.". on straw leads to conviction in 1979 murder Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. They're upset about somehow that they are going to be roped into an investigation, they would feel unfairly, or that their privacy would somehow be violated, right? An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. An hour before announcing Burns arrest, police in Cedar Rapids tweeted that there had been a major development in Martinkos murder. In October 2018, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator,saw Burns drink sodas out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. An analyst at the Iowa state crime lab found that DNA from the straw matched the blood found on Martinkos dress. "I wish my parents could be here to see this.". Maybanks recapped Monday how witnesses in the two weeks prior outlined an extensive chain of custody of the evidence to ensure no new DNA could have been introduced into the packages containing Martinko's bloodied clothes and pieces of the car. And Murphy says those decisions, made by others, cannot be undone. And then police learned Usry had traveled through Idaho. A man named Brian Dripps, who was her neighbor, was charged with rape and murder and will go on trial in 2021. Thank you. However, in 2006, a tip came into the Cedar Rapids police department. Burns denied killing Martinko at the time of his initial questioning. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The state'suse of genetic testing to convict an Iowa man in a 40-year-old cold case was unconstitutional, according to a motion filed in Linn County court. The sample was put into a national computer database and was used to clear more than 70 of Martinkos acquaintances, according to NBC News. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. It can also accuse the wrong person. Decades of technological advancements ultimately allowed experts to construct a partial male DNA profile from a blood scraping on the gear shift of the Martinko family car and a blood stain on the back of Martinkos dress. He faces a first-degree murder charge after investigators say they found his blood at the crime scene. Stonebrakersat in the front row of the courtroom, flanked by her husband, John, and oldest son, Robert. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Burns reacts as he is sentenced at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. He previously co-owned a truck stop near town. William Brangham, Nsikan Akpan She was stabbed and killed 39 yrs ago today in the Westdale Mall parking lot. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Investigators covertly collected a straw used by Burnsto test his DNA. Additionalconcerns were raised in the motion about the jury-building process, instructions given to the jury andtestimony fromstate witnesses. Jerry LynnBurns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Michelle Martinko slaying: Jerry Burns' found guilty of murder in ", "This is Michelles day," he added. Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. Distant relative learns her DNA Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. Correction: In an earlier version of this story we said Brian Dripps was charged and convicted for the murder of Angie Dodge. She was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, and chest. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Spies wrote that the jury's verdict was "contrary" to the weight of evidence, and his client'sconstitutional rights were violated by the admission of his statements to investigators the day of his arrest and the use of hisand his family's DNA. For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm William Brangham. As we reported last night, genetic genealogy, the technique millions of people use to learn about their family history, has now become a potent tool for police to crack previously unsolved crimes. 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. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. Support our award-winning, independent journalism with a subscription today. The Kennedy High School senior had drivento the mall after a school choir banquet to shop for a new winter coat. But her sister Janelle and Janelles husband John Stonebaker were present at Burns sentencing. 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. After listening to almost two weeks of testimony, a jury of seven women and five men returned the guilty verdict after deliberating just shy of three hours. Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) makes arguments on behalf of the state at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. The trial for the grisly killing of an Iowa teen in the 1970s will likely be delayed, court records show. GUILTY - IA - Michelle Martinko, 18, stabbed to More:DNA leads federal investigators to suspected serial killer in Iowa; Clark Perry Baldwin charged with killing 3 women in 1990s. Your login session has expired. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. Curious to see if the suspect in the 1979 Michelle Martinko murder looks anything like this DNA composite. But by 2 a.m., her father called the police because she had not returned home. He played in college for the Michigan Wolverines before Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. His trial is set for June 2021. Distractify is a registered trademark.