Some family members of Michelle Martinko were in the courtroom in Davenport Monday when Jerry Burns’ guilty verdict was announced.
A jury convicted Burns of killing the 18-year old Cedar Rapids high school student in a Cedar Rapids mall parking lot – a murder case that dates back to 1979.
Martinko’s sister, Janelle Stonebraker, spoke with reporters after the verdict – and praised Cedar Rapids police officers who worked the case for decades.
New methods in DNA analysis and a family genealogy website led investigators to Burns. Stonebraker said the investigative work by the police ensured they had a case once the new technology came about.
Burns now faces the prospect of life in prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
story courtesy of KCRG/Radio Iowa
