Michelle Martinko

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Join us as we journey into the heart of Midwestern America, where the echoes of a chilling crime reverberated for decades.  In this episode, we delve into the haunting mystery surrounding the life and tragic death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, a vibrant young woman whose promising future was brutally extinguished six days before Christmas in 1979.  As we unravel the threads of this perplexing case, we’ll explore the enigma of Michelle herself—her dreams, her passions, and the profound impact she had on those around her. We’ll follow the tireless efforts of law enforcement officers and her family and friends, who had dedicated years to seeking justice for Michelle.

Welcome, listeners, as we journey into the heart of Midwestern America, where the echoes of a chilling crime reverberated for decades. In this episode, we delve into the haunting mystery surrounding the life and tragic death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko, a vibrant young woman whose promising future was brutally extinguished six days before Christmas in 1979.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a city known for its tight-knit community and serene streets, was forever changed on that December evening when Michelle’s life was violently taken inside the family car. The details of her murder remained shrouded in darkness, casting a long, ominous shadow over the city.

As we unravel the threads of this perplexing case, we’ll explore the enigma of Michelle herself—her dreams, her passions, and the profound impact she had on those around her. We’ll follow the tireless efforts of law enforcement officers and her family and friends, who had dedicated years to seeking justice for Michelle.

Prepare to step back in time, to an era when innocence was shattered, and a community was left grappling with fear and suspicion. Join us as we navigate the twists and turns of a tale that haunted Cedar Rapids for over four decades until time and technology brought her killer to light.

This is the story of Michelle Martinko, a story of loss, resilience, and the enduring quest for justice. 

Location

Cedar Rapids, located in eastern Iowa along the Cedar River, is the second-largest city in the state and a vibrant hub of culture and industry. Known as the “City of Five Seasons,”  The city has a rich history dating back to the 1800s when it was a bustling trade and industrial center. Today, Cedar Rapids preserves its heritage through museums, art galleries, and historic sites, including the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, showcasing the area’s immigrant history.

Cedar Rapids is home to several Fortune 500 companies, particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.  The Paramount Theatre, a historic landmark, hosts various performances and events.  Nature enthusiasts can explore the city’s parks, such as Bever Park and Seminole Valley Park. At the same time, the nearby Indian Creek Nature Center provides educational programs and scenic trails, allowing residents to connect with the outdoors.  Cedar Rapids exemplifies the picture of what Midwest America is all about.  

Westdale Mall

One of the newest additions to Cedar Rapids in 1979 was the opening of the Westdale Mall.  This was Cedar Rapids’ first enclosed shopping mall opening on October 4, 1979. It quickly became a hub for retail, entertainment, and social gatherings. The mall represented a shift in shopping culture, providing a climate-controlled environment and a diverse range of stores and restaurants all under one roof.

On December 19, 1979, Michelle Martinko had just left the choir banquet she attended at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids.  She parked on the southwest side of the mall outside the J.C. Penny’s store around 7:30 pm.  Michelle was at the mall to pay off a coat, her mother put on layaway and had $186 to do so but decided she didn’t like the coat that was picked out. 

Michelle was dressed in her banquet outfit, a black dress, and her rabbit fur coat.  She had asked one of her friends, Joan, to join her earlier at the banquet but she declined as she had some homework to catch up on.  Michelle ran into several friends while shopping including Kurt Thomas who was working at a men’s store in the mall.  He walked Michelle to the exit on her way out around 9 p.m. watching briefly while she walked in the direction of her car before turning around and going back to work.

Discovery

When Michelle failed to return home by 2 a.m., her parents, Albert and Janet Martinko, contacted the police to report her missing.  After hanging up with the police they called Michelle’s friends and found out that she had gone to the mall after the banquet.  They then called the police back, updating them on the new information along with a description of the car she was driving, the family’s 1972 tan and green four-door Buick Electra.  

It would be around  4 a.m. that a patrol officer, James Kirkland, would locate the Martinko vehicle and discover Michelle’s fully clothed body lying slumped over the passenger side seat.  The scene was bloody with Michelle’s rabbit fur coat soaked in blood.  She had cuts and stab wounds to her face, neck, and chest area and what looked like defensive wounds to her hands. Michelle had been murdered.  

