County, FL. 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 . It goes beyond the simple news reporting of case solved using genetic genealogy. The podcast explores who these perpetrators are, possible motives and features interviews with investigators who are willing to talk because the cases have already been resolved in court. A DNA profile was developed from that evidence and entered into the national Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), but no matches were found. Creighton Waters said the disgraced legal scion, 54, faced a 'gathering storm' of financial ruin that drove him to kill Maggie and Paul at the family's hunting estate in Moselle, South Carolina . But then Denlinger's supervisor, who had been listening to the recorded interview from across the street with other officers, sent Denlinger text message telling him to arrest Burns. I miss all her singing and her beautiful music. Identities returned to Does. [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. With genetic genealogy, an unknown killer's DNA from a crime scene can be identified through his or her family members, who voluntarily submit their DNA to a genealogy database. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder of Michelle Martinko. The prosecution did not resist either request, and the trial was rescheduled for February 10, 2020 in Scott County. Denlinger recorded him using a camera that was hidden inside a coffee mug. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice.". He said he remembered the case from seeing it in the news, but didn't know Martinko and didn't have anything to do with it, Denlinger testified. [2][5] Her hands bore defensive wounds, which police said to indicate that she had fought back against her killer. His voice was always turned up to full volume. Burns told the investigator about 25 times to test him, Denlinger said. Lives in Brentwood, Arkansas. In earlier testimony, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator who testified last week, was recalled to testify about Burns' interview with police Dec. 19, 2018. See Photos. Burns is being held at the Linn County jail on a $5 million cash-only bond. Jerry Lynn Burns will raise two . 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. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Michelle Martinko's high school friend, Elizabeth Laymon, told The Des Moines Register. Court documents said blood on clothing worn by Martinko and a blood stain on the gear shift of the car, where the teens body was discovered, were analyzed and found to belong to someone else. A article mentioned that the police found his Internet search history had stuff like 'murder, rape, harm of blonde women'. Allison, who's being . This technology helped the FBI arrest notorious serial killer, serial rapist, and burglar Joseph James DeAngelo (nicknamed Golden State Killer) in 2018. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. He would have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. Burns originally refuted every charge of involvement in this crime during interrogation by claiming he was unable to provide the authorities with a "plausible explanation" for why his DNA was found at the crime site. 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. Burns said when presented with the rendering. At the time of his arrest, Burns ran a powder-coating business called, Advanced Coating Concepts. [16] Based on cash found in Martinko's purse, police concluded that she had not been robbed. Grab your popcorn & get comfy as we dive into some dusty old cases revitalized thanks to genetic genealogy (& a bit of good ol' fashioned detective work! 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. However, the case gradually grew cold as the investigation stretched on. 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. 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. A composite sketch of the suspect was released in June 1980 with the help of two witnesses. Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. [2] She did not have many close girlfriends or confidantes, which was speculated to be caused by jealousy from other students over her beauty and stylish clothes[11] or conflict over a boy she had dated. Allison, who's being held on drug charges in Linn County, says the two played the card game pinochle often. People named Jerry Burns. State of Iowa. A few days later, the Saints fell. Rumors began to circulate about the crime. Be the first one to comment on this story. He was born in Hundred, WV on April 24, 1930, a son of the late Robert Lee and Rebecca Taylor Merriner. Her death was ruled a suicide. [20], On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch of a man believed to have killed Martinko, which they formed from descriptions provided by two witnesses under hypnosis. [18][19], Controversy arose five months after the murder, after a woman who was driving by the mall parking lot in the early hours of December 20 came forward with information. Burns stated that DNA evidence had been mishandled in 1979 in one instance, but denied ever being present on the night of the murder in another. Subscribe to the Public Safety newsletter. According to court documents, a judge has ruled internet search history from the man accused in a 1979 murder will not be able to be used during trial. Bryan. Michelle Martinko, pictured in a photo released by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, was stabbed to death in December 1979. He began working with Parabon NanoLabs, now a leading company helping police solve crimes through genetic tracing. Jan. 16, 2020 7:49 pm, Updated: Jan. 17, 2020 2:37 pm. This allows police to create a much larger family tree than databases like CODIs. [30] The doctor who performed Martinko's autopsy and investigators in the original case, all now retired, took the stand to testify to how the investigation was conducted, and to Martinko's cause of death. 20-1150). According to the investigator, "Burns showed almost no emotion during the interview, even when he was eventually told he was being arrested. In 2018, the company entered the DNA data from the case into the public genealogy website GEDmatch, where it found a familial DNA match. Visitation for Jim will be held on Monday, March 13, 2023 from 4:00PM until 6:00PM at the Peacock Family Chapel. Burns is accused of killing Cedar Rapids teenager Michelle Martinko in 1979. I just began listening to the DNA:ID podcast. Feb. 1, 2019 | The Des Moines Register. [9] She was last seen almost 9p.m. outside of a jewelry store in the mall. Jerry Lynn Burns will be in prison for the rest of his days. On December 19, 2018, 39 years after Michelle Martinkp was murdered, Det. 19, 2018. Burns pleaded not guilty at his February 2020 trial but the jury deliberated just three hours and returned a guilty verdict. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. The victim was the younger of two daughters of Albert and Janet Martinko. You have permission to edit this article. 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). The results were entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national DNA database, but no matches were found. Tests eliminated the other two brothers as suspects, but the DNA from Burns' straw matched the blood found on Martinko's clothing. 