DAVENPORT, Ia. Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. Until now, Stonebraker said. At the time of his arrest, Burns had beenliving in Manchester, a town of about 5,000 people 45 minutes north of Cedar Rapids, for longer than Martinko's case had been cold. 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. You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. Cedar Rapids Police Department 'Killer Cases' Explores His The sisters' parents died more than 20 years ago,Albert Martinko in 1995and his wife, Janet, in 1998. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. (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. So, you spend three or four weeks thinking, I'm a suspect in a brutal murder. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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.. Usry's dad seemed too old to be the killer, but Michael was not. He built a new home on land his parents once farmed and constructed a gas station and convenience store near where he lived. "I wish my parents could be here to see this.". And Murphy says those decisions, made by others, cannot be undone. His trial is set for June 2021. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. "Admission at trial of the challenged statements violated the Defendants privilege against self-incrimination," his right to a lawyer and his right to due process as guaranteed by the Fifth, Sixth and 14th Amendments, the motion says. He rebutted some of the prosecution's factual claims, insisting that there wasn't substantial evidence that Burns' DNA was retrieved from his blood, noting previous testimony indicating it could have been saliva or even transferred skin cells and that the presence of DNA in itself could not implicate Burns. BREAKING: Arrest made in the homicide of Michelle Martinko in 1979. pic.twitter.com/3mhKyLbNo9, Online records show that Burns has no criminal record in Iowa other than minor traffic infractions, reports CBS Iowa. He was convicted of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Genetic testing was key to the state's case against Burns. The detective on the case, Matt Denlinger, gave me some interesting details. 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. 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. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. Jerry Lynn Burns faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Michelle Martinko. He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. 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. 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. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. A covert DNA sample was matched to blood found at the crime scene. 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.". 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. 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. At the time of arrest, Burns had his own power-coating company called Advanced Coating Concepts. Wounds on the teens hands showed she fought her killer. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. (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. 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. It was in May 2017 when officers announced that a composite sketch could be made from the DNA recovered. (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. She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. The couple was married in April 1975 in Manchester, Iowa, four years before Martinkos murder. ", In closing arguments Monday, Spies repeated a phrase from his opening arguments: "Genetic information tells us much about what we are, but not necessarily who we are or where we've been.". It's also kind of it scares me, personally, because we see that it's being used for other purposes besides finding your uncle. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. 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. This week in 1979 someone killed Michelle Martinko at Westdale Mall. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. (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. Of course I want those people, serial killers and murderers and terrible rapists, to be caught. I am very appreciative of the work of our investigators and their persistence with this case, including the use of the latest technology that can aid in the investigation regardless of how long ago the violent act occurred., READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Being Porn Stars on the Side, Jerry Lynn Burns: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. The detective looked through the case files and found what he thought to be the murderer's blood. Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. Cedar Rapids police then used DNA genetic genealogical research to narrow the profile "down to a specific pool of suspects, which included Burns, according to a criminal complaint. Where Is Jerry Lynn Burns Now? Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. Stonebraker and his wife, Janelle, Martinko's only sister, live in Florida and were unable to attend the hearing. Thank you. That decision essentially erases the genetic privacy of everyone else. 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. But more than 60 suspects were eliminated and the case ran cold. Burns was arrested and questioned when his DNA matched that of some found on Martinko's clothes at the time of her murder. Comments: (319) 398-8318; [email protected], Bailey Cichon Podcasts Apr. Nsikan Akpan is the digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and co-creator of the award-winning, NewsHour digital series ScienceScope. (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. 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. 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. Plus, he made these grisly, violent low-budget films. He has been charged, but notconvicted. Stills of news coverage comes from Fox 28 and KCRG. The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. All Rights Reserved. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved. But after authorities in California used GEDmatch to catch the Golden State Killer, Rogers began to slowly welcome police into the database. 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. Martin stops in Dubuque, Refurbished bells return to Univ. Rhana Natour. 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. Spies argued that if the defense had this evidence at trial, jurors might have come back with a different verdict. 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. But Burns will 'forfeit his freedom forever and die alone. In October 2018, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator,saw Burns drink sodas out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. Jury selection is still set to begin Feb. 10. Michael Usry Jr. was cleared. In one of those profiles, authorities said there were fewer than one in 100 billion unrelated individuals who would have had the same profile. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover as she reads Burns' sentence at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. When the DNA test results came back, it wasn't a match. Tyler Davis can be contacted at [email protected] or on Twitter @TDavisDMR. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. (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. First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said the information wouldn't have changed the verdict. It can also accuse the wrong person. Powered by. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. Jerry Lynn Burns, 66, was found guilty in Februaryof first-degree murderin the 1979 stabbing death of18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids. At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. She was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, and chest. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. ", 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. Martinko was found dead of stab wounds on December 19, 1979, in the parking lot of a mall where she had gone shopping for a coat. 28, 2023 6:50 pm2d ago, Orlan Love - correspondent Sports 3h ago3h ago, Jeff Johnson Minor League Sports 20m ago20m ago. Jerry Lynn Burns was sentenced to live in prison Credit: Cedar Rapids Police Department. But they're not upset about people getting caught. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. It was a case, Cedar In this video, I interviewed Robert Riley, one of the administrators for the Michelle Martinko Cold Case 1979 Facebook page. During Jerry Lynn Burns initial interrogation, he said that he could not offer the authorities a plausible explanation as to why his DNA was found at the crime scene. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. WebJerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested Wednesday morning and is facing a first-degree murder charge in the case. The police considered the murder personal in nature based on the manner of death, according to Little Village magazine. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (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. 1, 2021 3:52 pm668d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Apr. Id sit through classes where people were crying and I didnt know why, until someone finally told me. Exactly 39 years after her death, police took a Manchester man into custody after matching his DNA to blood found at the crime scene. More:DNA leads federal investigators to suspected serial killer in Iowa; Clark Perry Baldwin charged with killing 3 women in 1990s. It's becoming such a powerful crime-fighting tool. In 2018, Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested and charged with the teen's murder and, although it had been decades after the crime, the once cold case is now a subject of discussion on A&E's Killer Cases. The Cedar Rapids Police Department said in a That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. There is someone here who either knows more than they are willing to admit or knows something that they dont realize is important. New York University's Erin Murphy, who studies genetics and the law, sees Usry's ordeal as a cautionary tale. A man named Brian Dripps, who was her neighbor, was charged with rape and murder and will go on trial in 2021. 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, section 8 of the Iowa Constitution. Genetic genealogy, the technique millions of people are using to learn about their family history, has now become a potent tool with which law enforcement can solve crimes. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. Your subscription makes work like this possible.
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