My Little Doll

Janelle Stonebraker was twelve when her sister, Michelle was born.  In later interviews she would describe Michelle as her “little doll.”  Michelle was a happy upbeat child even as a baby.  Her mother was so concerned that Michelle didn’t cry she took her to the doctor.  After describing her concerns thinking something was wrong the doctor reassured Janet that Michelle didn’t cry because she was content and happy.  

Michelle was beautiful with her long blonde hair that she’d often wear in the Farrah Fawcett style of the day.  Michelle had overcome a lot in her early teenage years.  She was diagnosed with scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.  She had to wear a brace spanning from her neck to her hip from age 12 to 14 and couldn’t participate in the same activities as other kids her age.  

She was in her senior year at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School in the fall of 1979.  Along with performing in the choir, Michelle was involved with other performing art activities, such as theater productions, and was a twirler performing at half-time during football games.  Michelle was planning on attending Iowa State University to study interior design.  

Janelle remembers that Michelle always had plans and didn’t let time slip away from her.  One of their last times together, Janelle was helping Michelle with trying out new hairdos.  She wanted a new look when she headed off to college to signal to start a new chapter of her life.  A picture of an updo was taken with Michelle in a white wide-collar shirt looking to the side.  The look on her face was unsure but still beautiful.  

Suspect

Michelle’s autopsy would show that she had received 29 multiple incised or sharp-edge wounds with a fatal stab to her sternum which penetrated her aorta leaving her to bleed to death.  There was no evidence that she had been sexually assaulted and robbery didn’t appear to be a motive as she still had the $186 on her and purchases she made were still in the back seat.  

The murder weapon was not found at the scene but based on Michelle’s wounds investigators believed they were sure it was a knife.  Investigators also believed that the attack on Michelle occurred entirely in the car as there was no blood found outside the car or on the pavement around it.  They also believe the perpetrator wore gloves as no foreign fingerprints could be found.  What they did find were “chevron-type glove prints the kind made by commonly available rubber gloves”.  

Investigators began their focus on the last people to see Michelle alive and that would be the friends she talked to at the mall that night, specifically Kurt Thomas.  They also focused their attention on Michelle’s ex-boyfriend of two years Charles “Andy” Seidel.  Per Michelle’s family and friends, their break-up was not what you would consider amicable.  Also, Andy was at the mall that night but had an alibi, his mom.  Based upon the violent scene investigators felt the stabbing showed to be on the more personal side.   However, nothing seemed to point to one specific prime suspect though clouds of suspicion remained.

Hypnosis

By the summer of 1980, investigators were pulling out all the stops in trying to find the person responsible for Michelle’s murder.  That even included the tool of hypnosis.  Douglass Fuller was the lead detective at the time and he had gotten thirty people to undergo hypnosis to try to narrow down a suspect.  Of those thirty individuals, two middle-aged women seemed to be the most reliable based on their recollections in developing a composite sketch.  

That sketch was released in June and showed a white male in his late teens to early twenties standing about five foot eleven to six feet tall with brown curly hair weighing between 165 pounds to 175 pounds.  Detectives then compared that sketch to yearbook photos from Michelle’s high school starting in the early 1970s up to 1980. A reward of $10,000 was also offered but nothing seemed to point investigators to the unknown murderer.  

Cold Case

By the mid-1980s Michelle’s case had turned cold.  Michelle’s parents were distraught and angry.  They filed a lawsuit against the mall owners and operators for failing to provide reasonable security.  This last suit reached the Iowa Supreme Court in September 1986. Unfortunately, they did not find in favor of the Martinkos.  Nine years later Albert Martinko would pass away in 1995 followed by Janet in 1998 never having the answers as to who had killed their miracle baby.  You see Janet had four miscarriages.  Janet was 44 years old when Michelle was born.  

Fast forward eight years to 2006 when Detective Doug Larison, who had gone to school with Michelle, read through the entire case file.  What he found would bring new light to Michelle’s case.  In Michelle’s file was a lab report that a previous detective had done that showed male DNA from blood scrappings on the gearshift. Detective Larison then sent Michelle’s dress off for further testing.  

