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 Anthony Rex officiating. In his video interview with police right before his arrest, Burns, unsolicited, mentioned the name of Jodi Huisentruit as he was being questioned about the Martinko case. Authorities believe Burns stabbed the Kennedy High School senior in the chest and face inside a car parked at Westdale Mall 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 Martinko, Kennedy High School yearbook photo, 1979. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "It looks personal, it's a lot of stab wounds, it's overkill," said lead Detective Matt Denlinger of the Cedar Rapids Police Department. 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. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or . 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. He said Burns had no memory of being at the crime scene. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. 1, 2021 3:52 pm608d ago, Caleb McCullough Health Care and Medicine Jun. 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). As reported by CBS News, Burns was not arrested until 2018, when DNA evidence confirmed he was responsible for Martinko's death. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. He was never charged with the Martinko murder, he denied the accusations, and DNA evidence, found later, did not match his DNA. Jerry Lynn Burns. It wasn't until decades after the killing that investigators began to link the emotions of a motive with the science of DNA. 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. "Well, I kind of think you do a little bit," Denlinger responded in the video interview. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Her death was ruled a suicide. A Felony. "Hmm, strange," Burns responded when Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matthew Denlinger told him he was a suspect for Martinko's death. 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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. While that tip did not yield any new leads, it did cause Det. [38] Burns is currently imprisoned in the Anamosa State Penitentiary. And he said he couldn't talk about it," Michael Allison said, who shared a cell with Burns starting in September 2019. The woman communicated her information to the daughter of the secretary of the Public Safety Commissioner and believed that it would be passed on to police if it was important. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice.". The Realm, a group of 34 people. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. The man charged with killing Michelle Martinko 39 years ago is not a suspect in the death of his wife or disappearance of his cousin, according to investigators. He had followed them and secretly recovered their DNA. The victim, Martinko, was an 18-year-old high school student from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who was visiting a mall to buy a winter coat. 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. Visitation for Jim will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Peacock Family Chapel. Sexual Assault of Unnamed Victim (12) . State of Iowa. Investigators placed the three brothers under surveillance in an attempt to covertly collect their DNA, according to The Gazette. 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. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison for the rest of his days. "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. Jerry Burns. In fact, his father Harvey, now 85, had been one of the original officers on the case 40 years earlier. 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. A hearing over whether to allow the evidence at trial continued Thursday for a second day. He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. Lighthouse: The Dark Being, a group of 43 people. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. After Burns arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the death of his wife, Patricia, in 2008. Although Burns's arrest in the Martinko case raised questions about the two incidents, police do not believe Burns was involved in either one. 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. Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. Detectives considered charging the Commissioner with failure to pass along the information to police, but no charges were pursued. 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. jerry lynn burns defendant-appellant. Denlinger said he intentionally chose that day to interview Burns because it was the anniversary of Martinko's death. Denlinger interviewed Burns at his business. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County Court. Visitation will be held from 5 Denlinger told him authorities would come back to talk to him after they got the results of the DNA test. 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. He testified last week he took the straw after it was discarded. William Brangham: Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of Jennings. Investigators also showed Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects; he questioned their likeness to him. Allison said he and Burns had a good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour. Hi all - I discuss the case of Michelle Martinko, who was murdered in 1979 in Iowa, this week on DNA: ID podcast. 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. Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. In 2018, the company entered the DNA data from the case into the public genealogy website GEDmatch, where it found a familial DNA match. Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. . 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. 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. Ken and Don were not a match but Jerry Burns' DNA was a match, to an almost perfect scientific certainty. Jerry Burns, busy back in Minneapolis, wasn't on the guest list that time. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. Authorities arrested 64-year-old Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester this morning. A juvenile found carrying a knife was interviewed and ruled out in her murder, as was a shopping center employee who had told police that he enjoyed following women and ogling store mannequins. Derek Chauvin's ex-wife . GEDmatch returned one person who shared DNA markers with the suspect in Martinko's murder, and it determined her to be likely the killer's second cousin once removed. Jerry retired from the Army National Guard and retired as a Master Plumber. May 12, 2021 at 04:20 PM. family - he had 3 kids - tough to sneak away for 4 hours when you have kids unless he was on a business trip. I am a brokenhearted mother.. Jerry Burns enters the courtroom in 2020 (Image via We Are Iowa) Burns was born in Manchester, Iowa in 1953 and graduated from West . Oral Argument Schedule. The murder of Michelle Martinko occurred in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on December 19, 1979. [26] He was not able to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been present at the crime scene. 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. Martinko's father Albert and mother Janet died in 1995 and 1998 respectively. In a brief interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980, Janet said of her daughter, She loved music. ABC News' Matt Foster and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report. The case got nationwide media attention but has remained an unsolved mystery for more than 25 years. Jerry Lynn Burns faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Michelle Martinko. Thus began the quest to finally nab Martinko's killers. [8][9] She attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, where she was an above average student and well regarded by school officials. Jerry Burns on Trial AP Jerry Burns of Manchester, Iowa, is led into the courtroom during closing arguments for his trial at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport, Iowa on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. "That was big, national news," said Denlinger. 1, 2023 9:40 am7h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:22 pm23h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:19 pm23h ago, Jeff Linder High School Basketball 21m ago21m ago. [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. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. [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. Daryl F. Gates' Police Quest: SWAT, a group of 41 people. [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. 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. Police found impressions from rubber gloves inside and outside the car, indicating that the assailant had likely planned his attack and hoped to escape unidentified. [2][23] On December 19, 2018, investigators went to Burns' business in Manchester, Iowa, to interview him. After reading about the Golden State Killer case in 2018, in which serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was finally caught through a long trail of DNA, Denlinger had an epiphany: perhaps he could use that same new technique to solve the Martinko case. 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. 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. During the investigation, the police assumed that there were personal motives involved in the murder due to the nature of Martinko's stab wounds. 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. , '' Denlinger responded in the video interview present at the crime scene thus began the to. 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