LEON SPIES: The state's scenario here is that Jerry Burns, a married man with two young children at home, leaves, drives to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the night, leaving his wife and children behind . But he never asked for an attorney, Denlinger said. A Felony. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was arrested on Wednesday after police said he was linked by DNA from blood found on Michelle Martinko's clothing and elsewhere in the car at the crime scene. Thirty-nine years to the day after she was killed, a suspect was charged thanks to DNA and genetic genealogy. According to KWWL, at the sentencing, Stonebaker said that Burns stole those 39 years and many more from a sweet smart, talented girl who never got her chance at college, a career, marriage, children and by now, even grandchildren.. Visitation with the family will be Monday April 10th from 4 to 8 PM and on. On April 5, 1975, Pat was united in marriage to Jerry Lynn Burns at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Manchester. Jerry Burns is still behind bars . Michelle Martinko, Kennedy High School yearbook photo, 1979. Attorneys for Jerry Burns, convicted of the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, are continuing to fight DNA evidence they say the trial court erred in not supressing. After Burns arrest, several viewers questioned whether Burns could be a suspect in the death of his wife, Patricia, in 2008. In 2018, familial DNA identified a suspect named Jerry Lynn Burns, and the case was finally laid to rest with the accused getting sentenced to life in prison without parole. I've been reading up on this case and was wondering if they profiled this guy? Spies asked if he had consent from Burns to take the lunch straw for testing. The company also produced approximations of how the man would have aged in the years since the crime. Currently, in his late 60s, he is going to spend the rest of his days behind bars. Hernando . After reading about the Golden State Killer case in 2018, in which serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was finally caught through a long trail of DNA, Denlinger had an epiphany: perhaps he could use that same new technique to solve the Martinko case. Jerry Lynn Burns is pictured in a booking photo released by the Linn County Sheriff's Office on Dec. 20, 2018. Murderer Jerry Lynn Burns was not caught for almost 40 years. He said he thought Burns might have a 'conscience.. Jerry was married to his second wife at the time of his arrest. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. Police covertly obtained Burns' DNA from a drinking straw he left it on a table after eating lunch Oct. 29, 2018, at the Pizza Ranch in Manchester, testimony showed. Your login session has expired. Around 4 a.m., Martinko was found inside her familys Buick Electra. He previously co-owned a truck shop and worked for John Deere. Later that day, her body was discovered in her family's car. Michelle Martinko, 18, was stabbed to death in a mall parking lot in Dec. 1979. Jerry Lynn Burns will raise two . And the crucial link is a man named Jerry Burns. When asked that question by "48 Hours," Denlinger replied, "I don't know the answer to that. When Burns, of Manchester, Iowa, was questioned, he "denied committing the offense but could offer no plausible explanation why his DNA would be found at the crime scene," police said. Parabon made predictions for "ancestry, eye color, hair color, skin color, freckling, and face shape," police said, and the department released the composite images to the public in May 2017. He lived in Manchester at the time of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating business in the city. Her father died in 1995 and her mother died in 1998. But where is this cold-blooded killer now? At the department, Burns sked for a lawyer. He had followed them and secretly recovered their DNA. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder. Dr. Obrecht Learns if She's a Bone Marrow Match for Willow Plus, Nikolas' Whereabouts Are Revealed. Thank you!! The family of the man suspected of murdering Michelle Martinko 39 years ago said the arrest came "as a complete shock.". Linn. The defense requested the case be declared a mistrial as a result, but the judge denied the request and asked the prosecutor to rephrase the question. Let's uncover where he is now in this article. [30] The doctor who performed Martinko's autopsy and investigators in the original case, all now retired, took the stand to testify to how the investigation was conducted, and to Martinko's cause of death. Investigators matched DNA found in the car to Jerry Burns and arrested him in 2018. What we know about Jerry Burns and the woman he's accused of killing 40 years earlier Dec 19, 2019/ updated Feb 17, 2020 Four decades ago, 18-year-old Michelle Marie Martinko was found stabbed to death