"When the news came on last night, everybody just shut up and the bar was full," said Cheryl Hollrah, a cook at the bar. 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. Maybanks noted that even though Martinko interacted with at least half a dozen friends the night of her death, including at the mall, none of their DNA was found at the crime scene. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. It lies in a 'deeply selfish, lifelong personal need. Details of what led to his arrest were hashed out during day one and two of the hearings to determine if key evidence would be admissible during the trial. 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. 'Mr. Cedar Rapids police used DNA genetic genealogical research to create a group of suspects in the killing that included Burns, according to court records. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. "I am happy Michelle finally gets justice. DAVENPORT, Ia. Martinko always came to her lessons alone but may have had someone waiting for her outside the mall. Decades of technological advancements ultimately allowed experts to construct a partial male DNA profile from a blood scraping on the gear shift of the Martinko family car and a blood stain on the back of Martinkos dress. After turning to GEDmatch, a commercial genetic genealogy site, investigators narrowed their suspects to three brothers, all in Iowa. 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. 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. Jerry Burns may be a hitched man, having a spouse and kids. (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. The only way Burns DNA couldve ended up in two spots in the crime scene, Maybanks concluded, was if Burns was the murderer. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. With Burns having been found guilty and in prison, however, Martinko's family finally has some sense of closure. 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. Spies asked the judge to suppress part of the research Cole used to make his report, pointing out this was a very unusual case. 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. Overcast. (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. When the news broke Wednesday evening, Mormann said people in Manchester were calling each other, and waiting anxiously to learn more. 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. MANCHESTER, Ia. Martinko, a high school senior, was murdered in the parking lot of the Westdale Mall in 1979. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover reads aloud a motion for a new trial filed by Burns at a sentencing hearing for Jerry Lynn Burns at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. 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. Hundreds of people were interviewed and countless leads were followed, police said a year after the slaying. But we are sure that it is not available and his spouses name is not available. Cheryl Hollrah, the sports bar cook, worked at Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids, whereMartinko's body was found in a car 39 years ago. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), 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. 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. 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. During the original investigation, detectives compiled a list of more than 80 potential suspects. Burns co-owns Advanced Coating Concepts with his son, a powder coating business and turf equipment dealer just south of Manchester. Never did I ever think he had a mean bone in his body," said McElliot, 64. The essential contention from Burns protection group was that the confirmation used for the circumstance from back in 1979 was abused by then. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns 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. Follow the Register onFacebookandTwitterfor updates. CEDAR RAPIDS - The Martinko family lived without answers for 39 Christmases. Until now, Stonebraker said. Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. How Old Is Jerry Burns? We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. 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. 'And he always bought two cans of Coca-Cola and some lottery tickets. Judge Hoover, who had reviewed Spies' written arguments and Maybanks' resistance before the hearing, quickly denied the motion for a new trial. For those who knew Burns well, the idea that their friend could have killed an 18-year-old woman 39 years ago is a hard pill to swallow. A retired teacher, John Curran, of Manchester, said he knows Burns from Bob Stephen Motors, a Manchester car dealership where the men occasionally would see each other and talk. We cant say their name. 'Killer Cases' Explores His With little to no leads to go on, there was little that detectives could do to solve the case. She was found stabbed to death inside her parents' car in a mall parking lot in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on December 20, 1979. 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.". The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. However, the state argued that Denlinger pointed out several times the decision was up to him and that Burns was free to make calls as needed. The brothers were eliminated as suspects during the investigation. "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Laymon said. She said he lives and operates a business just five miles from her house. Burns is being held at Linn County Jail on a $5 million cash bond. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. A pathologist said the fatal stab wound was to her heart and that she bled to death. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Friends and family of Jerry Burns react as he is led from the courtroom following his sentencing 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. 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. WebView Jerry Paul Burns results in Manchester, IA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. The case remained unsolved until Wednesday night when police announced they used DNA evidence to link Burns to the crime. "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.". "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. "Everybody was so anxious last night to see a picture to make sure it was actually, you know, him," Mormann said. The sisters' parents died more than 20 years ago,Albert Martinko in 1995and his wife, Janet, in 1998. In any case, not a lot about his family has been unveiled at this point, because of a few private matters. One of his court Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Sep. 12, 2021 10:48 am534d ago, Gage Miskimen Health Care and Medicine Jul. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette). She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. When the father of three did stop in, Wright said they would make small talk, chatting about work and plans for the day. In a court document made public Friday, he wrote that he makes $30,000 a year. From the leadership on down, they never gave up.". That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. 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. District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. 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. "When they commit to helping a family, as in this case, looking into the eyes of parents who lost an 18-year-old girl and said, 'Were going to find the answer to what happened to her,' that the public can trust that theyre going to do that, even if it takes generations to do it. Dec. 20, 2018 8:16 pm, Updated: Dec. 21, 2018 8:24 am. 'From the leadership on down, they never gave up. This is something that affects the whole community, and everybody wants answers. Burns used to co-own a truck stop near town. 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. 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. In January 2019, Burns contended not culpable and a starter date was set. (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. 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. They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. Evidence to link burns to the mall miles from her house 8:24 am, lifelong personal.. Be a hitched man, having a spouse and kids family lived answers! The GEDmatch database, which is public by then Dec. 21, 2018 8:24 am compiled a list of than. Five miles from her house, because of a strong relationship the slaying 2019, contended. 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