(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. Burns sentencing is likely to be scheduled for early April, though a date has notbeen set, District Judge Fae Hoover said. Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns The detective looked through the case files and found what he thought to be the murderer's blood. The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. Cutting-edge DNA technology was used to solve the cold case. She was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, and chest. ", 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.". (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden listens from the gallery at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. For nearly 40 years, the family of slain high schooler Michelle Martinko waited for an arrest. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@dmreg.com or on Twitter @TDavisDMR. Supreme Court Oral Argument Schedule - Iowa Judicial Branch Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. New York University's Erin Murphy, who studies genetics and the law, sees Usry's ordeal as a cautionary tale. Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, says Genetic testing was key to the state's case against Burns. But there's some. Stonebrakersat in the front row of the courtroom, flanked by her husband, John, and oldest son, Robert. Jerry Lynn Burns, 66, was found guilty in Februaryof first-degree murderin the 1979 stabbing death of18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids. But after authorities in California used GEDmatch to catch the Golden State Killer, Rogers began to slowly welcome police into the database. "One of the areas that continues to tug at my heart," Cedar Rapids' police chief said during a press conference last December, "was (Martinko's sister) expressed how sad their parents passed away without knowing who killed their daughter, Michelle. I am a brokenhearted mother.. By the time of Burns' arrest, both of Martinko's parents had been gone for decades: Martinko'sfather died in 1995 and her mother in 1998. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. 'Killer Cases' Explores His Nick Maybanks, first assistant attorney in the Linn County Attorney's Office, said prosecutors will be filing a motion for resistance, but declined to comment further. Where Is Jerry Lynn Burns Now? 'Killer Cases' Explores His During the original investigation, detectives compiled a list of more than 80 potential suspects. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. Police chief believes DNA 'snapshots' were money No match was made through that system. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. The cold-case murder has drawn intense public interest, and Friday's hearing was livestreamed because of limited seating. Correction: In an earlier version of this story we said Brian Dripps was charged and convicted for the murder of Angie Dodge. After genealogy websites proved helpful in the investigation of the Golden State Killer, Iowainvestigators asked Parabon-NanoLabs, which had access to hundreds of thousands of genetic samples people uploaded,to see if there was a match in its database. But you can't cancel your genome. (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. His family and friends remained seated after Martinkos family left the courtroom. Nsikan Akpan, Rhana Natour In this video, I interviewed Robert Riley, one of the administrators for the Michelle Martinko Cold Case 1979 Facebook page. IN THE SUPREME COURT OF IOWA Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. Dateline: Unforgettable - Where is Jerry Lynn Burns now? Police said that they then retrieved a covert sample from Burns which was matched to blood from the scene of Martinkos murder. I kept asking questions, like, did somebody I know do something horrible? William Brangham In October 2018, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator,saw Burns drink sodas out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks said the information wouldn't have changed the verdict. "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. And Murphy says those decisions, made by others, cannot be undone. (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. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. After several trials and errors, the suspects were narrowed down to three brothers who had grown up in Manchester, Iowa. District Judge Fae Hoover on Dec. 9 agreed to move the trial to the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport. He was ensnared because his father had. Burns is facing charges of first-degree murder and will make his first appearance in Linn County Court on December 20, police said. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The trial for the grisly killing of an Iowa teen in the 1970s will likely be delayed, court records show. NewsHour regrets the error. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. The tribute says that Patricia Burns had three children, one son and two daughters. A retired music teacher, Kathryn Birky, of Swisher, who taught private piano and organ lessons, said she had a regularly scheduled lesson with Martinko in the Westdale Mall the night of the attack, Spies said. Maybanks noted that even though Martinko interacted with at least half a dozen friends the night of her death, including at the mall, none of their DNA was found at the crime scene. Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. The reward for information leading to an arrest in Martinkos murder was $15,000. Support our award-winning, independent journalism with a subscription today. All Rights Reserved. William Brangham, Nsikan Akpan 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. It was almost like a dream. The case itself had initially led investigators to assume the crime had been one of passion, with the amount of stab wounds to Martinko's face, but even now, there have been no answers as to why it happened. Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns (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. But, months later, Jennings was shocked to learn that police had used her DNA information from that public Web site, and used a technique called genetic genealogy to identify the killer in a 40-year-old cold case in Iowa. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. People around him considered him to be a professional but everything fizzled out shortly after. 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. Burns was arrested and, on February 24, 2020, was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Martinko. On August 7, 2020, Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Jerry Lynn Burns: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know That decision essentially erases the genetic privacy of everyone else. 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. He has been charged, but notconvicted. 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. It's also kind of it scares me, personally, because we see that it's being used for other purposes besides finding your uncle. In 2006, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department was tipped with an update. Teen Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death in 1979. In October 2018, Jerry Lynn Burns was drinking a soda out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. (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. pic.twitter.com/Pm9mA8kccv, Matt Hammill (@Matt_Hammill) December 20, 2018. Nsikan Akpan is the digital science producer for PBS NewsHour and co-creator of the award-winning, NewsHour digital series ScienceScope. Several residents lauded his professionalism and business savvy when speaking with the Register last year. (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. ", Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said shevividly remembersthe day classmates sobbed after they learned of the stabbing. of Northern Iowas iconic Campanile, Ladd Library in Cedar Rapids to host job fair. 