Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. Distractify is a registered trademark. Jerry Lynn Burns faces a first degree murder charge in the killing of Michelle Martinko. 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. They're upset about somehow that they are going to be roped into an investigation, they would feel unfairly, or that their privacy would somehow be violated, right? Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. Police looked at numerous suspects during the initial investigation, including a man who raped a woman at knifepoint and later died while in prison for that crime, but DNA testing ruled him out. In his statement, Stonebraker said he will never forget Janet Martinko calling them early Dec. 20, 1979, after she had identified the 'bloody, torn, broken body of her beautiful daughter. So, you spend three or four weeks thinking, I'm a suspect in a brutal murder. Jury selection is still set to begin Feb. 10. (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. Previous coverage:Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer. Offender Information I am very appreciative of the work of our investigators and their persistence with this case, including the use of the latest technology that can aid in the investigation regardless of how long ago the violent act occurred., READ NEXT: Michigan School Teachers Admit to Being Porn Stars on the Side, Jerry Lynn Burns: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. He was ensnared because his father had. Predictions were made for ancestry and facial features, police said. The law cannot punish Burns for the damage he had done to Martinko's family or the 'terrible shock, shame, pain and devastation inflicted on the innocent lives of his own family. Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. You can do a lot of credit card cancellations if things get into the wrong hands. WebJerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. He was convicted of first-degree murder Although Martinko's case was eventually solved, the mystery outlived both of her parents, who died years before Burns was found guilty, and Killer Cases explains, the hope of finding her killer and figuring out what happened and why slowly dwindled throughout the years. Burns, who would have been 25 at the time of Martinko's death, said he could not offer a "plausible explanation" forwhy his DNA was found at the crime scene, authorities said at the time of his arrest. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. Todays announcement makes it clear that this Police Department and our investigators never gave up on this case either. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. The state's search and seizure of Burns' and Burns' family members' DNA is a violation of the Fourth and 14th Amendments, according to the motion, and the court erred by not suppressing that evidence. When it came crashing down was when they walked out of the room and the biggest state policeman that I have ever seen in my life came in with latex gloves and a cotton swab and said, I'm going to take your DNA now. Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. An analyst at the Iowa state crime lab found that DNA from the straw matched the blood found on Martinkos dress. The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, says "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Laymon said. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. An hour before announcing Burns arrest, police in Cedar Rapids tweeted that there had been a major development in Martinkos murder. Your login session has expired. Then, in 2018, police used new DNA technology that hadn't been available in 1979 or even the '80s, when the composite sketch was released, to zero in on Burns and arrest him for Martinko's murder. Before 6th Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover sentenced Burns to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Burns, who never showed any emotion during his trial in February, gave a short statement. The tribute says that Patricia Burns had three children, one son and two daughters. Maybanks said it's likely nobody will ever know why Burns committed the crime. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) speaks at Burns' sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (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.