Police found the bloodied body of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in her parent’s Buick in 1979, and, now, the murderer has been convicted.
Jerry Burns, 66, was found guilty of first-degree murder by an Iowa jury on Monday, ending decades of uncertainty for the family of Martinko. The jury deliberated for just three hours before returning the conviction, which carries a mandatory sentencing of life in prison, according to the Associated Press.
Burns was arrested on Dec. 19, 2018, 39 years to the day after Martinko was stabbed to death. Police were able to secure an arrest using DNA technology to create a pool of possible suspects. From there, investigators said they pulled Burns’s DNA from a straw he discarded at a restaurant.
At one point during the trial, Martinko’s bloodstained black dress was displayed draped over a mannequin. The families of both Martinko and Burns cried as the verdict was read.
Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman thanked investigators for continuing to push for an arrest decades after the crime.
“For Michelle’s family and friends, we know that the pain of losing a daughter, sister, or friend will never go away,” Jerman said in a Monday statement. “You and Michelle will forever be in our thoughts, and we are eternally grateful for your support, trust, and confidence over the many years.”
The trial, which began earlier this month, had to be moved to Davenport because of the pretrial publicity in Cedar Rapids.
