"Just a decent guy, hard-working man," Mitch Wendling said of Burns. 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. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who Is Denzel Browning-Wilkins? 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. 'This is something that affects the whole community,' he said, 'and everybody wants answers.'. "She finally got justice. More:Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor. 'You'll never convince me he did something like that.'. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Jerry Burns (right, third from top) as a junior in a 1971 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. 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 Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in the Linn County Courthouse today for a preliminary hearing as his lawyer looked to get evidence against him suppressed ahead of the trail. 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, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. He previously co-owned a truck stop near town. Jerry, who would have been 25 years old at the time of the murder, was convicted in February 2020. DNA privacy was also a topic of discussion during today's hearing. Wendling's father, Randy, who's knownBurns since high school, said he was "floored" by the news. ', l Comments: 319-398-8238; kat.russell@thegazette.com. Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer, Latinos are opening more small businesses than anyone else in the US, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In a court document made public Friday, he wrote that he makes $30,000 a year. 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. 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. Exactly 39 years after her death, police took a Manchester man into custody after matching his DNA to blood found at the crime scene. It wasn't a basketball game that brought a packed house at Blue Collar Sports Bar to a hush. She even graduated with his youngest daughter. The essential contention from Burns protection group was that the confirmation used for the circumstance from back in 1979 was abused by then. 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. The arrest of Burns, now charged with first-degree murder for the 1979death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids,has rippled through this town of about 5,000. They just would not let it go., Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Burns was convicted of first-degree murder in February. 'All of my customers today have been talking about (Burns' arrest) and how shocking it was,' Mormann told The Gazette Thursday. The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. Burns' trial attracted national attention because the cold case was solved after 39 years due in large part to DNA evidence and genetic genealogy. Leclere said Burns was never considered a suspect in his cousin's missing-person investigation. 'We were in the same class, so I've known him almost 50 years,' McElliot said Thursday. The main argument from Burns' defense team was that the evidence used in the case from back in 1979 was mishandled at the time, but on Feb. 24, 2020, Burns was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Burns also claimed that he did in fact ask for a lawyer during the interview but that investigators didn't help him to do so. DAVENPORT, Iowa It took more than four decades, but the man who brutally killed a Cedar Rapids high school student is poised to spend the rest of his life in jail. 563-927-3135. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) 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. "Everybody was so anxious last night to see a picture to make sure it was actually, you know, him," Mormann said. 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. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). How Old Is Jerry Burns? Burns used to co-own a truck stop near town. Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". Prosecutors said she was stabbed to death. On the other side of the aisle sat several friends of Martinko. He built a new home on land his parents once farmed and constructed a gas station and convenience store near where he lived. Follow reporter Anna Spoerreon Twitter at@annaspoerre. Where Could Jerry Burns Now be? From the leadership on down, they never gave up.". Jerry Burns may be a hitched man, having a spouse and kids. When the news broke Wednesday evening, Mormann said people in Manchester were calling each other, and waiting anxiously to learn more. (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. He built a new home on land his parents once farmed and constructed a gas station and convenience store near where he lived. By the time of Burns' arrest, both of Martinko's parents had been gone for decades: Martinko'sfather died in 1995 and her mother in 1998. "But the world's a big place and we dont know anything about anybody. 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. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Burns' lawyer requested the hearing, attempting to get pieces of evidence involving his DNA and expert testimony thrown out ahead of the February trial and determine the admissibility of the evidence. "We don't exactly know the whys and some of the details, but we definitely know who did it, and that was terribly important to us," she said. ", 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 sisters' parents died more than 20 years ago,Albert Martinko in 1995and his wife, Janet, in 1998. (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. The music books either were dropped somewhere police didn't searched or the killer disposed of them, he said. 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. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. Birky said she recalled Martinko was dressed up that night and said she came from a musical banquet, according to the affidavit. When 18-year-old Cedar Rapids, Iowa resident Michelle Martinko went missing on Dec. 19, 1979, it became a case that soon ran cold. Burns sentencing is likely to be scheduled for early April, though a date has notbeen set, District Judge Fae Hoover said. 