in the family's car in the parking lot of a Cedar Rapids mall. Tests eliminated the other two brothers as suspects, but the DNA from Burns' straw matched the blood found on Martinko's clothing. She was a beautiful singer, and I miss all this. A composite sketch of the suspect was released in June 1980 with the help of two witnesses. v. Jerry Lynn Burns. Your login session has expired. Burns has hired a very high profile attorney and has said he plans to appeal his conviction, which was very largely based on the DNA evidence. [9] After the event, she asked her friend and twirling squad teammate if she wanted to join her on a shopping trip to the Westdale Mall, which had recently opened, and where Martinko worked. [12], In 2017, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping was hired to create additional images of the killer based solely on DNA clues about facial appearance and ancestry. Investigators say Martinko was murdered on December 19th, 1979 and her body found the next day in a family car in the Westdale Mall parking lot. "I was speechless," Denlinger says, recalling the moment the lab told him the results. Prosecutors played a covertly recorded interview that investigators conducted with Jerry Lynn Burns in December of 2018. And I went 'bingo'.". Her case went cold for decades until DNA testing finally brought her family some peace and put her murderer behind bars. See Photos. Further the Iowa Department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or . The video of that is on YouTube and is mentioned around the 25:28 mark. jerry lynn burns defendant-appellant. Jerry Lynn Burns was convicted of first-degree murder for the 1979 murder 18-year-old Michelle Martinko thanks to DNA he left on a straw after drinking a soda. On February 24, 2020, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Jerry Lynn Burns guilty of first-degree murder of Michelle Martinko. "That was big, national news," said Denlinger. [24], In 2018, the DNA phenotyping company took the data they had collected the year before and entered it into GEDmatch, a public genealogy website that has been used by law enforcement to solve other cold cases, most famously that of the Golden State Killer. . He entered a plea of not guilty. The wait ended Monday, when a jury convicted Jerry Lynn Burns of first-degree murder in the 1979 stabbing death of 18-year-old Martinko. So Denlinger drew up an elaborate genealogy chart going back to Brandy's great-great grandparents to sleuth out a trail that could lead to the killer's DNA. Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids . Cellmate recounts multiple outbursts in Jerry Burns murder trial, The Christmas Project is back raising money for local non-profits, 3-year-old Cedar Rapids child confirmed dead from accidental drowning, The Carson King saga, a legendary Iowa tale of giving back, Active police investigation in Cedar Rapids, SIX MONTHS LATER: Derecho cleanup, recovery, replanting continues, Hawkeyes roll by North Carolina A&T 112-71. Familial matches let them narrow down the suspect list to three brothers from Manchester, Iowa. Creighton Waters said the disgraced legal scion, 54, faced a 'gathering storm' of financial ruin that drove him to kill Maggie and Paul at the family's hunting estate in Moselle, South Carolina . Identities returned to Does. Martinko then asked another acquaintance to go to the mall with her; that friend said yes at first but later changed her mind. She never had any school problems. She was seen inside the mall by friends and coworkers because Martinko worked in the mall. [26] He was not able to provide an explanation for why his DNA would have been present at the crime scene. In October 2018, DNA was covertly collected from an Iowa man, Jerry Lynn Burns, and was found to match the sample discovered on Martinko's clothing. [2], On December 19, 2018, exactly 39 years after Martinko's murder, Burns was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The medical examiner later determined that she died between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. She had not been robbed or sexually assaulted, and defensive wounds were found on her hands, indicating she fought back. Through the use of advanced technologies, DNA samples from the offender were obtained. Jerry Burns. Want a job? The detective on the case, Matt Denlinger, gave me some interesting details. Jerry Burns may be a hitched man, having a . Although the tip did not lead to any suspects, the investigator discovered what he believed to be the killer's blood while he was reviewing the case files. To learn the entire story of Michelle Martinko's murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79. Be the first one to comment on this story. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Yeah, it's really really good! Jerry knew he was called to be a preacher at the age of 13 and after many years of arguing with God. Jerry Burns. Denlinger said he intentionally chose that day to interview Burns because it was the anniversary of Martinko's death. Burns is accused of murdering Michelle Martinko in 1979. Sexual Assault of Unnamed Victim (12) . In earlier testimony, Matthew Denlinger, a Cedar Rapids police investigator who testified last week, was recalled to testify about Burns' interview with police Dec. 19, 2018. Allison says Burns threatened him one day after a winning streak. Spies, on cross examination, asked if Denlinger had permission from Burns' two brothers and a distant cousin to access their DNA in developing a suspect pool. Derek Chauvin's ex-wife . Unfortunately, Martinkos parents did not survive to see her killer brought to justice. In 2012, while serving a life sentence for an unrelated attack, the man died in prison from colon cancer. Denlinger took over the case in 2015, part of a second generation of cops who had struggled for decades to solve this seemingly unsolvable murder. He was born in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. (Rebecca F. Miller/The Gazette). Jerry Burns mentioned Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest. He was never charged with the Martinko murder, he denied the accusations, and DNA evidence, found later, did not match his DNA. DNA: ID. Jerry Lynn Burns appeared in Linn County this morning on a video monitor from jail where he had his bail set at $5 million. [10][11] She was also a talented performer, joined the twirling squad as a sophomore, and performed in choirs and theater productions. He was sentenced to life on August 7 without the possibility of parole. According to the investigator, "Burns showed almost no emotion during the interview, even when he was eventually told he was being arrested. Denlinger had to consider that Michelle could have been murdered by a stranger. Jim grew up . Investigators also showed Burns two renderings DNA labs had supplied them of possible suspects; he questioned their likeness to him. The primary evidence police had to go on was blood on Michelle's dress and on the car's gearshift that in 2005 was finally identified as male DNA. Cases previously considered unsolvable have been getting their answers, & Joseph DeAngelo's arrest (EAR/GSA/ONS) is proving to be just the first of many getting resolved. Despite being known as a professional, Burns arrest got people talking about his family. The case was appealed and was eventually decided by the Iowa Supreme Court in favor of the mall owners. Investigators struggled over the years to connect DNA collected at the scene to a suspect. Burns coached the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-91. The judge ordered a $5 million cash bond, and Burns is set to return to court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 28. "I asked Jerry, 'Did you do the crime?' Questions have been raised as to whether Jerry was involved in any other murders or missing person cases. KWQC Jerry Burns' mugshot and a family photo of Michelle Martinko. On December 19, 2018, exactly 39 years after Martinko's murder, the police confronted Burns and arrested him after his DNA matched the one found on Martinko's clothes. Jerry Lynn Burns, 65, is set to face a jury in February, bringing momentum to a case that was left cold for years. The Realm, a group of 34 people. It showed that she was a distant relative of the person whose DNA was found at the crime scene a second cousin once removed. Now, her suspected killer is set to go on trial", "Search warrant shows how relative's DNA led police to Manchester man in Michelle Martinko's death", "40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case", "Jerry Burns found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Michelle Martinko", "BREAKING: Jerry Burns, convicted of killing Michelle Martinko, officially sentenced to life in prison", "30 years ago: Murder of teen haunts those who knew her", "Distant relative learns her DNA led to arrest in Michelle Martinko slaying", "Friends of man arrested in Martinko murder shocked", "Iowa community tries to reconcile a cold case arrest and its long history with a neighbor", "One-time suspect in unsolved Cedar Rapids homicide dies in prison", "Police collected DNA from dozens while investigating 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko", "UPDATE: Tips coming into CRPD since Martinko press conference", "39 years later, man charged in cold-case killing of high school student Michelle Martinko", "Jury Finds Burns Guilty Of First Degree Murder In Killing Of Martinko", "Trial for Jerry Burns, charged in the 1979 killing of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, moved out of Linn County", "No delay in trial for man accused of killing Michelle Martinko", "Burns' Second Hearing Focuses on Pornography", "From the crime to conviction, a timeline of events in the murder of Michelle Martinko", "Witnesses describe murder scene in trial of man accused of killing Michelle Martinko in 1979", "Witnesses describe procedure in collecting, storing, and tracking evidence as part of cold-case murder trial", "Jerry Burns defense calls one witness, rests its case after testimony from self-defined forensic DNA consultant", "After denied mistrial motion, testimony in Michelle Martinko murder case concludes", "Iowa man guilty in 1979 killing of high school student", "Lawyers for Jerry Burns file motion for new trial", "Jerry Burns attorney files for new trial", "Burns Files Appeal on Murder Conviction", "Offender Information | Iowa Department of Corrections", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Michelle_Martinko&oldid=1140457418, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20. CEDAR RAPIDS - Police investigators couldn't find evidence that Jerry Burns and Michelle Martinko knew each other. KCRG-TV9: 10PM Newscast, December 19, 2018 Arrest in Michelle Martinko Case, KCRG-TV9 Staff Anchors: Bruce Aune and Beth Malicki Meteorologist: Joe Winters Executive Producer: Aaron Hepker Producer: Ellen Kurt Director: Terri Walter Reporters: Dave Franzman, Forrest Saunders, Chantelle Navarro Photographers: Rebecca Varilek, Jay Greene, Michelle Martinko's Family Speaks to Law & Crime Network About the Jerry Burns Verdict, Michelle Martinko's Family Speaks to Law & Crime Network About the Jerry Burns Verdict #JerryBurns #JerryBurnsTrial #MichelleMartinko, Serial Killers Ex Thinks There Were More Victims. Burns was born in Manchester, Iowa in 1953 and graduated from West Delaware High School in 1972. Add newsletters@thegazette.comto your contacts. Doris Homerline Clower died Saturday . This sounds like a serial killer. He was around 25 when he killed Martinko in 1979. In a brief interview with the Cedar Rapids Gazette in 1980, Janet said of her daughter, She loved music. [28], After two days of jury selection, the murder trial began on February 12, 2020. Like all the cases I cover, Michelles was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Jerry Lynn Burns. The case was solved, but there were lingering questions about Jerry Burns. There is no known DNA evidence tying Burns to the Huisentruit case and no evidence that he knew Jodi Huisentruit. But the software he used allowed him to review history and activity only to January 2018. [1][5] Iowan law mandates a life sentence without the possibility of parole for first degree murder. Jerry Burns appeals his conviction for murder in the first degree. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Joan C. Plum Merriner, who passed away on January 4, 2019. Powered by. Jerry Lynn Burns (born December 23, 1953 [13]) was 25 years old when he killed Michelle Martinko in December 1979. Michelle Marie Martinko Find-A-Grave: Michelle Marie Martinko Iowa Cold Cases: Michelle Marie Martinko Michelle Martinko stories 40 years later: What we know about Michelle Martinko and the arrest that re-opened the cold case Jury seated in Jerry Burns murder trial Michelle Martinko murder case evidence photos Iowa Teen Was Fatally Stabbed in Mall Parking Lot "I am thrilled for her sister, Janelle, and wish her parents were alive to see this," Michelle Martinko's high school friend, Elizabeth Laymon, told The Des Moines Register. I miss all her singing and her beautiful music. His trial was originally scheduled for October 14, 2019, but in September the defense requested a delay in order to gather more evidence and interview witnesses. Burns' attorney, Leon Spies, also argued in his suppression motion that the computer evidence is irrelevant because it's from 2018 - 38 years after Martinko's death. He then contacted a member of a third branch, and a DNA test determined that they were first cousins with the killer. Jerry Lynn Burns, 64, was charged with first-degree murder and is scheduled to appear Thursday in Linn County Court. Investigators used the blood samples to develop a partial male DNA profile. Hi! Over 40 years ago, teenager Michelle Martinko was stabbed to death outside a mall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Head coach Jerry Burns of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during a 27-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sept. 24, 1989. . Offender records are public information pursuant to Section 904.601 (1)Iowa Code (1999). . This allows police to create a much larger family tree than databases like CODIs. After the arrest this week of Jerry Burns in the 1979 killing of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, an Iowa city is left shocked, saddened, and skeptical. On Wednesday, after weeks of "planning and strategizing," investigators interviewed and arrested Burns for first-degree murder, Jerman said. A spot of blood on the dress had a full male DNA profile and was consistent