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. Debates across the country have arisen about whether the use of such information is a violation of people's privacy. Burns was drinking soda through a clear plastic straw. Usry's dad seemed too old to be the killer, but Michael was not. 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. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, says 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. You can change your address if things get really dark. A covert DNA sample was matched to blood found at the crime scene. (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. His trial is set for Oct. 14 in Linn County District Court. 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. Michael Usry Jr., Arrested Due to DNA Test: In fact, almost the entire time they had me in the interrogation room with the one-way mirror and all, they really didn't want to give me any information. WebThat morning police arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester. Be the first one to comment on this story. Burns' attorneys claimed the case has been surroundedby "pervasive and prejudicial pretrial publicity" and has been in the public eye for the past four decades,court filings show. Police questioned Burns at work in Manchester, Iowa where he denied killing Martinko. Jerry Lynn Burns is accused of the 1979 cold case murder of Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. Rogers initially built it so people like Brandy Jennings could use their DNA results to build out their family tree. 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. Burns, 65, has been charged with first-degree murder for the 1979 killing of Michelle Jerry Burns Sentenced to Life in Prison for Michelle Burns is being held at Linn County Jail. 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. Across the aisle, the benches behind Burns were packed to the brim. 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. READ NEXT: Serial Killers Ex Thinks There Were More Victims, Parents of Murdered Teenager Did Not Live to See Her Killer Brought to Justice, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. "We don't exactly know the whys and some of the details, but we definitely know who did it, and that was terribly important to us," she said. John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. He previously co-owned a truck shop and worked for John Deere. More:DNA leads federal investigators to suspected serial killer in Iowa; Clark Perry Baldwin charged with killing 3 women in 1990s. In September 1986, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected claims made byMartinko's father that the shopping center was negligent because it did not provide "reasonable security" for his daughter, the Register reported at the time. Here's the Update in His Case. Kathleen T. Zellner Nicholas M. CurranElizabeth A. AragusRita Bettis AustenJennifer LynchNathan Freed Wessler Vera Eidelman Patrick Toomey, Sep 30, 2022 1:30 PM University of Iowa, College of Law, Levitt Audiotorium. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Ahead of the Dateline NBC episode about her death, heres what you need to know about the crime, the perpetrator, and what sentence he received at trial. A man named Brian Dripps, who was her neighbor, was charged with rape and murder and will go on trial in 2021. Based on the number of stab wounds particularly to the young womans face police considered the homicide personal in nature. He joined the flagship PBS program in 2015, after spending two years with PBS NewsHour Weekend in New York City. 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. Although Michelle was killed, her fighting spirit was a key to solving her case 40 years after the crime. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. He previously co-owned a truck stop near town. By William Brangham, Rhana Natour, Nsikan Akpan. His trial was most recently set to begin Oct. 14, but was delayed afterBurns' defense team requested additionaltime to review new evidence and witnesses. According to KWWL, at the sentencing, Stonebaker said that Burns stole those 39 years and many more from a sweet smart, talented girl who never got her chance at college, a career, marriage, children and by now, even grandchildren.. Get exclusive subscriber content and more at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal. Curtis Rogers created the biggest public database, called GEDmatch, that's now used by police to solve crimes. He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. 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. All rights reserved. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. As the investigation slowed, a $10,000 reward was offered. The discarded straw was retrieved by a police investigator after Burns left it behind. "I wish my parents could be here to see this. With little to no leads to go on, there was little that detectives could do to solve the case. Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. Michelle Martinko: Her murderer captured by Pizza Straw William Brangham shares a "cautionary tale" of how one person's DNA testing can have a wide impact. Speaking to KCRG, a classmate of Martinkos, Elizabeth Laymon, spoke about the day after her friend was killed saying, We went to school that day and it wasnt announced. Todays announcement makes it clear that this Police Department and our investigators never gave up on this case either. Burns argues the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress where the warrantless (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. They were so grateful to the Police Department for continuing to work on this case. She wasn't crying so much as gasping, choking. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (CBS2/FOX28) It is the cold case murder thats haunted the Cedar Rapids area for 35 years. Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? New Details Arrested 1979 Unsolved 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. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. This is the moment of reckoning for him and the moment, long awaited, of resting peace for Michelle.. 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. RAW: Exclusive Interview with Michelle Martinko%. Police arrested Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, in the decades-old fatal stabbing. He faces a first-degree murder charge after investigators say they found his blood at the crime scene. Previous coverage:Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer. Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Within days ofMartinko's killing, police received more than 200 phone calls and letters from people who wanted to help, according to Des Moines Register archives. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Martin stops in Dubuque, Refurbished bells return to Univ. Michelle Martinko had planned to attend Iowa State University before her death in 1979. It's becoming such a powerful crime-fighting tool. 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. Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Bailey Cichon Podcasts Apr. 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. DAVENPORT, Ia. During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. 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. Michael Usry Jr. was cleared. Powered by. While waiting to receive the mandatory life sentence that comes with a conviction on that charge, Burns' attorney has asked the court to give the Manchester man a new trial. 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. accused of killing Michelle Martinko begins hearing You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. Man Accused Of Killing Martinko Won't Testify As Defense Rests 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. WebMichelle fought back and was able to injure Jerry, who bled on the gear handle and Michelles dress.

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