Our first look at Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, of Manchester after he was arrested this morning for first-degree murder in the 1979 homicide case of Michelle Martinko. Family of the man charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Michelle Martinko speaks out, says the arrest in cold case brings them joy just before Christmas. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. 'The community can be very proud of its law enforcement, and for the tremendous comfort and support area residents have extended to our family over the thirty-nine years since Michelle's death. With little to no leads to go on, there was little that detectives could do to solve the case. With Burns having been found guilty and in prison, however, Martinko's family finally has some sense of closure. All rights reserved. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Burns reacts as he is sentenced at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Her body was found in the front seat, where she had been injured and cut on numerous occasions. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. DAVENPORT, Ia. Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. Several residents lauded his professionalism and business savvy when speaking with the Register last year. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. He said he has ordered Burns not to speak with news media. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. 'He was in here (Wednesday) morning,' Wright said. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Burns then turned toward his family, sitting in the courtroom, and thanked them for their support. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who Is Denzel Browning-Wilkins? 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. Any relationship to Jerry Burns who was arrested for the Michelle Martinko murder. He pointed out that Martinko's sister and brother-in-law said Martinko didn't take organ lessons; Carma Lou's House of Music wasn't in Westdale; and none of the many witnesses who testified at trial about seeing Martinko at the mall that night never mentioned it. Martinko's body was found in her parents' Buick, which was parked near J.C. Penney at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids. "Every TV was on the news.". They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. pic.twitter.com/0rGdwIk89N. Spies, in his motion, said evidence of a regularly scheduled music lesson gives credence to the possibility that her attacker was familiar with her routine. Brian was last seen at his home in the 1300 block of 180th Street in Manchester, Iowa on December 19, 2013. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Jerry Burns Wife: Who Is He Married To? In 2018, Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested and charged with the teen's murder and, although it had been decades after the crime, the once cold case is now a subject of discussion on A&E's Killer Cases. Jerman, Cedar Rapids' police chief, credited police and investigators who "showed tenacity and dedication" over the four decades it took to take the case to trial, and the Linn County Attorney's Office for its role in Burns' arrest and prosecution. The store used to operate under the name of E-Z Pickin's, which Burns owned up until the business was bought by McDermott Oil. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry also answers to Jerry L Burns They stated they had no evidence to implicate him in Brian's case and no evidence that Patricia's death was not suicide. MANCHESTER, Ia. Honestly, it wasnt until years afterward that experts even had a real police sketch to search for help from people in general in observing the person who killed her. In one of those profiles, authorities said there were fewer than one in 100 billion unrelated individuals who would have had the same profile. Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester, was arrested in Dec. 19 2018, 39 years to the day after Michelle Martinko was found dead in her parents car outside a shopping mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 'You'll never convince me he did something like that.'. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. "The daughter of Jerry was in my graduating class of '99. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Cedar Rapids police used DNA genetic genealogical research to create a group of suspects in the killing that included Burns, according to court records. ", 'Complete shock':Family of the man charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Michelle Martinko speaks out. He and his wife, who now residein Florida,said they were gratefulfor the Cedar Rapids community's commitment to the case over the past 40 years. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), The cover of the 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. When the news broke Wednesday evening, Mormann said people in Manchester were calling each other, and waiting anxiously to learn more. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. Exactly 39 years after her death, police took a Manchester man into custody after matching his DNA to blood found at the crime scene. During an interview with the Des Moines Register, Laymon called the arrest "amazing" news and said she was relieved. Spies argued that Burns never consented to his DNA being collected from a straw left behind at a Pizza Ranch or to be found through an ancestry site. The sketch indicated a white man in his late teens or early 20s, weighing between 165 and 175 pounds, and standing about 6 feet tall. Laymon said she and Martinko were in a self-defense class together, but added that "no amount of self-defense could have saved her from that.". DNA privacy was also a topic of discussion during today's hearing. Burns' sentence also included that he wouldn't be eligible for parole. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. Because this moment has finally come. While Burns attorneys didnt offer an alibi for where he was the night of Martinko's murder, Spies did suggest that since Burns had been to Westdale Mall with his family before, DNA he left behind at the mall couldve transferred to Martinko while she was at the mall Dec. 19. Judge Hoover, who had reviewed Spies' written arguments and Maybanks' resistance before the hearing, quickly denied the motion for a new trial. Leclere said Burns was never considered a suspect in his cousin's missing-person investigation. 