Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
This episode details the forty-year investigation into the 1979 murder of high school student Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For decades, the brutal stabbing remained a cold case that haunted the community and led to the false suspicion of the victim's friends and ex-boyfriend. The mystery was eventually solved using innovative genetic genealogy, which allowed detectives to narrow the suspect list down to three brothers. After covertly collecting DNA samples from discarded items, authorities matched the crime scene evidence to Jerry Burns, a local businessman with no prior criminal record. Despite a defense centered on DNA transfer theories, a jury found Burns guilty of first-degree murder, resulting in a life sentence. The case concludes a tragic saga, though questions remain regarding the killer's potential connection to other unsolved disappearances in the region.
Content Warning: This podcast contains discussions of homicide, violence, abuse, and other graphic themes related to real-life criminal events. It is intended for mature audiences and listener discretion is advised.
