Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. William Brangham: Turns out the murderer was a distant, distant relative of He was sentenced to life imprisonment and is currently being held at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Investigators covertly collected a straw used by Burnsto test his DNA. ", 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.". Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. 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. 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. She was stabbed multiple times in the face, neck, and chest. 'A complete shock': Family of suspect in Martinko murder releases statement, Game of Thrones author George R.R. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns The Gazette has been informing Iowans with in-depth local news coverage and insightful analysis for 140 years. He didn't know who or why. Burns is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Michelle Martinko in 1979. It's becoming such a powerful crime-fighting tool. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. WebJerome Monahan Burns (January 24, 1927 May 12, 2021) was an American college and professional football coach. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns thanks his family for their support as he makes a statement before his sentencing by Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. 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. Maybanks recapped Monday how witnesses in the two weeks prior outlined an extensive chain of custody of the evidence to ensure no new DNA could have been introduced into the packages containing Martinko's bloodied clothes and pieces of the car. I don't know why this upsets people. It was a case, Cedar (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. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested Wednesday and accused of fatally stabbing the 18-year-old, whose body was found in her parents' 1972 Buick Electra in the Genetic testing was key to the state's case against Burns. When Burns finished eating, he got up and walked out of the restaurant. Stonebraker said he is sad for the Burns family and wanted to 'wish them well.. Martinkowas found dead in her parents' Buickin the parking lot of Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids early on the morning of Dec. 20, 1979, curled onto the passenger seat floorboard, stabbed multiple times and bloodied from the wounds she sustained," first assistant Linn County attorney Nick Maybanks previously told jurors. Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. 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. Dateline: Unforgettable - How did the police find Jerry Lynn Burns Police chief believes DNA 'snapshots' were money Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". He also said it was difficult to believe that law enforcement never came across such information in the nearly 40 years of investigation. Across the aisle, the benches behind Burns were packed to the brim. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. Genetic genealogy can help solve cold cases. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry Lynn Burns (64) was arrested 12/19/2018 and faces first-degree murder charges. Police said in a statement that officers identified Burns as a suspect after DNA technology allowed them to create a composite sketch. Spies wrote that the jury's verdict was "contrary" to the weight of evidence, and his client'sconstitutional rights were violated by the admission of his statements to investigators the day of his arrest and the use of hisand his family's DNA. Burns denied killing Martinko at the time of his initial questioning. But not everyone is so eager to have their DNA end up in a police dragnet. 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. Burns sentencing is likely to be scheduled for early April, though a date has notbeen set, District Judge Fae Hoover said. I didn't have a close relationship with my dad, so maybe to find some family members and just kind of learn about his side, you know? Offender Information We would also like to extend our sympathy to the Martinko family.. 2023 Iowa Judicial Branch. Jury selection is still set to begin Feb. 10. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. Police found Martinko's body in her parents' tan 1972 Buick at Cedar Rapids Westdale Mall parking lot around 4 a.m. on Dec. 20, 1979. More:Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Genetic genealogy, the technique millions of people are using to learn about their family history, has now become a potent tool with which law enforcement can solve crimes. The media showed up and then it was real. Martinko was a senior at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids. 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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison.