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. A pathologist said the fatal stab wound was to her heart and that she bled to death. 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. "Its scary," Moreno said. Until now, Stonebraker said. "Just a decent guy, hard-working man," Mitch Wendling said of Burns. '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. The cold-case murder has drawn intense public interest, and Friday's hearing was livestreamed because of limited seating. Day 3, Jerry Burns takes witness stand in Martinko hearing, Man accused of killing Michelle Martinko begins hearing to suppress evidence, Day 2 of hearing to suppress evidence in Michelle Martinko murder case, Linn Co. Sheriffs office investigating Hwy. Both Mormann and Moreno say this a life lesson that you never truly know your neighbors. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. The Charley Project is NOT a registered non-profit organization and any donations will NOT be tax-deductible. The businessman sold the gas station several years ago, Wright said, but still frequented it, grabbing coffee and conversing with employees. She said he lives and operates a business just five miles from her house. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 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. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. Delaware CountySheriff John Leclere saidauthorities "don't have any reason to suspect (Burns) in either case.". The gentleman that had been a customer of mine and what Iconsidered a friend ever since I'd been employed here, its just I never thought in a million years somebody like that could" kill someone,he said. If found guilty of his first-degree murder charges, he'll (Stephen Mally/The Gazette). document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Who Is Denzel Browning-Wilkins? They are in relation from previous few years of a strong relationship. 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. Where Could Jerry Burns Now be? 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. Several residents lauded his professionalism and business savvy when speaking with the Register last year. Recalling telling investigators, "I don't know, test it." (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. 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. But with 39-years later, limited information, that's a long time that's gone by. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette), Jerry Lynn Burns listens as First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nicholas Maybanks (not pictured) speaks at Burns' sentencing hearing at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids on Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. 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. Manchester, IA (52057) Today. 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. A need Mr. Burns kept hidden all his adult life. Burns was arrested on Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in the 1979 death of Michelle Martinko. 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. (Stephen Mally/The Gazette), A page introduces the section of the 1972 West Delaware High School year book with a picture of every senior, including Jerry Burns, as seen at the Manchester Public Library in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018. 'When you listen to (Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne) Jerman on the news last night, they've got him (Burns) hung already,' McElliot 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. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. 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. Andy Seidel Now: Where is Michelle Martinko's Boyfriend Toda Advertisement Stonebraker and his wife, Janelle, District Associate Judge Casey D. Jones set Burns' bond at $5 million on Dec. 20, 2018. ', Authorities said they questioned Burns at his workplace later the day. He said he has ordered Burns not to speak with news media. 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. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. (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. 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. 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. Burns is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 28. "Thats why everybody in town is just like Iam: shocked.. 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. (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. Then, in 2018, police used new DNA technology that hadn't been available in 1979 or even the '80s, when the composite sketch was released, to zero in on Burns and arrest him for Martinko's murder. 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. This is something that affects the whole community, and everybody wants answers. The 42-year-old remembers serving Burns his final cup before he was detained. Curran said he doesn't know how police homed in on Burns, but he's not passing judgment until he hears the facts. In high school, Burns ran track and was involved in FFA, McElliot said. Police never came into the shop, he said, and no law enforcement officers ever contacted him or asked him about Burns. 'We were in the same class, so I've known him almost 50 years,' McElliot said Thursday. 'The Dating Game' Killer Was Active for Almost 10 Years Before He Was Caught, Angie Dodge's Killer Evaded Capture for Over 20 Years, Where Is Convicted Murderer Jeffrey MacDonald Now? Where Is Jerry Lynn Burns Now? They stated they had no evidence to implicate him in Brian's case and no evidence that Patricia's death was not suicide. The profile found a hit with DNA from Brandy Jennings, a distant cousin, in the GEDmatch database, which is public. 'It seems awful shocking to me, the way I've known him,' he said of Burns' arrest. Burns' arrest prompted a round of whispering about two of his family members. 'He was in here (Wednesday) morning,' Wright said. We found 3 records for Jerry Burns in Manchester, IA. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. To that point in the investigation, we were confident who our perpetrator was, so we figured out the who. At the time of her death, police had found Martinko stabbed to death in her car in a local mall parking lot. In January 2019, he pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set. ", 'Complete shock':Family of the man charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Michelle Martinko speaks out. Burns was arrested Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. 563-927-3135. We cant say their name. 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. We have no information about his girlfriend/boyfriend. His wife and other close members of his family were allowed to attend the sentencing but seating was limited to allow for social distancing in the courtroom. "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. The investigator reported Birky said the lessons were once a week; although she wasn't sure which day of the week they were, she recalled the last lesson was the night Martinko was killed outside the mall. Leclere said Burns was never considered a suspect in his cousin's missing-person investigation. Burns' wife, Patricia, died by suicide in 2008. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. after he was asked if his DNA would match the DNA at the crime scene. When the news broke Wednesday evening, Mormann said people in Manchester were calling each other, and waiting anxiously to learn more. Jury selection is still set to begin Feb. 10. The law cannot punish Burns for the damage he had done to Martinko's family or the 'terrible shock, shame, pain and devastation inflicted on the innocent lives of his own family. In any case, not a lot about his family has been unveiled at this point, because of a few private matters. pic.twitter.com/0rGdwIk89N. We have no more information about his spouse. 'We've also had a lot of customers come in from out of town and a lot of them asked about it.'. 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. 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. "The community is in shock, his friends are in shock, his family is in shock. '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. You will begin to receive our Daily Courts & Public Safety updates. Follow reporter Anna Spoerreon Twitter at@annaspoerre. Now,herface and chest had been stabbed at least eight times. "I wish my parents could be here to see this. Investigators matched the male profile at the crime scene to DNA on a straw Burns left behind at a Manchester Pizza Ranch. He and his wife, who now residein Florida,said they were gratefulfor the Cedar Rapids community's commitment to the case over the past 40 years. More coverage from the Des Moines Register. Any relationship to Jerry Burns who was arrested for the Michelle Martinko murder. "For Michelles family and friends, we know that the pain of losing a daughter, sister or friend will never go away," Jermansaid. (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. Michelle Martinko was viewed as wounded absurdly in her vehicle in the Westdale Mall parking structure. '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. Tyler Davis can be reached attjdavis@registermedia.comor on Twitter@TDavisDMR. "I was 15 years old and when that happened my dad said, 'alright, no more shopping at Westdale Mall,' and, you know, we were just so scared," Mormann said. Burns is disabled and didnt own a vehicle, possess a drivers license or have a cell phone. 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. At Heretrievedit after Burns left it behind, according to search warrants. "We thought it was extremely probative. Jerry Burnss Family releases statement following arrest in Michelle Martinko Murder Convict: Jerry Burns Release Date She had gone to the mall that night to get a coat her mother had put on layaway. Authorities say they were able to match Burns with DNA at the crime scene. Burns owns a powder-coating company, Advanced Coating Concepts, in Manchester. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Four decades ago, 18-year-oldMichelle Marie Martinko was found stabbed to death in the family's car in the parking lot of a Cedar Rapids mall. 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. Using newer technology, Cedar Rapids police last yearcreated profiles fromDNA procured from case evidence in 2006. WebJerry S Burns in Manchester, IA. Burns is presumed innocent, and we look forward to the evidence showing otherwise. In January 2019, Burns contended not culpable and a starter date was set. The essential contention from Burns protection group was that the confirmation used for the circumstance from back in 1979 was abused by then. At long last, following 40 years of homicide of Michelle Martinko, Burns went to preliminary and was accused of first-degree murder. "Everybody was so anxious last night to see a picture to make sure it was actually, you know, him," Mormann said. One of his court-appointed attorneys, Brian Sissel, said he could not comment on the case because he had just received it Friday. Follow the Register onFacebookandTwitterfor updates. An obituary for Burns wife, Patricia, says that she died in June 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. 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. Defense attorney Leon Spies declined to comment immediately following the verdict. It makes you question how someone could live here in this community for all these years and possibly have done something like this.'. Burns is being held at Linn County Jail on a $5 million cash bond. 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. His arrest left those in Manchester, who have lived and worked alongside him for decades, asking how the person they know could be connected to such a crime. That company, police said, produced portraits for the associated person of interest. 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. "Ialso feel bad for, you know, his current family and friends because now they have to go through all this as well.". "Nice family.". (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. Burns' DNA profile was developed from blood on Martinko's black dress. Decades after the death, he had a voice in the first-degree murder sentencing of Jerry Burns, 66, of Manchester. 'I'd say the reaction today has been utter disbelief,' said Jackie Mormann, owner of The Bread Basket, a local eatery on Main Street in downtown Manchester. (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. "We left Cedar Rapids, but Cedar Rapids never left us," he said, choking up outside the courthouse while his wife nodded in agreement. WebJerry Burns in Manchester, IA. She said they were a wonderful family and that he seemed to be a great man. If you know some information, please comment below. Now, his relationship is perfect. While waiting to Burns is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Michelle Martinko in 1979. Mike McElliot, who was in Burns' graduating class at West Delaware High School, said the two crossed paths as adults in Dyersville, while McElliot was a mail carrier and Burns worked for John Deere. "The community is in shock, his friends are in shock, his family is in shock. '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. 'Nobody is guilty until they prove it.'. 'This is something that affects the whole community,' he said, 'and everybody wants answers.'. Police did question Jerry about his cousin's disappearance and about his wife Patricia, whose 2008 death was ruled a suicide. In a court document made public Friday, he wrote that he makes $30,000 a year. Jerry Lynn Burns of Manchester has been arrested and charged with 1st degree murder in the cold case murder of 18 yr old Michelle Martinko. His Girlfriend/boyfriends name is Not Available. He was arrested Dec. 19, 2018 - on the anniversary of her death. "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. 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. 'Never in a million years would I suspect he'd be involved in something like this,' he said. Burns, who was convicted in February of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979, was sentenced to life in prison. You have no idea whats goin on," Mormann 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. 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