Jerry Burns has murder appeal denied

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - The man convicted of the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko has had his appeal denied by the Iowa Supreme Court.

Jerry Burns’ attorneys say investigators violated the constitution when they took a straw Burns used at a restaurant in Manchester.

DNA from that straw linked Burns to the death of Michelle Martinko.

Investigators found her body inside a parked car in the Westdale Mall area in Cedar Rapids in 1979. The murder was a mystery for years, until DNA technology advanced enough to find her killer.

The court ruled in a 5-2 decision, that police followed the law in obtaining Burn’s DNA and that his rights were not violated.

You can read the ruling below:

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