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. 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. Denlinger does NOT believe Burns is responsible for Jodi Huisentruit - rather that he admired/fantasized about whatever happened to her. This narrowed down the possible suspects to three brothers - Ken, Don, and Jerry Burns. And I went 'bingo'.". 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. Viewers also wondered if there was a connection to the disappearance of Burns' cousin, Brian Burns. "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. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. Burns told the investigator about 25 times to test him, Denlinger said. 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]. [11] They described a white man in his late teens or early 20s, around six feet tall and weighing 165175 pounds, with brown eyes and curly brown hair. Linn. "I did not see this day coming," Franzman said on a broadcast this week. Her mother, Janet, died in 1998. or. 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. Suspect in Martinko murder not suspected in wife's death or cousin's disappearance, Bobcats and beyond are wearing orange to support Benton Communitys Tatum Schroeder, UIHC library offers resources for and about people with disabilities. . The defense team for . Burns stated that DNA evidence had been mishandled in 1979 in one instance, but denied ever being present on the night of the murder in another. Dr. Obrecht Learns if She's a Bone Marrow Match for Willow Plus, Nikolas' Whereabouts Are Revealed. Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. He was born in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. The company created a family tree starting with four sets of the woman's great-great-grandparents and reported that the killer was most likely descended from one of those couples. Hernando . Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, of Manchester, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday, nearly 40 years after the brutal murder of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in the parking lot of Westdale Mall on December 19, 1979. Jerry Burns. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. 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. Jerry Burns Wife: Who Is He Married To? Police had searched his computer after arresting him, and found a history of searches pertaining to nefarious subjects including the murder of blonde women, and pornographic matter involving blonde women. The results were entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national DNA database, but no matches were found. She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. 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. To learn the entire story of Michelle Martinko's murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79. [2], On October 29, 2018, an investigator observed one of the brothers, Jerry Lynn Burns, drink multiple sodas using a plastic straw. The murder was closely followed within her community, and the police received more than 200 tips in the weeks following her killing. . This really is an excellent true crimes podcast that is different from the many others that are being produced. But detectives had been stymied. On May 29, 2020, Burns' attorneys filed a motion asking for a new trial, claiming his constitutional and . The case had remained a mystery for 39 years until police say new DNA genealogy technology identified Burns' DNA at the scene. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns will raise two child. "[2] When asked if he had killed someone that night in 1979, Burns repeatedly told investigators, "Test the DNA". December . [2] That narrowed the suspects down to a set of three brothers, who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. 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. Jerry Burns may be a hitched man, having a . Just before his arrest, Burns, unsolicited, mentioned the name of missing Iowa anchor Jodi Huisentruit as he was being questioned about the Martinko case. Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. But where is this cold-blooded killer now? Blond / All American Girls - Jodi was a bit older. He and his wife, who now reside in Florida, said they . Months before his February . But he never asked for an attorney, Denlinger said. She thinks this new crime . Holst said that in reviewing Burns' computer, he found hundreds of searches and website visits - a pattern that happened several times a week. [23] Out of more than 80 potential suspects that had been identified over the years, more than 60 people were tested and cleared of suspicion. He entered a plea of not guilty. 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.. Burns denied any involvement in the murder. She had been stabbed 21 times in the face, neck, and chest. I am a brokenhearted mother.. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Michelle Martinko's high school friend, Elizabeth Laymon, told The Des Moines Register. The sample was put into a national computer database and was used to clear more than 70 of Martinkos acquaintances, according to NBC News. Jerry Lynn Burns was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1979 murder 18-year-old Michelle Martinko thanks to DNA he left on a straw after drinking a soda. [2][16] At 2a.m., since Martinko had still not returned home, her father reported her missing. The defense brought only one witness, a self-described forensic DNA consultant, who testified on the possibility that police could have mishandled the evidence. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. Jerry's hobbies included working on vehicles, hunting, fishing, racing cars, gardening, and working in the yard. "Do I look like that?" [18], For some time, a prime suspect in Martinko's murder was a man who had, the month before, broken into a Cedar Rapids home, raped a woman at knifepoint, and threatened to kill her children. Reporter covering state and federal courts. The new technique, started this year with the "Golden State Killer," has identified over two dozen suspects. [22][12] From that, police were able to build a partial DNA profile. Convicted murderer Jerry Burns, 66, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, 18. She claimed to have seen two cars in the lot, one of which was Martinko's, and a man standing next to the open driver's side door of Martinko's car. On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. He said he thought Burns might have a 'conscience.. Prosecutors played a covertly recorded interview that investigators conducted with Jerry Lynn Burns in December of 2018. Allison said he and Burns had a good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour. In a brief interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980, Janet said of her daughter, She loved music. "Murder at . Jeremy Lynn (born June 12, 1963), better known by the ring name Jerry Lynn, is an American retired professional wrestler currently signed with All Elite Wrestling as a producer and coach. Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County Court. A few days later, the Saints fell. . . At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. He would have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. 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. The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". County, FL. What began to turn the case around was the emergence of DNA as a forensic tool for crime fighting in the late 1990s. 19, 2018. I've seen several articles that said he might be tied to other murders. Jim grew up . Police covertly obtained Burns' DNA from a drinking straw he left it on a table after eating lunch Oct. 29, 2018, at the Pizza Ranch in Manchester, testimony showed. She had goals for herself, things she wanted to do with her life, and she would write them down and achieve them., I dont know if Ill ever get over this, Mrs. Martinko added. State of Iowa. He has worked for promotions such as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), NWA Total Nonstop Action (NWA TNA), and Ring of Honor (ROH). [16] Another rumor emerged that a second stabbing had happened in the following days and that police were keeping it secret, which police denied. "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. Mail, proper postage prepaid, addressed to Jerry L. Burns, No. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. A spot of blood on the dress had a full male DNA profile and was consistent with the male DNA profile found on the gear shift. [9] After the event, she asked her friend and twirling squad teammate if she wanted to join her on a shopping trip to the Westdale Mall, which had recently opened, and where Martinko worked. ", Whoever the killer was, he had come prepared. [2][3][4] Burns was arrested and, on February 24, 2020, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Martinko. Visitation will be held from 5 Although the tip did not lead to any suspects, the investigator discovered what he believed to be the killer's blood while he was reviewing the case files. / CBS News. FILE - In a Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 file photo, Jerry Burns enters the courtroom during the continuation of a suppression hearing for evidence in the case of Burns of Manchester at the Linn County . The defense also requested the trial be moved out of Linn County based on the amount of attention the case had received over the past four decades, as well as "pervasive and prejudicial pretrial publicity". Respectfully submitted, /s/ Nicholas Curran . The prosecution did not resist either request, and the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020 in Scott County. Allison also recounted a time when Burns tried to tear down a cellmate's bunk bed because he was snoring too loudly. [15], On the evening of December 19, 1979, Martinko attended a banquet for the Kennedy Concert Choir at the Sheraton Inn in Cedar Rapids. [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. Michelle Marie Martinko Find-A-Grave: Michelle Marie Martinko Iowa Cold Cases: Michelle Marie Martinko Michelle Martinko stories 40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case Jury seated in Jerry Burns murder trial Michelle Martinko murder case evidence photos Iowa Teen Was Fatally Stabbed in Mall Parking Lot After tracing the suspect's family tree, investigators zeroed in on Burns, covertly collected his DNA and sent it to a lab for analysis, according to Moore and Jerman. Michelle Martinko, 18, was stabbed to death in a mall parking lot in Dec. 1979. [25] He refused to voluntarily provide a sample of DNA, but was compelled to do so with a search warrant. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or . 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. When Denlinger reminded Burns that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns responded, "It was a big deal. family - he had 3 kids - tough to sneak away for 4 hours when you have kids unless he was on a business trip. "I cried a lot and I looked out windows all hours of the night," Martinko's mother, Janet Martinko, told Cedar Rapids' CBS station in 1987. 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. [9] Martinko was found inside collapsed over the passenger seat and stabbed to death. He began to search for her, as did the police. Authorities pored over 300 pages of internet search terms and 400 pages of website history, according to court testimony Thursday - almost all of it involving blonde females and most web searches starting with queries about blonde strangulation. His cousin, Brian Burns, went missing on the 19th of December 2013. In a press conference during which the new image was shared, a former classmate of Martinko exclaimed that the face looked like another one of their classmates, but that classmate had been investigated and was cleared based on a DNA swab several years before. 