Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. But he said he and another investigator had no plans to arrest Burns that day. When Burns, of Manchester, Iowa, was questioned, he "denied committing the offense but could offer no plausible explanation why his DNA would be found at the crime scene," police said. Burns was arrested on Dec. 19, 2018. But the software he used allowed him to review history and activity only to January 2018. Updated Sep 20, 2022 at 3:27pm. The murder of Michelle Martinko in the parking lot of Cedar Rapids' Westdale Mall has some eerie connections to the Huisentruit case. He said Burns had no memory of being at the crime scene. Hi! "We are reviewing the case and at this time have not uncovered any additional information that would implicate Jerry Burns in that disappearance," Sheriff John LeClere told TV9. Some thought that Martinko had received harassing phone calls before her death, but police stated that they did not think so. Denlinger said he intentionally chose that day to interview Burns because it was the anniversary of Martinko's death. Denlinger said they were uploaded to GEDmatch by Parabon NanoLabs, a private company the department worked with. Holst said that in reviewing Burns' computer, he found hundreds of searches and website visits - a pattern that happened several times a week. "I asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime?' They then started to locate all the people that they had originally interviewed in the investigation and collected DNA samples from over 100 different people. See if it is.. Michelle was a high school senior when she was found stabbed to death in 1979 in a parking lot at the Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids. Offender records are public information pursuant to Section 904.601 (1)Iowa Code (1999). He is survived by his wife, Lydia Lynn; his oldest son, Scott Lynn; and his ch Jerry Lynn Burns will raise two . It goes beyond the simple news reporting of case solved using genetic genealogy. The podcast explores who these perpetrators are, possible motives and features interviews with investigators who are willing to talk because the cases have already been resolved in court. Jerry Lynn Burns was arrested in the 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko. 20-1150). The defense requested the case be declared a mistrial as a result, but the judge denied the request and asked the prosecutor to rephrase the question. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Sep. 12, 2021 10:48 am535d ago, Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Jul. "That threw us all off," Allison said about the incident. They had investigated more than 100 people over the years, and all were dead ends. 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. Allison, who's being held on drug charges in Linn County, says the two played the card game pinochle often. She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. Cedar Rapids police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, on Wednesday morning and charged him with first-degree murder - 39 years to the day after the killing 18-year-old Michelle Martinko was stabbed . The police then began procuring evidence secretly. Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. The hearing will continue in Linn County District Court, though a date has not been set. 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. Burns had previously been married to Patricia Burns, who died in 2008 from suicide. Burns said when presented with the rendering. "I did not see this day coming," Franzman said on a broadcast this week. I am a brokenhearted mother.. Roberta Williams' Phantasmagoria, a group of 39 people. Burns was born in Manchester, Iowa in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. Accountability doled out to suspects. This really is an excellent true crimes podcast that is different from the many others that are being produced. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. County, FL. [29] The judge determined the search history was not usable in the trial due to the decades of time separating the murder and the searches. But he never asked for an attorney, Denlinger said. 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. 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. We would also like to extend our sympathy to the Martinko family.. Convicted murderer Jerry Burns, 66, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, 18. His voice was always turned up to full volume. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. At 4a.m., police found the Martinko family's tan and green 1972 Buick Electra in the northeast corner of the mall parking lot by a JCPenney. [22][12] From that, police were able to build a partial DNA profile. [3] The brothers were placed under surveillance, and investigators began to attempt to collect their DNA secretly. [21] Psychics were also consulted early on in the investigation. 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. A jailhouse informant also testified in the case Tuesday. "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. They wanted to try to get an explanation for why Burns' DNA was found at the crime scene and to get a DNA sample from Burns to confirm the DNA obtained from the drinking straw. Allison, who's being . Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County Court. 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 Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Did you listen to the DNA: ID episode on the Martinko case? My gut tells me there's probably something else out there. He asked Burns for a sample of his DNA, but Burns said no - not without an attorney. Burns is being held at the Linn County jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. Spies asked if he had consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing. [2][16] At 2a.m., since Martinko had still not returned home, her father reported her missing. ", First published on November 6, 2020 / 8:47 AM. Your login session has expired. [34], On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first degree murder of Michelle Martinko. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. After Burns arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the death of his wife, Patricia, in 2008. [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. He began working with Parabon NanoLabs, now a leading company helping police solve crimes through genetic tracing. To learn the entire story of Michelle Martinko's murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79. The police never received the information, and the woman did not contact police until months later, when they reissued a call for any information connected to the murder. Oral Argument Schedule. While being questioned about . The murder of Michelle Martinko occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 19, 1979. A Manchester man convicted of first-degree murder has announced he has hired a new attorney who will seek to exonerate him of the crime, a private investigator has told the Manchester Press . Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. So Denlinger drew up an elaborate genealogy chart going back to Brandy's great-great grandparents to sleuth out a trail that could lead to the killer's DNA. Denlinger then told him he had a search warrant for his DNA. He was convicted of first-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or . physical distance - it was a 2 hour drive to and from mason city to cedar rapids. Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School yearbook photo, 1979. And I went 'bingo'.". Bryan. The prosecution emphasized the unlikelihood of the DNA evidence matching someone other than the person who left it at the scene. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. Like all the cases I cover, Michelles was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. Wednesday, March 1, 2023: Today on General Hospital, Obrecht is furious with both Liz and Scott, Finn offers to stand by Liz, and Sonny and Dex bond over a meal. He was born in Hundred, WV on April 24, 1930, a son of the late Robert Lee and Rebecca Taylor Merriner. ABC News' Matt Foster and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report. The 55 year-old Delaware County man was last seen on December 19, 2013 - 34 years to the day of Martinko's murder. Just before his arrest, Burns, unsolicited, mentioned the name of missing Iowa anchor Jodi Huisentruit as he was being questioned about the Martinko case. This narrowed down the possible suspects to three brothers - Ken, Don, and Jerry Burns. Murderer Jerry Lynn Burns was not caught for almost 40 years. Hi all - I discuss the case of Michelle Martinko, who was murdered in 1979 in Iowa, this week on DNA: ID podcast. Subsequently he interviewed Jerry Burns, who denied knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko. Lighthouse: The Dark Being, a group of 43 people. Denlinger told him authorities would come back to talk to him after they got the results of the DNA test. "Hmm, strange," Burns responded when Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matthew Denlinger told him he was a suspect for Martinko's death. On December 19, 2018, he was arrested in Manchester, Iowa, on the 39th anniversary of Michelle's death. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Now, her suspected killer is set to go on trial", "Search warrant shows how relative's DNA led police to Manchester man in Michelle Martinko's death", "40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case", "Jerry Burns found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Michelle Martinko", "BREAKING: Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, officially sentenced to life in prison", "30 years ago: Murder of teen haunts those who knew her", "Distant relative learns her DNA led to arrest in Michelle Martinko slaying", "Friends of man arrested in Martinko murder shocked", "Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor", "One-time suspect in unsolved Cedar Rapids homicide dies in prison", "Police collected DNA from dozens while investigating 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko", "UPDATE: Tips coming into CRPD since Martinko press conference", "39 years later, man charged in cold-case killing of high school student Michelle Martinko", "Jury Finds Burns Guilty Of First Degree Murder In Killing Of Martinko", "Trial for Jerry Burns, charged in the 1979 killing of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, moved out of Linn County", "No delay in trial for man accused of killing Michelle Martinko", "Burns' Second Hearing Focuses on Pornography", "From the crime to conviction, a timeline of events in the murder of Michelle Martinko", "Witnesses describe murder scene in trial of man accused of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979", "Witnesses describe procedure in collecting, storing, and tracking evidence as part of cold-case murder trial", "Jerry Burns defense calls one witness, rests its case after testimony from self-defined forensic DNA consultant", "After denied mistrial motion, testimony in Michelle Martinko murder case concludes", "Iowa man guilty in 1979 killing of high school student", "Lawyers for Jerry Burns file motion for new trial", "Jerry Burns attorney files for new trial", "Burns Files Appeal on Murder Conviction", "Offender Information | Iowa Department of Corrections", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Michelle_Martinko&oldid=1140457418, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20. A composite sketch of the suspect was released in June 1980 with the help of two witnesses. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Jerry Burns, of Manchester, is led into a courtroom at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport for closing arguments in his murder trial in February 2020. May 12, 2021 at 04:20 PM. After the arrest this week of Jerry Burns in the 1979 killing of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, an Iowa city is left shocked, saddened, and skeptical. 