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. physical distance - it was a 2 hour drive to and from mason city to cedar rapids. "In a genetic genealogy database we can reverse engineer the [suspect's family] tree from their distant" relatives who have submitted DNA, Moore said. He was also ordered to pay $150,00 in restitution to Martinkos estate, according to KWWL. Jerry Lynn Burns. Fifty-five-year-old Brian "Farmer" Burns was reported missing to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office in Manchester, Iowa, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2013, and the sheriff's office is asking for the public's help in locating him. I've been reading up on this case and was wondering if they profiled this guy? [39], Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20, "Michelle Martinko's murder 'haunted' the Cedar Rapids community for 40 years. He had worked for John Deere and co-owned a truck stop. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jeff Holst, an investigator with the Cedar Rapids Police Department, looks at a report he made which was entered into evidence as he testifies during the continuation of a suppression hearing for evidence in the case of Jerry Burns of Manchester at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020. Updated Sep 20, 2022 at 3:27pm. He said he thought Burns might have a 'conscience.. [35] On May 29, 2020, Burns' attorneys filed a motion asking for a new trial, claiming his constitutional and state rights were violated and that the court made a mistake in overruling the request for evidence to be suppressed. Burns also built himself a new home on his parents' land and opened a gas station and convenience store nearby. Burns pleaded not guilty in 2019 and when his trial was supposed to begin in October of that year, his defense team requested additional time to review fresh pieces of evidence and gather witnesses. After weeks pursuing a wide range of possible blood relatives, Parabon helped him narrow the search down to three middle-aged brothers in Iowa who would have been young men back in 1979: Ken, Don and Jerry Burns. "So it doesn't matter that they haven't had their DNA tested through another arrest or crime scene, we don't need their DNA. Court is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.. . We would also like to extend our sympathy to the Martinko family.. Thanks to advances in technology and DNA evidence, a jury in an Iowa courthouse . When Burns, of Manchester, Iowa, was questioned, he "denied committing the offense but could offer no plausible explanation why his DNA would be found at the crime scene," police said. v. Jerry Lynn Burns. [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. Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. Her friend declined. Burns seemed to have a 'fetish for these violent, sexual themes, Cedar Rapids police Investigator Jeff Holst testified. While being questioned about . CEDAR RAPIDS - Police investigators couldn't find evidence that Jerry Burns and Michelle Martinko knew each other. Derek Chauvin's ex-wife . While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. The lab determined that the DNA collected from Burns was a match to DNA from the blood found on Michelle Martinko's clothing and was consistent with the DNA profile developed from blood found elsewhere in the car, Jerman said. 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. . This narrowed down the possible suspects to three brothers - Ken, Don, and Jerry Burns. Jerry Burns. Jerry Burns Wife: Who Is He Married To? This evidence was inadmissible at trial but was the subject of a public suppression hearing. Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns murder trial, The Christmas Project is back raising money for local non-profits, 3-year-old Cedar Rapids child confirmed dead from accidental drowning, The Carson King saga, a legendary Iowa tale of giving back, Active police investigation in Cedar Rapids, SIX MONTHS LATER: Derecho cleanup, recovery, replanting continues, Hawkeyes roll by North Carolina A&T 112-71. Like all the cases I cover, Michelle's was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. Authorities pored over 300 pages of internet search terms and 400 pages of website history, according to court testimony Thursday - almost all of it involving blonde females and most web searches starting with queries about blonde strangulation. Denlinger said no. The defense brought only one witness, a self-described forensic DNA consultant, who testified on the possibility that police could have mishandled the evidence. [1][5] Iowan law mandates a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first degree murder. The case was appealed and was eventually decided by the Iowa Supreme Court in favor of the mall owners. Glad you are liking it! He asked Burns for a sample of his DNA, but Burns said no - not without an attorney. Holst said he didn't, but department officials and First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks did consult an expert who specialized in sex offender assessment and treatment to explain what this evidence indicates in this case. [34], On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first degree murder of Michelle Martinko. 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. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. [2][16] At 2a.m., since Martinko had still not returned home, her father reported her missing. Jerry retired from the Army National Guard and retired as a Master Plumber. The Cedar Rapids teenager was found stabbed to death in her parents car parked at Westdale Mall. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. [31] The defense argued that DNA evidence had been mishandled,[31] and that different articles of clothing from the scene should not have been stored together in one evidence bag. The prosecution emphasized the unlikelihood of the DNA evidence matching someone other than the person who left it at the scene. The sample was put into a national computer database and was used to clear more than 70 of Martinkos acquaintances, according to NBC News. [2], In 2006, 27 years after Martinko's killing, a new cold case investigator working for the Cedar Rapids Police Department received a tip connected to the case. The Vikings organization is mourning the loss of the innovator, colorful . 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. "I was speechless," Denlinger says, recalling the moment the lab told him the results. The company created a family tree starting with four sets of the woman's great-great-grandparents and reported that the killer was most likely descended from one of those couples. 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. In late June of 1995, Jodi Huisentruit, a young anchor at KIMT television in Mason City, Iowa, disappeared from the parking lot of her apartment building on the way to work, never to be seen again. People who have worked on this game have also collaborated on the creation of the following games: Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire, a group of 68 people. Dr. Obrecht Learns if She's a Bone Marrow Match for Willow Plus, Nikolas' Whereabouts Are Revealed. Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. She will be remembered as a wonderful mother and wife, loving to spend time with her granddaughter . At the time of the murder, Burns was 25 and lived in Manchester, Iowa. 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