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. 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. At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. [2], Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953[13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. But the software he used allowed him to review history and activity only to January 2018. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. A few days later, the Saints fell. But he said he and another investigator had no plans to arrest Burns that day. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. They . Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew on flight to space station, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Sneak peek: Murder at the Mall: The Michelle Martinko Case, Michelle Martinko, left, and Jodi Huisentruit. [2] She did not have many close girlfriends or confidantes, which was speculated to be caused by jealousy from other students over her beauty and stylish clothes[11] or conflict over a boy she had dated. Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria, a group of 39 people. When Denlinger reminded Burns that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns responded, "It was a big deal. Lighthouse: The Dark Being, a group of 43 people. Feb. 1, 2019 | The Des Moines Register. We would also like to extend our sympathy to the Martinko family.. [14] Burns's cousin, Brian Burns, went missing on December 19, 2013 and has not been found. The final nail in the coffin was when a witness gave his statement to the court. UPDATE: Trial set for Iowa man accused in 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko . Although Burns's arrest in the Martinko case raised questions about the two incidents, police do not believe Burns was involved in either one. [38] Burns is currently imprisoned in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. The Delaware County Sheriff said it did review the case after Burns' arrest and "feels that was clearly the case.". Homerline, a soft-spoken woman who enjoyed teaching Sunday School, did everything possible to avoid attention. [26] He was not able to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been present at the crime scene. Born in 1953, Jerry Lynn Burns grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. In 2018, the company entered the DNA data from the case into the public genealogy website GEDmatch, where it found a familial DNA match. Kayla Lemieux, the transgender high school teacher in Canada, has been put on paid leave after pictures emerged of her dressed as a man proving she does not wear the prosthetics all the time. On December 20, 2018, a district judge set his bond at $5 million. When the detectives first investigated this case, they thought of the homicide as being personal in nature - based on the 10 stab wounds . . Investigators also showed Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects; he questioned their likeness to him. Just before his arrest, Burns, unsolicited, mentioned the name of missing Iowa anchor Jodi Huisentruit as he was being questioned about the Martinko case. Exactly 39 years after Michelle Martinko's body was found, DNA evidence led to the arrest of a Manchester man who was charged with her 1979 murder. 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. Lives in Tyler, Texas. His cousin, Brian Burns, went missing on the 19th of December 2013. Please logout and login again. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. Teen Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death in 1979. Glad you are liking it! But detectives had been stymied. The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". [2][5] Her hands bore defensive wounds, which police said to indicate that she had fought back against her killer. Burns was arrested on Dec. 19, 2018. Jerry Burns is still behind bars on a $5 million cash bond, charged with first-degree murder in the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko. Powered by. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. 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. Even though the police were tipped over 200 times in the weeks following the murder, the case eventually grew cold as investigations stretched on. He and his wife, who now reside in Florida, said they . Be the first one to comment on this story. The Vikings organization is mourning the loss of the innovator, colorful . Her friend declined. On April 5, 1975, Pat was united in marriage to Jerry Lynn Burns at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Manchester. 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. 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. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. 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. Dave Franzman, a longtime reporter at ABC Cedar Rapids affiliate KCRG, even covered the case at the time of Michelle Martinko's killing. "I was speechless," Denlinger says, recalling the moment the lab told him the results. While being questioned about . Cutting-edge DNA technology was used to solve the cold case. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder of Michelle Martinko. [4] Documents concluded that fewer than one in 100 billion people would match the DNA profile. Currently, in his late 60s, he is going to spend the rest of his days behind bars. [11] As the investigation dwindled, a $10,000 reward was offered for information that would lead police to the killer. [35] On May 29, 2020, Burns' attorneys filed a motion asking for a new trial, claiming his constitutional and state rights were violated and that the court made a mistake in overruling the request for evidence to be suppressed. According to Reusse, Burns would generally be a bit more careful with his language during a press conference or whenever there were cameras . Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. Jerry Burns. 6931989, Anamosa State Penitentiary, 406 N. High Street, Anamosa, IA 52205. The murder of Michelle Martinko occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 19, 1979. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice.". See Photos. During this time, according to the testimony, he made a reference to 'blacking out but didn't explain it. Denlinger said no. [33] Prosecutors called a criminalist to contradict the defense's witness; the criminalist said that the storage of Martinko's clothing was not unusual. 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. 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. Log In. Jerry Lynn Burns. An obituary for Burns' wife, Patricia, says that she died in June 2008 at the age of 55 . Doris Homerline Clower died Saturday . You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. They also played a later recording, after Burns' arrest, in which Burns questioned whether he could have blocked out the memory of committing the crime.[30]. It showed that she was a distant relative of the person whose DNA was found at the crime scene a second cousin once removed. 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. The company also produced approximations of how the man would have aged in the years since the crime. Denlinger followed each of the brothers around clandestinely, waiting for them to discard an item containing their DNA, and then sent the collected samples to the crime lab. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. A composite sketch of the suspect was released in June 1980 with the help of two witnesses. [26] When the DNA sample was tested, it matched the blood sample found at the crime scene. Questions have been raised as to whether Jerry was involved in any other murders or missing person cases. According to court documents, a judge has ruled internet search history from the man accused in a 1979 murder will not be able to be used during trial. And I went 'bingo'.". However, in 2006, a tip came into the Cedar Rapids police department. [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. "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 murder of Michelle Martinko in the parking lot of Cedar Rapids' Westdale Mall has some eerie connections to the Huisentruit case. "It looks personal, it's a lot of stab wounds, it's overkill," said lead Detective Matt Denlinger of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. However, the case gradually grew cold as the investigation stretched on. [2] The police received more than 100 tips following the release of the new images. Be the first one to comment on this story. Burns has hired a very high profile attorney and has said he plans to appeal his conviction, which was very largely . Subsequently he interviewed Jerry Burns, who denied knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko. Dr. Obrecht Learns if She's a Bone Marrow Match for Willow Plus, Nikolas' Whereabouts Are Revealed. The hearing will continue in Linn County District Court, though a date has not been set. Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison for the rest of his days. The defense team for . Jerry's hobbies included working on vehicles, hunting, fishing, racing cars, gardening, and working in the yard. "Well, I kind of think you do a little bit," Denlinger responded in the video interview. 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 . 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