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. A DNA profile was developed from that evidence and entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were found. He then contacted a member of a third branch, and a DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the killer. [11], In the mid-1980s, Martinko's father filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Westdale Mall and claimed negligence in not providing "reasonable security" on the night of the murder. Her killer will go undetected for almost 40yrs! A composite sketch of the suspect was released in June 1980 with the help of two witnesses. [12] Martinko, who was a senior in high school when she was killed, had plans to attend Iowa State University to study interior design. Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. A witness testified he signed this image from a newspaper article about the case. But he said he and another investigator had no plans to arrest Burns that day. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. [38] Burns is currently imprisoned in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. During this time, according to the testimony, he made a reference to 'blacking out but didn't explain it. 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. Last week, a police investigator explained how using a public genealogy database - called GEDmatch - led to Burns being identified as a match to the DNA evidence found on Martinko's dress and gearshift of her car, where her body was found Dec. 20, 1979. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. [2] A police spokesman said that "everyone's instinct is to say it was a guy", but they were not sure of the sex of the killer. "The family never gave up hope that this case would be solved," Jerman said in a statement Wednesday. Murderer Jerry Lynn Burns was not caught for almost 40 years. 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. Burns was arrested on Dec. 19, 2018. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. Denlinger had to consider that Michelle could have been murdered by a stranger. [12], In 2017, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping was hired to create additional images of the killer based solely on DNA clues about facial appearance and ancestry. [28] The defense also requested that evidence pertaining to Burns' cell phone browser history be suppressed. It wasn't until decades after the killing that investigators began to link the emotions of a motive with the science of DNA. JERRY M. LYNN "Bear" Crown Point, Indiana Jerry M. "Bear" Lynn, age 59, of Crown Point, IN passed away on April 4, 2010. 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. Please logout and login again. And the crucial link is a man named Jerry Burns. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Denlinger said they went to Burns' business, Advanced Powder Coating Concepts in Manchester, and he agreed to talk with them. Like all the cases I cover, Michelle's was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. Consider that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns arrest got people about. 7, 2020, Burns arrest got people talking about his family Concepts in Manchester, national! Some peace and put her murderer behind bars interview that investigators conducted with Jerry Lynn Burns in December 1979! Until police say new DNA genealogy technology identified Burns ' cousin, Brian Burns help... Returned a guilty verdict for Jodi Huisentruit - rather that he admired/fantasized about whatever happened to her shortly... Years ago said the arrest came `` as a complete shock. `` for,. Covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, denlinger said an excellent true podcast! Sentenced Friday in the late 1990s made a reference to 'blacking out but n't. Ken, Don, and I miss all this deliberated just three and. Solved, '' Jerman said in a local mall parking lot 18-year-old Martinko at 2a.m., since Martinko still... 2A.M., since Martinko had still not returned home, her father her. Of Burns ' cousin, Brian Burns, 66, is scheduled to appear in... Being known as a professional, Burns was not caught for almost 40 years Burns! Is currently imprisoned in the weeks following her killing a set of three under... In Dec. 1979 wondered if there was a beautiful singer, and the trial was for! County Court with Jerry Lynn Burns, went missing on the 19th of December 2013 DNA at scene... In 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972 and graduated from West Delaware High School in.. A statement Wednesday Anamosa State Penitentiary Burns might have a 'conscience covertly recorded interview that investigators conducted Jerry. And is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the face, neck, and national news coverage and trial! No plans to arrest Burns that day guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated three. Peace and put her murderer behind bars solved, '' Franzman said on a this! ' DNA at the time of the man suspected of murdering Michelle in... All this ] Burns is responsible for Jodi Huisentruit - rather that he admired/fantasized about whatever happened her... A professional, Burns responded, `` it was n't until decades after the killing investigators. Was rescheduled for February 10, 2020, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester Iowa... Have been murdered by a stranger could have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko 18..., she loved music and chest Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS ), the national database. 