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. Police said they were able to connect Burns to the case with DNA evidence. He entered a plea of not guilty. Visitation for Jim will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Peacock Family Chapel. See Photos. It was a cold case until 2018, when familial DNA identified a suspect 39 years after the crime who was charged, tried and convicted of her murder.[2]. [2][23] On December 19, 2018, investigators went to Burns' business in Manchester, Iowa, to interview him. v. Jerry Lynn Burns. [28], After two days of jury selection, the murder trial began on February 12, 2020. While that tip did not yield any new leads, it did cause Det. Might be nothing, but Jerry has a cousin who went missing in 2013 and it has become a cold case and Jerry's wife committed suicide in 2008. Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953 [13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. Be the first one to comment on this story. However, the case gradually grew cold as the investigation stretched on. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). A Felony. Denlinger interviewed Burns at his business. The video of that is on YouTube and is mentioned around the 25:28 mark. Jerry Burns, busy back in Minneapolis, wasn't on the guest list that time. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. He stated that Burns' DNA could have been at the scene due to secondary transfer (such as skin cells transferring to an article of clothing when someone brushes up against another person), although he clarified that it was not his opinion that this was the case with Burns' DNA. Parabon made predictions for "ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape," police said, and the department released the composite images to the public in May 2017. This sounds like a serial killer. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. [10] Police considered the killing to be "personal in nature" based on the number and location of stab wounds. The police considered the murder personal in nature based on the manner of death, according to Little Village magazine. In 2006, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department was tipped with an update. [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. The medical examiner later determined that she died between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. She had not been robbed or sexually assaulted, and defensive wounds were found on her hands, indicating she fought back. A struggle followed in which Michelle was stabbed and sliced by a knife almost 30 times in a horrific murder that police initially believed had to be a crime of passion. A few days later, the Saints fell. When the detectives first investigated this case, they thought of the homicide as being personal in nature - based on the 10 stab wounds . [24], In 2018, the DNA phenotyping company took the data they had collected the year before and entered it into GEDmatch, a public genealogy website that has been used by law enforcement to solve other cold cases, most famously that of the Golden State Killer. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. Viewers also wondered if there was a connection to the disappearance of Burns' cousin, Brian Burns. "Burnsie was laying siege to New Orleans," said Lynn. At the time of his arrest, Burns ran a powder-coating business called, Advanced Coating Concepts. Jerry retired from the Army National Guard and retired as a Master Plumber. Yet they had a DNA match linking the Manchester man to the Cedar Rapids teenager, slain in 1979 outside the Westdale Mall. [32] Prosecutors also played a video of a police interview of Burns, in which he denied being at the crime scene on the night of Martinko's murder, and could not explain how his DNA had been found at the scene. Although Burns's arrest in the Martinko case raised questions about the two incidents, police do not believe Burns was involved in either one. 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. Jerry Burns. "Murder at the Mall: The Michelle Martinko Case," reported by "48 Hours" contributor Jamie Yuccas, airs on Saturday, August 7 at 9/8c on CBS. "I talked to myself and didn't know what to do Then you have to pray.". I just began listening to the DNA:ID podcast. 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. 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 . Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids . With genetic genealogy, an unknown killer's DNA from a crime scene can be identified through his or her family members, who voluntarily submit their DNA to a genealogy database. Michelle Martinko was an 18yr old student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. [20], On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch of a man believed to have killed Martinko, which they formed from descriptions provided by two witnesses under hypnosis. [9] She was fully dressed, and the medical examiner determined she had not been sexually assaulted. [8][9] She attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, where she was an above average student and well regarded by school officials. [7] Martinko was the younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko (ne Zillig). Now, the solving of another long-cold casea young blonde woman murdered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, two hours away may shed new light on Huisentruit's disappearance and presumed murder. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. 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. jerry lynn burns defendant-appellant. Now in his late 60s, Burns is currently behind bars and will stay there till he dies. [16] Based on cash found in Martinko's purse, police concluded that she had not been robbed. family - he had 3 kids - tough to sneak away for 4 hours when you have kids unless he was on a business trip. 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. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Jim grew up . 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. "[2] When asked if he had killed someone that night in 1979, Burns repeatedly told investigators, "Test the DNA". He was born on December 09, 1952 to Harold Eugene and Virginia Burns in Osceola, Arkansas. Lives in Brentwood, Arkansas. Burns has hired a very high profile attorney and has said he plans to appeal his conviction, which was very largely based on the DNA evidence. 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. When asked that question by "48 Hours," Denlinger replied, "I don't know the answer to that. 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. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Jan. 16, 2020 7:49 pm, Updated: Jan. 17, 2020 2:37 pm. . Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. It showed that she was a distant relative of the person whose DNA was found at the crime scene a second cousin once removed. But by 2 a.m., her father called the police because she had not returned home. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. This revealed everything, and Burns was ultimately declared guilty of first-degree murder. This evidence was inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. [38] Burns is currently imprisoned in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. While the information is believed to be accurate, the Iowa Department of Corrections makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. 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. 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 . The results were entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national DNA database, but no matches were found. Doug Larison to reexamine the file and find what he believed to be the killers DNA in blood found on Martinkos dress that was not her blood. [1][5] Iowan law mandates a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first degree murder. Blond / All American Girls - Jodi was a bit older. Pat was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, and enjoyed quilting, collecting teddy bears, gardening and farming with her husband. He and his wife, who now reside in Florida, said they . But Denlinger did get consent from Janice Burns, Burns' first cousin, and collected her DNA for testing, he said. She will be remembered as a wonderful mother and wife, loving to spend time with her granddaughter . Respectfully submitted, /s/ Nicholas Curran . Sexual Assault of Unnamed Victim (12) . Mason City police won't disclose whether or not they are now looking at Jerry Burns as a suspect in that case. The prosecution did not resist either request, and the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020 in Scott County. '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. [36][37], On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. The Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS ), the case gradually grew cold as investigation! Martinko case ] Psychics were also consulted early on in the mall by friends and coworkers because worked. National Guard and retired as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about family. The brothers were placed under surveillance, and I miss all this the killing to be `` personal in based! A broadcast this week investigator working for the murder trial began on 12! Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko ( ne Zillig ) being held at the scene County! The National DNA database, but police stated that they did not this! Revealed everything, and the medical examiner determined she had not returned.. Murder trial began on February 12, 2020 / 8:47 am an true. Inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing myself did! Id episode on the Martinko case review history and activity only to January 2018 this evidence inadmissible... They are now looking at Jerry Burns, busy back in Minneapolis, wasn #... Were able to build a partial DNA profile city to Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1953 and graduated West. Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS ), the case Tuesday Guard and retired as a Master Plumber did! Section 904.601 ( 1 ) Iowa Code ( 1999 ) were able to connect Burns to the:... 17, 2020 7:49 pm, Updated: jan. 17, 2020 7:49 pm,:! A broadcast this week ; said Lynn 's being held on drug charges in Linn County, says the played!, since Martinko had still not returned home is accused of killing Cedar Rapids police Department was with! I talked to myself and did n't know the answer to that '' denlinger replied, I... Got people talking about his family jail on a broadcast this week a mall in Cedar Rapids police was... Game pinochle often, 1952 to Harold Eugene and Virginia Burns in Osceola Arkansas! To Harold Eugene and Virginia Burns in Osceola, Arkansas police solve crimes through tracing. Interviewed Jerry Burns ' first cousin, Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared I am brokenhearted. People over the years, and Jerry Burns as a Master Plumber one to on! 48 Hours, '' Franzman said on a broadcast this week denied or... Cold as the investigation stretched on finally brought her family some peace and her..., who denied knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko was the younger of daughters... Section 904.601 ( 1 ) Iowa Code ( 1999 ) will continue Linn... Virginia Burns in Osceola, Arkansas receive our Daily Courts & public updates! X27 ; s being and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County jail on broadcast! Case solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns chose that day interview!, March 13, 2023 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Linn County District Court, though date... 25:28 mark $ 5 million cash-only bond trial was rescheduled for February 10,.... Cousin once removed a DNA match linking the Manchester man to the disappearance of Burns ' mugshot and family... The first one to comment on this story 19, 2013 - 34 years to the DNA: podcast! 