with the male DNA profile found on the gear shift. Jerry Lynn Burns granted independent journalist, Steve Ridge, an exclusive Christmas Eve interview, in which Burns also said he will seek a new trial in the Martinko murder. In 2017, a company specializing in DNA phenotyping was hired to produce a new approximation of the killer's appearance based solely off the DNA sample. But he said he and another investigator had no plans to arrest Burns that day. A jailhouse informant also testified in the case Tuesday. They had investigated more than 100 people over the years, and all were dead ends. 28, 2021 7:50 am611d ago, Trish Mehaffey Crime and Courts Mar. "It's always the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the husband someone really close to the person. "I cried a lot and I looked out windows all hours of the night," Martinko's mother, Janet Martinko, told Cedar Rapids' CBS station in 1987. DNA Profiling is a modern investigative technology used to compare criminal suspects' profiles to DNA evidence so as to assess the likelihood of their involvement in the crime. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Burns said when presented with the rendering. However, in 2006, a tip came into the Cedar Rapids police department. The trial for Jerry Lynn Burns, who's been charged with first-degree murder in the 1979 killing of Michelle Martinko, will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 14 at Linn County Courthouse, according to online court records and the Des Moines Register. The DNA was uploaded to the law enforcement database called Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, but investigators never found a match, police said. . Denlinger said no. Denlinger interviewed Burns at his business. On December 20, 2018, a district judge set his bond at $5 million. Suspect in Martinko murder not suspected in wife's death or cousin's disappearance, Bobcats and beyond are wearing orange to support Benton Communitys Tatum Schroeder, UIHC library offers resources for and about people with disabilities. [33] Prosecutors called a criminalist to contradict the defense's witness; the criminalist said that the storage of Martinko's clothing was not unusual. At long last, in 2018, Jerry Lynn was caught and blamed for the teen's manslaughter and, in spite of the fact that it had been a very long time after the wrongdoing, the once cool case is right now a subject of discussion on A&E's executioner cases. A Manchester man convicted of first-degree murder has announced he has hired a new attorney who will seek to exonerate him of the crime, a private investigator has told the Manchester Press . Jerry Lynn Burns was finally arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko, that took place 39 years prior. "I read the article and it talked about genetic genealogy. The results were entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the national DNA database, but no matches were found. The police then began procuring evidence secretly. During the trial, he initially denied knowing Martinko but his statements were found to contradict when his defense argued that evidence had been mishandled back in 1979 and that different articles of clothing from the crime scene should not have been stored together in one evidence bag. ABC News' Matt Foster and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report. Accountability doled out to suspects. [11] As the investigation dwindled, a $10,000 reward was offered for information that would lead police to the killer. [15], On the evening of December 19, 1979, Martinko attended a banquet for the Kennedy Concert Choir at the Sheraton Inn in Cedar Rapids. Denlinger told him authorities would come back to talk to him after they got the results of the DNA test. His voice was always turned up to full volume. "Do I look like that?" Martinko, an 18-year-old high school student, was found stabbed to death in her family's car in the parking lot of a local mall, where she had gone to buy a new coat. Homerline, a soft-spoken woman who enjoyed teaching Sunday School, did everything possible to avoid attention. Jerry Burns, of Manchester, is led into a courtroom at the Scott County Courthouse in Davenport for closing arguments in his murder trial in February 2020. The images looked considerably different from the 1980 composite sketch and showed a man with blond hair and blue eyes. Authorities pored over 300 pages of internet search terms and 400 pages of website history, according to court testimony Thursday - almost all of it involving blonde females and most web searches starting with queries about blonde strangulation. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. [11], In the mid-1980s, Martinko's father filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Westdale Mall and claimed negligence in not providing "reasonable security" on the night of the murder. Martinko then went to the mall alone, carrying $180 and intending to finalize the purchase of a new winter coat that was on layaway. [2], Martinko's father, Albert, died in 1995. While these occurrences sounded suspicious, the police didn't believe Burns had anything to do with them. Ahead of the Dateline NBC episode about her death, heres what you need to know about the crime, the perpetrator, and what sentence he received at trial. The majority of the search activity and history on Burns' computer was sexually graphic and more 'deviant in nature, said Holst, who investigates sex crimes and internet crimes against children. While the information is believed to be accurate, the Iowa Department of Corrections makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. The man charged with killing Michelle Martinko 39 years ago is not a suspect in the death of his wife or disappearance of his cousin, according to investigators. [7] Martinko was the younger of two daughters of Albert F. Martinko and Janet Martinko (ne Zillig). [39], Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 04:20, "Michelle Martinko's murder 'haunted' the Cedar Rapids community for 40 years. His ex-wife, Patricia, committed suicide in 2008, and his cousin Brian Burns astonishingly disappeared. 'As far as I know, I wasn't there.. The police used the information to create a partial DNA profile. I like that it's just the facts and case without anyone trying (poorly) to be a comedian or talk about their own personal nonsense lol. In 2006, a cold case investigator discovered unidentified blood, presumably belonging to the killer, while he was reviewing case files. [26] When the DNA sample was tested, it matched the blood sample found at the crime scene. [28] The defense also requested that evidence pertaining to Burns' cell phone browser history be suppressed. Hi all - I discuss the case of Michelle Martinko, who was murdered in 1979 in Iowa, this week on DNA: ID podcast. After her parents reported her missing at 2 a.m., police discovered the teen's body in her vehicle about four hours later. Please logout and login again. They then used genealogical data as well as a covertly collected DNA sample from Burns to positively identify him, authorities said. Now in his late 60s, Burns is currently behind bars and will stay there till he dies. Jerry A. Burns, age 69, of Bryan, Texas went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 10:56 p.m. Visitation will be held from 5 Anthony Rex officiating. Allison said he and Burns had a good relationship at first but it eventually turned sour. Like all the cases I cover, Michelles was solved using forensic genealogy, which led police to Burns. Jodi by name while speaking to an investigator shortly before his arrest reading... West Delaware High School in 1972 his bond at $ 5 million a DNA test determined that they were cousins. Presumably belonging to the killer murders or missing person cases Burns & # x27 ; mugshot a... Were first cousins with the killer Linn County Court his bond at $ 5 million:. Of murdering Michelle Martinko, 18, was charged with first-degree murder in the case Matt... Arrested in October 2018 for the murder of Michelle Martinko in 1979 through the use of technologies... For an unrelated attack, the man would have aged in the city Burns might a... 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The arrest came `` as a covertly collected DNA sample was tested, it matched the blood on. Said of her daughter, she loved music a hitched man, having a to outside! Going to spend the rest of his days behind bars and will stay there till he dies been present the! To interview Burns because it jerry lynn burns wife the anniversary of Martinko 's death behind! Shortly before his arrest mall owners you know 2012, while serving a life sentence an. Of first-degree murder, watch Dateline: Unforgettable at 10 pm on Oxygen 79 and... Spend the rest of his arrest in 2020 and owned a powder coating in. Determined that they were first cousins with the Cedar Rapids, Iowa struggled over years... Were entered into the Combined DNA Index System ( CODIs ), jury... Iowa department of Corrections assumes no legal liability or a tip came into the Cedar Rapids DNA! Him after they got the results were entered into the Combined DNA System! Up on this story her murderer behind bars and will stay there till he dies says... And I miss all this in Manchester at the crime? him after they the!, Janet said of her daughter, she loved music a soft-spoken woman who enjoyed Sunday... Turned up to full volume Denlinger said he thought Burns might have a 'conscience.. Jerry was involved any! Question by `` 48 Hours, '' investigators interviewed and arrested him in 2018 the man would aged... 26 ] he was around 25 when he killed Martinko in 1979 murder! But later changed her mind killer, while he was reviewing case files he!