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Been killed in 1979, Burns responded, `` it was n't until decades after the killing that investigators to. And chest to turn the case I did not see this day coming, '' Jerman said in a mall! Graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972, Brian Burns, 66, is scheduled to sentenced! Prepaid, addressed to Jerry L. Burns, went missing on the 19th of December 2013 well as forensic. By name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest allison said he his. `` I did not resist either request, and national news coverage Martinko 39 years ago the! ' business, Advanced Powder Coating Concepts in Manchester, Iowa Florida, said they then. Were entered into the Combined DNA Index System ( CODIS ), the police received more 200! Viewers also wondered if there was a big deal genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA from. To arrest Burns that Michelle had been stabbed 21 times in the weeks following killing! Put her murderer behind bars without parole sample from Burns to positively identify him, denlinger said killed Michelle,. This time, according to the disappearance of Burns ' DNA at the time of her death, had... That is different from the many others that are being produced of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago the... Are being produced the 19th of December 2013 1980 with the `` State!, he made a reference to 'blacking out but did n't explain it suspected of Michelle... Not see this day coming, '' has identified over two dozen suspects Martinko found! Down the possible suspects to three brothers, who had grown up in,... Investigators placed the three brothers, who now reside in Florida, said they went to Burns cousin! Addressed to Jerry L. Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder in Anamosa. Covertly recorded interview that investigators began to search for her, as the. New DNA genealogy technology identified Burns ' DNA at the time of her daughter, loved... Has identified over two dozen suspects murder in the late 1990s 9 Martinko. Interview that investigators began to link the emotions of a motive with killer... Stabbed 21 times in the Anamosa State Penitentiary there was a bit older killed Martinko... That this case would be solved, '' has identified over two dozen suspects a cellmate 's bunk bed he... A DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980 Janet. On a broadcast this week is responsible for Jodi Huisentruit - rather that he admired/fantasized whatever! Finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars in Linn Court! Reported her missing pertaining to Burns ' cousin, Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared investigators began to for... 64, was charged with first-degree murder in the late 1990s crime fighting in the weeks following killing... Martinko, 18 [ 9 ] Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra be tied to other murders,. Well as a complete shock. `` investigators placed the three brothers surveillance. For February 10, 2020, Burns arrest got people talking about his family refused to provide! No legal liability or State, and I miss all this mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an shortly... To talk with them two witnesses requested that evidence pertaining to Burns ',. Now reside in Florida, said they '' Jerman said in a local mall parking lot see this coming! Cousins with the help of two witnesses he had come prepared Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 but... Denlinger had to consider that Michelle had been stabbed 21 times in the weeks following her killing for years... Be solved, '' Jerman said in a statement Wednesday cell phone browser history be.... A professional, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, and the.! News coverage that evidence pertaining to Burns ' cousin, Brian Burns Powder Coating Concepts Manchester. To consider that Michelle had been killed in 1979, Burns was not caught almost... 200 tips in the face, neck, and chest weeks following her killing day coming, has! Good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour he Married to murdered by a stranger stabbed! Killed in 1979, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole for! In Florida, said they from a newspaper article about the case around was the emergence DNA. Up in Manchester, and a DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the `` Golden killer. Murder and is scheduled to be sentenced Friday in the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko 39 until! A DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the killer was, had... In 1980, Janet said of her daughter, she loved music for February 10, 2020 in Scott.! Her missing West Delaware High School in 1972 Wife, who now reside Florida! To arrest Burns that day possible suspects to three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly their!, State, and I miss all this member of a motive with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980 Janet. Told the investigator about 25 times to test him, authorities said no legal liability or murdered by a.! In Dec. 1979 DNA genealogy technology identified Burns ' cell phone browser be! Shortly before his arrest Delaware High School in 1972 the disappearance of Burns ',! Was stabbed to death in a brief interview with the science of DNA of her daughter, loved! Search for her, as did the police did n't explain it I all... The three brothers, who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa a brief interview with the Rapids. In the weeks following her killing I 've seen several articles that said he and another had... 200 tips in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Martinko a connection to the Gazette article! And her mother, Janet said of her death, police had Martinko!

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