Twenty-seven years later, time and technology had advanced and what wasn’t discovered back then was finally found.  DNA from an unknown male was acquired by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations Crime Lab.  This unknown DNA found on the back of Michelle’s dress and the Buick’s gear shift was a match.   Investigators theorized that the killer’s frenzied attack from stabbing Michelle over and over and Michelle fighting him off caused his glove to be cut leaving his DNA behind.

A DNA profile was uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System or CODIS the national DNA database.  Hopes that they would finally close in on the killer were dashed when there were no hits in the system.  Could this unknown killer never have committed another violent offense in which his DNA was not collected or he was so good he didn’t leave any behind?

So police went to see if they could generate some leads by collecting DNA buccal swabs from suspects they could not rule out back in 1979 such as Michelle’s ex and the last friends to see and talk to her.  Michelle’s family, specifically her mother, Janet felt that Andy Spiedel was responsible for Michelle’s murder.  Janet had written in her diaries that she felt it was him but also had suspicions of Kurt Thomas.  Both men would be ruled out as their DNA did not match.

 In all 125 individuals DNA was collected, but none of them matched. Michelle’s sister Janelle who was sorry her parents weren’t still alive went to their graves believing Andy was the killer.  She wanted to apologize to Andy on her family’s behalf and for being placed under a cloud of suspicion all that time.  

Christmas Idea

It was around Christmas of 2015 when Detective Matt Denlinger took over the case from Detective Larson.  Detective Denlinger was having a conversation with his wife about Michelle’s case.  The Denlinger family was well familiar with Michelle’s case as Matt’s father, Harvey, had previously worked on it when he was with the Cedar Rapids Police Department.  Detective Denlinger’s wife had just gotten her DNA profile done through an ancestry DNA site and she offhandedly mentioned wouldn’t it be great if you could use something like that to help solve Michelle’s case.   

An idea was born and Detective Denlinger did some research and discovered a lab in Virginia that may be able to help him.  That lab, Parabon could use the DNA profile to predict one’s physical appearance and biogeographic ancestry using genetic information.  So in May 2017, thirty-seven-and-a-half years after Michelle’s murder the unknown DNA profile for $5000 was processed.

The sketch generated using photo-realistic illustrations from the 2006 profile showed a white male with blonde hair and blue eyes and looked nothing like the 1979 sketch. The sketch was released to the public hoping multiple tips would pour in pointing to one suspect. That also didn’t produce any viable leads.

Genetic Genealogy

The next step in the investigation was to use the DNA profile and the new tool of genetic genealogy where you chart DNA from one family member to another creating a DNA family tree.  To see if there was someone who could be linked to the mysterious DNA profile investigators turned to the genealogy website GEDMatch which is a free site where individuals can load their DNA to look for possible family connections.  To the hopes of investigators, they got a hit in July 2018.  A woman in Vancouver, Washington seemed to be a second cousin once removed from the DNA profile.  

Parabon

Parabon created a family tree with four sets of the Washington state cousins’ great-great-grandparents at the top of this tree and told investigators that a descendant of one of these elders was the likely suspect.  So the elimination process began with police asking for and collecting DNA from members down all four branches.  They were able to eliminate three of the branches leaving only one.  

In the process of collection, Janice Burns’s DNA was collected and when compared to the DNA profile Parabon genetic genealogists informed investigators that the likely suspect was one of her cousins.  They pointed to one of three brothers, Donald, Kenneth, or Jerry Burns.

Burns Brothers

All three brothers grew up in Manchester Iowa which is about forty-five minutes from Cedar Rapids.  They had no connection with the Westdale Mall or with the Marinko family.  All three were entrepreneurs with no criminal records.  Investigators needed to collect each brother’s DNA covertly.  They started with Kenneth collecting a discarded straw he had used when eating lunch at a golf club.  Once collected it was sent off to the crime lab for comparison.  No match.

