Jerry Burns was caught and tended to when his DNA matched that of some found on Martinkos articles of clothing at the hour of her crime. She opened her restaurant about five years ago, she said, and it has since become a local lunch spot where everyone knows everyone. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. Spies argued that if the defense had this evidence at trial, jurors might have come back with a different verdict. Likewise, Mike McElliot, of Ryan, who has known Burns since they were freshmen at West Delaware High School, said he finds the news impossible to believe. "We left Cedar Rapids, but Cedar Rapids never left us," he said, choking up outside the courthouse while his wife nodded in agreement. The suspect, identified as Jerry Lynn Burns, DOB/12-23-1953, age 64, of Manchester, Iowa, was arrested today for the crime of Murder in the First Degree. for the murder of Michelle Martinko 39 years later. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns listens as Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover (not pictured) speaks at his sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Jerry LynnBurns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Decades after the death, he had a voice in the first-degree murder sentencing of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester. From the leadership on down, they never gave up.". WebJerry Burns in Manchester, IA. Prosecutors said she was stabbed to death. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who Is Denzel Browning-Wilkins? As Becky Moreno stopped for lunch on Thursday afternoon, she reflected on growing up just down the street from Jerry Burns and his family. Denlinger again testified about the importance of Burns' porn preferences to the killing of Marinko. On December 19, 1979, when 18-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa inhabitant Michelle Martinko, vanished, it transformed into a case that before long ran cold. Within days ofMartinko's killing, police received more than 200 phone calls and letters from people who wanted to help, according to Des Moines Register archives. "If you saw him out in thepublic, he would sit there and talk with you and say 'hi' to you every time he'dseen you.". In October 2018, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator,saw Burns drink sodas out of a plastic glass with a clear straw. You have permission to edit this article. Based on the number of stab wounds particularly to the young womans face police considered the homicide personal in nature. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. But he also said his private investigator had uncovered new evidence that wasn't discovered until June. Martinko, who was 18, was found stabbed to death in her family's Buick in the early morning hours of Dec. 20, 1979, in the parking lot of Westdale Mall. "The people in law enforcement take on their duty and their task seriously," Maybanks told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network,afterthe verdict. More than 60 were tested and cleared. WebBrian Farmer Burns, a 55-year-old Manchester, Iowa farmer, went missing from his Delaware County home on Thursday, December 19, 2013. Then for a verdict. Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. Maybanks, in asking Hoover to sentence Burns to life, said this verdict and sentence would not only give peace to the family and many friends of Martinko who have waited four decades for justice, but provide 'enormous relief to the community. That was ultimately how investigators found Burns' after creating a DNA profile from a bloodstain on the back of Martinko's dress. He was taken into custody in the evening. A face many patrons of the northeast Iowatavernknew was plastered on five flat screens: Jerry Burns. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. 'We talked about how he had just dropped his cat off at the vet and about his work, and he said he had a busy day ahead. Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953 [13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. He grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. Wounds on the teens hands showed she fought her killer. They stated they had no evidence to implicate him in Brian's case and no evidence that Patricia's death was not suicide. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Cedar Rapids police then used DNA genetic genealogical research to narrow the profile "down to a specific pool of suspects, which included Burns, according to a criminal complaint. ', l Comments: 319-398-8238; [email protected]. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. Birky also noted that Martinko should have had two organ books and an assignment book with her after leaving the lesson that night. Leads in the case resulted in dead ends until investigatorsused a genetic genealogy website to connect Burns' DNA to the crime scene. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. We really didn't have a why, so finding the internet search history with how specific is was, we really thought that was probative," said Denlinger. John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. ", 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. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. She wasn't crying so much as gasping, choking. Janelle and John Stonebraker, Martinkos sister and brother-in-law who live in Florida, told The Cedar Rapids Gazette this week that they are at peace after waiting decades for justice. 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. Authorities say they were able to match Burns with DNA at the crime scene. He said he has ordered Burns not to speak with news media. An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. Tyler Davis can be reached [email protected] on Twitter@TDavisDMR. Burns Wife Died in June 2008. 'I was happy when I heard the case was solved, but it was a punch in the gut to hear it was someone from the community. Be that as it may, on February 24, 2020, he was viewed as at real fault for first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. "Ialso feel bad for, you know, his current family and friends because now they have to go through all this as well. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. As the investigation slowed, a $10,000 reward was offered. 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. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. (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. Maybanks also choose not to resist the defense's request that the trial be moved out of the eastern Iowa county where the alleged crime took place. When 18-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa resident Michelle Martinko went missing on Dec. 19, 1979, it became a case that soon ran cold. Manchester, IA (52057) Today. District Judge Fae Hoover on Dec. 9 agreed to move the trial to the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport. DNA privacy was also a topic of discussion during today's hearing. ", Elizabeth Laymon, who was high school friends with Martinko, said shevividly remembersthe day classmates sobbed after they learned of the stabbing. Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". But with 39-years later, limited information, that's a long time that's gone by. Update, Feb. 24, 2020: Within hours of the trials closing arguments, a Scott County jury has convicted Jerry Burns of first-degree murder in the death of Michelle Martinko. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). When he left I told him 'Have a good day Jerry, I'll see you tomorrow. 'You have to go with the evidence,' he said. Stonebraker and his wife, Janelle, Martinko's only sister, live in Florida and were unable to attend the hearing. According to an affidavit, Birky, in a phone interview with an investigator who works for Spies, said she had been giving organ lessons to Martinko in 1979 at 'Carma Lou's House of Music. Martinko had lessons between 8:30 and 9 p.m., Birky said. 'You'll never convince me he did something like that.'. She affirmed her rulings made before and during trial regarding the defense's motion. Burns was arrested 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.". 'This is something that affects the whole community,' he said, 'and everybody wants answers.'. 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. Russ Wright, who works at Quik 'N Handi, answers a question as he sits at a table at Blue Collar Sports Bar in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. "Its scary," Moreno said. In December 2018, Brian's cousin, Jerry Burns, who also lived in Manchester, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. The two had done business beforeWendling owns a body shop, Paint-N-Place, and Burns owns a powder-coating company, Advanced Coating Concepts. Where Could Jerry Burns Now be? (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Advanced Coating Concepts at 1608 230th Street in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. His mark on the world, and the sum of his life, will be a short notice, saying: Convicted Martinko murderer dies in prison,' Stonebraker bluntly said. He went missing after telling his brother he was waiting for a ride from someone. '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. 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' 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. 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. Burns is being held at Linn County Jail. The reward for information leading to an arrest in Martinkos murder was $15,000. An hour before announcing Burns arrest, police in Cedar Rapids tweeted that there had been a major development in Martinkos murder. If found guilty of his first-degree murder charges, he'll face 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. Brian was last seen at his home in the 1300 block of 180th Street in Manchester, Iowa on December 19, 2013. The wait ended Monday, when a jury convicted Jerry Lynn Burns of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Martinko. Several residents lauded his professionalism and business savvy when speaking with the Register last year. Previous to Jerry's current city of Manchester, IA, Jerry Burns lived in Cedar Falls IA. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. WebJerry S Burns in Manchester, IA. When the father of three did stop in, Wright said they would make small talk, chatting about work and plans for the day. In fact, it wasn't until years later that authorities even had a proper police sketch to seek help from the public in locating the man who killed her. 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. 'We've also had a lot of customers come in from out of town and a lot of them asked about it.'. We have no more Information about his Father; we will try to collect information and update soon. In a court document made public Friday, he wrote that he makes $30,000 a year. He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. Staff writer Erin Jordan contributed to this story. Offers may be subject to change without notice. "This was a brutal, violent, horrendous crime," Linn County Assistant Attorney Mike Harris said at the time. You have no idea whats goin on," Mormann said. Burns was convicted of first-degree murder in February. 'From the leadership on down, they never gave up. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 'It's kind of rocked our world,' she said. Testimony showed Burns was the major contributor of the profile - less than one in 100 billion of unrelated individuals would have the same profile, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation criminalists said. The case remained unsolved until Wednesday night when police announced they used DNA evidence to link Burns to the crime. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. Burns maintained his innocence in pretrial hearings and throughout the trial, but the jury took only three hours to reach a verdict after hearing DNA evidence. They graduated in 1972. District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. "Nice family.". Update, Oct. 14: The trial for Jerry Burns has been officially delayed, and is now temporarily set for Feb. 10, 2020. Wiki, Biography, Age, Spouse, Net Worth, Fast Facts, Who Is David Bolt? Predictions were made for ancestry and facial features, police said. Anna Spoerre covers crime and courts for the Des Moines Register. Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Sep. 30, 2022 6:06 pm151d ago, Bailey Cichon Crime and Courts Jun. (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. "One of the areas that continues to tug at my heart," Cedar Rapids' police chief said during a press conference last December, "was (Martinko's sister) expressed how sad their parents passed away without knowing who killed their daughter, Michelle. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Cedar Rapids Police Investigator Matt Denlinger listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (out of frame) speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Defense attorney Leon Spies declined to comment immediately following the verdict. "His first wife's death was a suicide, so he was talked to, but it was clearly a suicide," said the sheriff of 18 years. On June 19, 1980, police released a composite sketch, developed based on descriptions provided by two witnesses, of the man they believed stabbed Martinko. WebView Jerry D Burns results in Manchester, IA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Next Spies and the state will submit written statements to the judge outlining what evidence should or should not make it into next month's trial. 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