'We've also had a lot of customers come in from out of town and a lot of them asked about it.'. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. DAVENPORT, Ia. It lies in a 'deeply selfish, lifelong personal need. The 42-year-old remembers serving Burns his final cup before he was detained. 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. MANCHESTER, Ia. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. 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. 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. "I wish my parents could be here to see this.". WebJerry Burns is 68 years old and was born on 12/23/1953. The Gazette is Iowas independent, employee-owned source for local, state, and national news coverage. "Correct, I had no explanation," said Burns. Previous coverage:Decades after fatal stabbing, Michelle Martinko's family comes face-to-face with her alleged killer. Follow the Register onFacebookandTwitterfor updates. With little to no leads to go on, there was little that detectives could do to solve the case. Using newer technology, Cedar Rapids police last yearcreated profiles fromDNA procured from case evidence in 2006. The Estimated Net worth is $80K USD $85k. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. Burns was convicted of first-degree murder in February. Curran said he doesn't know how police homed in on Burns, but he's not passing judgment until he hears the facts. She said they were a wonderful family and that he seemed to be a great man. Her body was found in the front seat, where she had been injured and cut on numerous occasions. Burns, 66, was arrested at his Manchester, Iowa, business on Dec. 19, 2018 the 39th anniversary of Martinko's death and charged with first-degree murder in Martinko's slaying. While waiting to 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. Because this moment has finally come. Until now, Stonebraker said. Jerry Burns as a senior in a 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. ", 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.Burns will appear in Linn County District Court tomorrow morning. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Burns co-owns Advanced Coating Concepts with his son, a powder coating business and turf equipment dealer just south of Manchester. One of his court Our heartfelt thanks to everyone. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden listens from the gallery at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. Cole was asked to consult on the case to review Burns' internet search history from his confiscated computer which revealed deviant, violent pornography preferences, highlighted on day 2. Although Burns' conviction and sentencing is clear and he is now in prison, his legal team has continued to assert his innocence and overturn the verdict. As Becky Moreno stopped for lunch on Thursday afternoon, she reflected on growing up just down the street from Jerry Burns and his family. Before sentencing, defense attorney Leon Spies made a motion for a new trial, arguing many of the same issues that had been ruled upon before. 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. "We would ride up and down that road by his house and never thought anything of it," she said. Hiscousin, Brian Burns,vanished Dec. 19, 2013 exactly 34 years after Martinko was killed. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. With Burns having been found guilty and in prison, however, Martinko's family finally has some sense of closure. Later, Burns sold farm implements in Dyersville at the same time McElliot was a postal carrier there. DAVENPORT, Ia. One of his court-appointed attorneys, Brian Sissel, said he could not comment on the case because he had just received it Friday. "Ialso feel bad for, you know, his current family and friends because now they have to go through all this as well.". (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Jerry Burns (bottom left) is seen in a photo in a 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. All rights reserved. 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. For 64-year-old Jerry Burns, it was a straw he used at a pizza restaurant in Manchester, Iowa. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks speaks at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. (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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. He took his cat to the vet that morning and he was talking about getting it declawed and his cat wasn't happy with him," Wright said of Wednesday morning. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. Russ Wright, head cashier at Quik 'N Handi, a convenience store and gas station on Highway 13 near the southwest edge of town, said Burns was a regular customer. All rights reserved. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Family and friends of Jerry Burns are seated in the courtroom at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. She can be contacted at aspoerre@dmreg.com, 515-284-8387or on Twitter at@annaspoerre. As the investigation slowed, a $10,000 reward was offered. Burns is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 28. 'You have to go with the evidence,' he said. When the father of three did stop in, Wright said they would make small talk, chatting about work and plans for the day. She could hardly speak.. Police did question Jerry about his cousin's disappearance and about his wife Patricia, whose 2008 death was ruled a suicide. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. Investigatorssaid the man who stabbedMartinko cut his hand and left blood behindon her clothes and on the gear shift knob. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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