Episode Details

This episode recounts the tragic 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, a high school senior killed in a shopping mall parking lot in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For nearly four decades, the brutal stabbing remained a haunting cold case that devastated her family and community. The narrative details how investigators eventually utilized forensic genealogy and DNA technology to identify Jerry Lynn Burns as the perpetrator through a discarded straw. By matching evidence from the crime scene to the suspect, authorities finally secured a first-degree murder conviction in 2020. This overview serves as a testament to scientific persistence and the pursuit of accountability long after a crime has occurred.

This episode includes AI-generated content.