Next up was Donald.  Investigators collected a toothbrush and glass from disposed of garbage left out for pickup.  Again, no match.  Investigators turned to the last of their potential suspects, Jerry Burns.  Investigators observed Jerry eating lunch at the Pizza Ranch Restaurant on October 29, 2018.  Once Jerry finished paying and left the restaurant the straw he used was collected.  After almost 39 years the question of who murdered Michelle Martinko was solved.  It was 64-year-old Jerry Burns, a less than 1 in 100 billion probability that his DNA belonged to someone else.  He was twenty-five when he murdered Michelle.  

Arrest

On December 19, 2018, on the anniversary of Michelle’s murder Detective Denlinger and retired detective JD Smith paid a visit to Jerry Burn’s business, Advanced Coating Concepts, a powder coating business.  Jerry Burns seemed to live a quiet life in Manchester.  He grew up there graduating from West Delaware High School in 1972.  He married in 1975 and started a family.  Jerry remained married until his wife died by suicide in 2008.  

It was no coincidence that they chose that day to confront Burns.  Jerry denied knowing Michelle and appeared evasive to detectives with his answers.  However, Jerry appeared calm when confronted by the detectives asking if he would voluntarily give a DNA sample.  Jerry initially refused until he was served a warrant not only for a buccal swab but also for photos of his arms and hands looking for any scars that might have been left behind when he was cut with the knife.   

Jerry insisted that he had no recollection of murdering Michelle and could not explain how his DNA was found at the scene.  Jerry Burns was placed under arrest and placed into the back of a squad car.  Detective Denlinger got in the back with Jerry and for a while the two rode in silence.  Detective Denlinger asked Jerry what happened to Michelle.  Jerry questioned, “If it’s possible to block out.”  Denlinger clarified and said “blackout” and Jerry said no “block out.”  He did not elaborate on what he meant by blocked out instead switching topics to the disappearance of his cousin which we will address at the end.

Long Awaited Phone Call

Janelle and John Stonebraker had long given up hope that Michelle’s killer would ever be found.  That all changed when they received a call from detectives on the day Jerry was arrested.  They had been driving to Baltimore to visit family and see a newborn baby when they got the news and had to pull over to cry and hug.  Janelle would state once the news of Jerry’s arrest hit the public.  She credited the work “of several generations of Cedar Rapids uniformed police and detectives in bringing Mr. Burns to justice, from the leadership on down, they never gave up.”

On January 25, 2019, Jerry Burns pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge.  He was held on a five million cash bond.  In Iowa, first-degree murder is a class A felony that if found guilty would be an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.  There is no death penalty in Iowa.  His trial would eventually end up in Davenport at the Scott County Courthouse.  This was due to pervasive and prejudicial pretrial publicity in Linn County where Michelle’s murder had occurred.  

Prosecutors were hoping to introduce into evidence Jerry’s computer searches that seemed to point to a possible motive.  Jerry’s searches included topics such as “blonde females, assault, rape, strangulation, murder, abuse, rape of deceased individual, and cannibalism.”  The court denied the prosecutor’s motion as too much time had passed since Michelle’s murder and when the searches occurred.

Opening Arguments

Iowa City attorney Leon Spies was defending Jerry.   A jury of seven women and five men would determine if Jerry was responsible for Michelle’s murder.  Prosecutor, Nick Maybanks, laid out his theory of what happened that evening.  He told the jury that a young Jerry Burns was at the Westdale Mall perhaps Christmas shopping when he spotted Michelle and decided to follow her with a premeditated act in mind.  Maybanks reminded the jury that “DNA wasn’t a thing back then” and this was something that Burns had mentioned in conversation with a cellmate while he was being held at the Linn County Jail.

Michelle walked out of the mall with her friend escorting her to the door.  When Hurst turned back inside Burns continued to follow.  He saw Michelle unlock her door and put her shopping bags inside.  Burns had to act fast before Michelle drove away so he surprised her by opening the driver’s side door and striking her in the head with the knife handle causing Michelle to fall back into the seat.  