'Nobody is guilty until they prove it.'. His Girlfriend/boyfriends name is Not Available. He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. ", Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said shevividly remembersthe day classmates sobbed after they learned of the stabbing. Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts, Who Is David Bolt? WebBrian Farmer Burns, a 55-year-old Manchester, Iowa farmer, went missing from his Delaware County home on Thursday, December 19, 2013. 'When you listen to (Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne) Jerman on the news last night, they've got him (Burns) hung already,' McElliot said. I feel bad for the victims family becausetheyve been wondering every day of their life what happened to their daughter," Russ Wright, who served Burns nearly every day at a local BP gas station, said last December. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. Indeed, in June 2020, his legal advisor, Leon Spies, motioned for a retrial. Over the last 39 years, shes seen Burns around town. The accused turned out to be another Iowan native, Jerry Lynn Burns. Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? Born in 1953, Jerry Lynn Burns grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. He would have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. An Iowa man was on Friday sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole in the 1979 murder of an 18-year-old high school student. Wendling's father, Randy, who's knownBurns since high school, said he was "floored" by the news. He went missing after telling his brother he was waiting for a ride from someone. (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. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Jerry Burns (on left page, third picture from the top and third picture from the left) part of the senior class in a 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Leads in the case resulted in dead ends until investigatorsused a genetic genealogy website to connect Burns' DNA to the crime scene. An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. Moreno said, "I would have never guessed. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Friends and family of Michelle Martinko react as Burns' motion for a new trial is denied at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. After turning to GEDmatch, a commercial genetic genealogy site, investigators narrowed their suspects to three brothers, all in Iowa. They just would not let it go., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Birky said she recalled Martinko was dressed up that night and said she came from a musical banquet, according to the affidavit. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. Burns said 'somebody else stabbed Martinko that night. 28, 2021 7:50 am610d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 6:39 pm, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:22 pm6h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:19 pm6h ago, Caleb McCullough, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau State Government Feb. 28, 2023 7:17 pm, State Government Feb. 28, 2023 6:04 pm5h ago, Jeff Linder High School Basketball 38m ago38m ago. The music books either were dropped somewhere police didn't searched or the killer disposed of them, he said. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover as she reads Burns' sentence at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The man accused of killing a Cedar Rapids woman 40 years ago was back in court Friday for a hearing to suppress evidence. Spies asserted that the way authorities went about obtaining DNA from Burns and his family members to prove his DNA was found at the crime scene was a violation of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Burns Wife Died in June 2008. "We would ride up and down that road by his house and never thought anything of it," she said. A pathologist said the fatal stab wound was to her heart and that she bled to death. 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. Now, his relationship is perfect. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. (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. She said he lives and operates a business just five miles from her house. Read more about the circumstances surrounding Burns' arrest here. When the father of three did stop in, Wright said they would make small talk, chatting about work and plans for the day. He and a group of other men met there daily to drink coffee and chat. (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. Aug. 7, 2020 6:12 pm, Updated: Aug. 7, 2020 8:23 pm. Jerry also answers to Jerry L Burns and Jerry Lynn Burns, and perhaps a couple of other names. Hiscousin, Brian Burns, vanished Dec. 19, 2013 exactly 34 years after Martinko was killed. Denlinger again testified about the importance of Burns' porn preferences to the killing of Marinko. Burns' DNA profile was developed from blood on Martinko's black dress. Mormann said she was 'born and raised' in Manchester. ", People of Manchester 'would have never guessed' Burns' arrest for Martinko murder, Iowa Republicans move forward bills to limit bathroom access for transgender students, Heroic Iowa sisters credited with saving two kids who fell through ice, Student walkouts planned statewide in protest of proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. When he left I told him 'Have a good day Jerry, I'll see you tomorrow. If found guilty of his first-degree murder charges, he'll But we are trying hard to collect all the information about him and will update you soon. As Becky Moreno stopped for lunch on Thursday afternoon, she reflected on growing up just down the street from Jerry Burns and his family. 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. "Its scary," Moreno said. "Everybody was so anxious last night to see a picture to make sure it was actually, you know, him," Mormann said. Chief Jerman said Wednesday night that Martinko's family now could take comfort in knowing a murder arrest had been made, and for Martinko's sister Janelle Stonebraker and her husband John Stonebraker, an arrest in the case was something to be grateful for. 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