McElliot said he felt bad for Burns as he listened to news accounts of Burns' arrest Wednesday. We remain so grateful to generations of Cedar Rapids law enforcement that acted like a dog with a bone, Stonebraker said. She can be contacted at aspoerre@dmreg.com, 515-284-8387or on Twitter at@annaspoerre. Several residents lauded his professionalism and business savvy. ", 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 accused turned out to be another Iowan native, Jerry Lynn Burns. Who Is Jerry Lynn Burns? Born in 1953, Jerry Lynn Burns grew up in Manchester, Iowa, and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. He would have been around 25-years-old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. Follow the Register onFacebookandTwitterfor updates. 'Nobody is guilty until they prove it.'. Distractify is a registered trademark. That was ultimately how investigators found Burns' after creating a DNA profile from a bloodstain on the back of Martinko's dress. 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. 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. 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. "Nice family.". 151 crash involving semi and car, Operation Overnight: website company creates free sites for non-profits in 24 hours, UPDATE: Operation Quickfind canceled Missing 9-year-old Marion girl found safe, Trial for Cedar Rapids teen accused of killing parents set for February 2022, Cedar Rapids pools holding special swims his summer, Driver sustains minor injuries in rollover crash. How Old Is Jerry Burns? Later, Burns sold farm implements in Dyersville at the same time McElliot was a postal carrier there. Decades after the death, he had a voice in the first-degree murder sentencing of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester. 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. "Correct, I had no explanation," said Burns. They graduated in 1972. "Just a decent guy, hard-working man," Mitch Wendling said of Burns. The judge is expected to make a final ruling on what evidence is admissible and if any will be suppressed sometime next week. John Stonebraker said the three hours it took the jury to reach a verdict was indicative of the strength of the case. Low 18F. They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. "I almost quit," she said. 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. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. In September 1986, the Iowa Supreme Court rejected claims made byMartinko's father that the shopping center was negligent because it did not provide "reasonable security" for his daughter, the Register reported at the time. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), The cover of the 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. He previously co-owned a truck stop near town. Heretrievedit after Burns left it behind, according to search warrants. (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. Today, Burns' lawyer, Lion Spies continued to question one of the state's expert witness, Randy Cole, whose background as a correctional officer and as a program manager for sexual offenders, may point to a motive. 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. Hiscousin, Brian Burns, vanished Dec. 19, 2013 exactly 34 years after Martinko was killed. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. '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. 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. Detectives found no weapon or fingerprints to identify a suspect and said Martinko had not been robbed. Where Could Jerry Burns Now be? Burns pleaded not guiltyin January. 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. Wendling's father, Randy, who's knownBurns since high school, said he was "floored" by the news. 28, 2021 7:50 am610d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 6:39 pm, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:22 pm6h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:19 pm6h ago, Caleb McCullough, Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau State Government Feb. 28, 2023 7:17 pm, State Government Feb. 28, 2023 6:04 pm5h ago, Jeff Linder High School Basketball 38m ago38m ago. Jerry also answers to Jerry L Burns Follow reporter Anna Spoerreon Twitter at@annaspoerre. Burns faces a charge of first-degree murder. Jerry LynnBurns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Hiscousin, Brian Burns,vanished Dec. 19, 2013 exactly 34 years after Martinko was killed. Stonebraker and his wife, Janelle, Martinko's only sister, live in Florida and were unable to attend the hearing. In June 2020, his attorney, Leon Spies, motioned for a retrial. Russ Wright works the registerin the building Burns built. Very nice gal, you know, she was straight A student, you know, she was one we looked up to," Moreno remembered. At The two had done business beforeWendling owns a body shop, Paint-N-Place, and Burns owns a powder-coating company, Advanced Coating Concepts. 28, 2022 3:07 pm245d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Jan. 21, 2021 2:38 pm768d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 6:39 pm13h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:22 pm14h ago, Crime and Courts Feb. 28, 2023 5:19 pm14h ago, Jeff Linder High School Basketball Feb. 28, 2023 10:50 pm9h ago, High School Basketball Feb. 28, 2023 10:30 pm9h ago, High School Basketball Feb. 28, 2023 10:37 pm9h ago. Wounds on the teens hands showed she fought her killer. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. After turning to GEDmatch, a commercial genetic genealogy site, investigators narrowed their suspects to three brothers, all in Iowa. 'He came in two or three times a week, always around 7:30 in the morning,' Wright said. He wasn't carrying any identification at the time of his disappearance, doesn't have a driver's license, and doesn't own a car or cellular phone, making him difficult to track. WebJerry Burns is 68 years old and was born on 12/23/1953. Prosecutors said she was stabbed to death. 'Janelle and I are very pleased and grateful for the work of several generations of Cedar Rapids uniformed police and detectives in bringing Mr. Burns to justice,' John Stonebraker said in a statement to The Gazette. In a court document made public Friday, he wrote that he makes $30,000 a year. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. Personal details about Jerry include: political affiliation is currently a registered Republican; ethnicity is Caucasian; and religious Burns Wife Died in June 2008. Mormann said, "I havent seen him recently but over the years, you know, our kids and their kids grew up, we saw each other, and I knew his first wife and just a wonderful family, too.. He was taken into custody in the evening. Manchester, IA (52057) Today. Burns is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Michelle Martinko in 1979. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KWWL) -- On the third day of a hearing to suppress evidence in the cold case killing of Michelle Martinko, the man accused of the brutal crime took the witness stand, speaking publicly for the first time. "This was a brutal, violent, horrendous crime," Linn County Assistant Attorney Mike Harris said at the time. Burns' DNA profile was developed from blood on Martinko's black dress. His Girlfriend/boyfriends name is Not Available. Cedar Rapids Police announced the arrest of Manchester resident Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, Wednesday night in connection with the 39-year-old murder of Kennedy High School senior Michelle Martinko. 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. More coverage from the Des Moines Register. 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. James was at the family business the day Jerry was first questioned by investigators and later arrested. WebJerry Burns is 68 years old and was born on 12/23/1953. Burns' son, James Burns also briefly took the stand. 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. Predictions were made for ancestry and facial features, police said. 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. An analyst at the state crime lab said DNA from the straw matched blood found on Martinko's dress. Stonebraker said he is sad for the Burns family and wanted to 'wish them well.. 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 (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). Some who knew Burns well are having a hard time believing he was arrested. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. An investigation provided the answer after all those years of who and why someone killed Martinko. In any case, not a lot about his family has been unveiled at this point, because of a few private matters. Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Advanced Coating Concepts at 1608 230th Street in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. Although Martinko's case was eventually solved, the mystery outlived both of her parents, who died years before Burns was found guilty, and Killer Cases explains, the hope of finding her killer and figuring out what happened and why slowly dwindled throughout the years. 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 cant say their name. That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. The man accused, Jerry Burns of Manchester, is charged with 1st-degree murder for the death of Michelle Martinko, a Kennedy High School senior at the time of her death. She was stabbed and killed 39 yrs ago today in the Westdale Mall parking lot. Until now, Stonebraker said. "Its scary," Moreno said. He waited for her at the mall and apprehended her in the parking lot, according to the theory. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), Jerry Burns (on left page, third picture from the top and third picture from the left) part of the senior class in a 1972 West Delaware High School year book at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. (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. For nearly 40 years, the family of slain high schooler Michelle Martinko waited for an arrest. (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. Martinko's older sister, Janelle Stonebraker, told the Des Moines Register that their family had waited years for answers. Previous to Jerry's current city of Manchester, IA, Jerry Burns lived in Cedar Falls IA. Burns was arrested 'It's kind of rocked our world,' she said. CEDAR RAPIDS - The Martinko family lived without answers for 39 Christmases. "The daughter of Jerry was in my graduating class of '99. He didn't know who or why. District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. "We would ride up and down that road by his house and never thought anything of it," she said. 'It seems awful shocking to me, the way I've known him,' he said of Burns' arrest. Jerman, Cedar Rapids' police chief, credited police and investigators who "showed tenacity and dedication" over the four decades it took to take the case to trial, and the Linn County Attorney's Office for its role in Burns' arrest and prosecution. MANCHESTER Wednesday started out just like any other day in Manchester but little known to the locals, news would surface that evening that would leave the community shrouded in questions. Also, we have no information about his son and daughter. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. 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. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns and defense attorney Leon Spies (right) listen to Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover as she reads Burns' sentence at a hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. She said he lives and operates a business just five miles from her house. ", 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. She said they were a wonderful family and that he seemed to be a great man. WebView Jerry Paul Burns results in Manchester, IA including current phone number, address, relatives, background check report, and property record with Whitepages. Burns will appear in Linn County District Court tomorrow morning. 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. Also, we have no idea about his brother and sister, and we dont know their names either. After listening to almost two weeks of testimony, a jury of seven women and five men returned the guilty verdict after deliberating just shy of three hours. 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