Burns then got on top of Michelle holding her down as she started to fight him off.  Burns, wearing rubber gloves, then plunges the knife repeatedly into Michelle’s chest cutting himself in the process.  After Michelle stopped moving Burns at some point touched the gearshift, getting some of his blood on it. Investigators believed that he drove the Buick after the murder parking perhaps in a different location.   Burns then drove back to Manchester within the hour, keeping a secret for over forty years.  

Key Witness

One of the key witnesses for the state was a former cellmate of Burns, Michael Allison.  Allison had a lengthy criminal history having been previously convicted of multiple drug offenses in addition to trafficking illegal aliens across the border and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.  Allison was currently facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  

Allison testified that on one occasion while awaiting trial, Burns told him that “he wished he had listened to his dad and cleaned up after himself.”   Could Jerry have told his father what he had done?  Allison also told the jury that having beaten Burns at several hands of pinochle Burns threatened to take him “to the mall.”  

Lastly, Allison testified that Burns told him, “feels like no matter what happens in this case, that he wins because he had the opportunity to be out there with his family all these years.”  If you believe Allison these are pretty damning statements.  The defense for their part tried to show that Allison was testifying for a more favorable plea deal.  Before testifying Allison had struck a plea deal with prosecutors on his case, but he was currently awaiting a new deal due to mistakes in the weight of the meth which could mean a lesser sentence.  It is unclear if his testimony would lead to a lighter sentence.

DNA

A major part of the trial was DNA testing and how evidence was handled to show that it had not been contaminated.  The only way for Burn’s DNA to get on the back of Michelle’s dress, which had been brought into the courtroom and placed on a dress mannequin and the gearshift was if he was there.  

The defense brought in an expert of their own, Dr. Michael Spence who testified to the theory of DNA transfer.  He agreed that the DNA belonged to Burn but testified that it was in the car due to transfer.  The defense hoped to sow seeds of doubt by saying that Michelle could have possibly picked up Burn’s DNA from somewhere in the mall and that is how it was found in the car.  Jerry Burns did not testify on his behalf.  His defense did not offer up an alibi for the night of Michelle’s murder.  

Not sure the jury bought the defense’s theory as they came back with a verdict of guilty after a little under three hours of deliberation on February 24, 2020.  Being found guilty carried an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.  

Impact Statement

In the show notes below there is a link to a YouTube video on the sentencing hearing.  I would recommend if you want to hear one of the more moving victim impact statements you fast forward to the 51-minute mark to hear John Stonebraker, Michelle’s brother-in-law.  John knew Michelle well starting when he dated her sister.  Michelle was the flower girl at their wedding and the fun aunt to his son.  

John talks about the thirty-nine Christmases that had a shadow over it, diminished by the lack of one. How Michelle’s presents went unopened that year.  He talks about the impact of Michelle’s murder on his mother-in-law.  She became bitter and remained that way until she passed while Michelle’s father suffered privately silently weeping.  He goes on to talk about the thirty-nine years of freedom “Burns” didn’t deserve.  

Jerry Burns was sentenced to life without parole and ordered to pay $150,000 to Michelle’s heirs or her estate and to submit a DNA sample upon any law enforcement request. 

Other Disappearances

Jerry Burns had attempted to appeal his conviction with no success.  He has exhausted all of his state appeals but still has the federal system to seek relief.  There is a question if Michelle’s murder was the only crime Burns could have been involved in.  Jodi Huisentruit, an Iowa television news anchor, disappeared in 1995 from a parking lot in Mason City, Iowa.  She was twenty-five years old at the time.  According to Kurt Thomas, if you put Michelle’s picture and Jodi’s side-by-side they could be twins.  

Another strange connection is the disappearance of Ryan Burns, the cousin Jerry mentioned in the back of the squad car after his arrest.  Ryan was fifty-five when he was last seen in Manchester.  He disappeared on December 19, 2013, on the thirty-fourth anniversary of Michelle’s murder.  Coincidence? Perhaps.

What we do know is that time and technology helped bring Michelle’s killer to light.   Michelle’s case was one of twenty-three successful DNA identifications Parabon played a part in.  The most famous of these was Joseph DeAngelo, The Golden State Killer. 

Additional Resources