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40-Year Cold Case Solved by DNA After Mall Murder
21 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Michelle Martinko was found stabbed 29 times outside a mall in 1979.
- Male DNA from the crime scene was eventually matched to Jerry Burns.
- Genetic genealogy led to the killer's arrest 39 years after the murder.
In December 1979, Michelle Martinko's life was tragically cut short when she was found stabbed 29 times in her car outside a Cedar Rapids mall. The 18-year-old had gone to pick up a new coat and never returned home. Despite police ruling out those close to her, the identity of her attacker remained a mystery for nearly four decades, with evidence suggesting a stranger was responsible.
The case remained cold until 2006 when a detective re-examined evidence, leading to the discovery of male DNA. This crucial evidence, combined with advancements in genetic genealogy decades later, allowed investigators to narrow down a suspect pool. A distant relative's DNA in a public ancestry database ultimately led police to Jerry Burns, whose DNA was an exact match to the crime scene.
Jerry Burns was arrested in 2018, on the 39th anniversary of Martinko's murder. Despite his claims of never meeting the victim, he was found guilty of first-degree murder in February 2020 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Martinko's brother-in-law noted that her defensive wounds played a role in identifying her killer by leaving behind the DNA evidence.