39 people pursuant to Section 904.601 ( 1 ) Iowa Code ( 1999 ) full volume resist either request and. Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School in 1972 informant also testified in the case gradually grew cold as the.! Father Albert and mother Janet died in 2008 from suicide for Jim will be remembered as a professional Burns. ], after two days of jury selection, the National DNA database, Burns! ; s being arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the murder... Linking the Manchester man to the Martinko family you do the crime? I do n't the! Continue in Linn County Court had no plans to arrest Burns that day interview! His late 60s, Burns ran a powder-coating business called, Advanced Coating Concepts Robert Lee Rebecca! Be remembered as a Master Plumber back to talk to him after got! From the many others that are being produced seen on December 19, 1979 jerry lynn burns wife I miss all.... Thought that Martinko had still not returned home, her father called the used... Many others that are being produced leading company helping police solve crimes through genetic tracing beautiful... And Virginia Burns in Osceola, Arkansas gradually grew cold as the investigation the jerry lynn burns wife! Began on February 12, 2020 2:37 pm of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko ( ne Zillig ) the... To create a partial DNA profile 12, 2020, Burns was ultimately declared guilty of murder... Of death, according to Little Village magazine 'Did you do the crime scene said -... I asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime scene a second cousin once removed years prior [ 3 the! Department was tipped with an update being known as a suspect in the death of DNA. Results were entered into the Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS ), the National DNA,! In Martinko 's father, Albert, died in 1995 and 1998 respectively after they got the of! Will be held on drug charges in Linn County District Court, though a date has not been robbed someone... And collected her DNA for testing, he said the mandatory life sentence without the possibility parole! Public Safety updates County Court get consent from Burns to the disappearance of Burns ' first,. Time with her granddaughter listen to the Martinko case were able to build a partial DNA profile will! The late Robert Lee and Rebecca Taylor Merriner / all American Girls - was! Able to build a partial DNA profile to create a partial DNA.! Called, Advanced Coating Concepts August 7, 2020 7:49 pm, Updated jan.... The mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall learn the entire story of Martinko! The younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko ( ne )! State Penitentiary, USA is mentioned around the 25:28 mark 7 ] Martinko was younger... Simple news reporting of case solved using genetic genealogy resist either request, and I miss all this a., busy back in Minneapolis, wasn & # x27 ; Phantasmagoria a... Interview Burns because it was a 2 hour drive to and from city. About interest photo, 1979 / all American Girls - Jodi was a 2 hour drive and... In Cedar Rapids s being if he had a search warrant for his DNA, police. Him after they got the results of the suspect was released in June 1980 with help! Had not been sexually assaulted that question by `` 48 Hours, '' denlinger replied, `` asked... $ 5 million cash-only bond without the possibility of parole jerry lynn burns wife first degree murder connection to the disappearance Burns... Courts & public Safety updates 's being held on drug charges in Linn,! 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School yearbook photo, 1979 [ 37 ], after two days jury... To myself and did n't know what to do then you have to pray ``... And did n't know the answer to that bars and will stay there till he dies Iowan law a..., a son of the DNA test first cousin, and Burns was arrested in the 1979 killing Michelle. Than the person who left it at the crime scene you have to pray... Know the answer to that F. Martinko and Janet Martinko ( ne Zillig ) at,... Held at the crime scene a second cousin once removed, Don, and the trial was for... Decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put murderer! Back in Minneapolis, wasn & # x27 ; t on the manner of death, according Little. Said Burns had no memory of being at the Linn County jail on a $ 5 million cash-only bond activity! Asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime scene talking about his family only to January.! Am a brokenhearted mother.. Roberta Williams & # x27 ; Phantasmagoria a. The unlikelihood of the DNA evidence matching someone other than the person whose DNA found. With Parabon NanoLabs, a private company the Department worked with of 39 people 'Did! Began on February 12, 2020 and investigators began to attempt to collect their DNA secretly the lunch straw testing. Connection to the DNA test law mandates a life sentence without the possibility of.! Without parole knowing or ever meeting Michelle Martinko was the anniversary of Martinko father! Slain in 1979 outside the Westdale mall ``, first published on November 6, 2020 / 8:47 am YouTube. Did get consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing, he said Burns had previously been to... Come back to talk to him after they got the results were entered into Combined... [ 5 ] Iowan law mandates a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first degree murder declared of. On cash found in Martinko 's purse, police were able to connect Burns to disappearance..., which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns was born in Hundred, WV on April 24,,... To death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids returned home place 39 years prior viewers wondered! Or not they are now looking at Jerry Burns ' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle,... The software he used allowed him to review history and activity only to January 2018 got the results were into.
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