Episode
And Then There Were Three
40:40
Published: Thu Sep 17 2020
Description
Just days before Christmas, high school senior Michelle Martinko is found stabbed to death in her car after visiting the mall. It would take almost 40 years for investigators to identify the killer – and when they did, Martinko’s family and friends were stunned. Dennis Murphy reports.
Chapters
A young girl's brutal murder in the 1970s sparked an investigation in a small Iowa town.
00:00 - 01:35 (01:35)
Summary
A young girl's brutal murder in the 1970s sparked an investigation in a small Iowa town. Despite theories involving drug and prostitution rings, it took decades for the case to be cracked, with a breakthrough coming from an unexpected source.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
Michelle Martinko, a high school senior, was found dead in her car outside of a mall in Iowa in 1979.
01:35 - 05:54 (04:18)
Summary
Michelle Martinko, a high school senior, was found dead in her car outside of a mall in Iowa in 1979. Her murder remained unsolved for decades until DNA evidence led to the arrest and conviction of her killer in 2019.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
The murder case of Michelle Martinko remains unsolved.
05:54 - 09:14 (03:20)
Summary
The murder case of Michelle Martinko remains unsolved. Blood typing was used to try to find the killer who may have left traces of his blood, however no further leads have surfaced.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
A student expresses to her teacher that she is tired of belonging to somebody and how that relates to her past experiences in junior high school.
09:14 - 13:11 (03:57)
Summary
A student expresses to her teacher that she is tired of belonging to somebody and how that relates to her past experiences in junior high school.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
Detectives question the alibi of the suspect in the Michelle Martinko murder case after discrepancies arise in his story.
13:11 - 18:04 (04:53)
Summary
Detectives question the alibi of the suspect in the Michelle Martinko murder case after discrepancies arise in his story.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
Detective Doug Larison shares the process of using DNA evidence to solve a 1979 cold case, from obtaining suspects' DNA samples to eliminating them from the partial profile, to finally identifying the true killer.
18:07 - 23:14 (05:07)
Summary
Detective Doug Larison shares the process of using DNA evidence to solve a 1979 cold case, from obtaining suspects' DNA samples to eliminating them from the partial profile, to finally identifying the true killer.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
Parabon NanoLabs uses genetic genealogy to help solve cold cases by identifying possible family members of the perpetrator and building a family tree to link them to the crime scene.
23:14 - 26:43 (03:29)
Summary
Parabon NanoLabs uses genetic genealogy to help solve cold cases by identifying possible family members of the perpetrator and building a family tree to link them to the crime scene.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
The suspect list for the murder of Michelle Martinko had narrowed down to three brothers living in Iowa, and the police tracked each one down, starting with the middle brother Kenneth, until they finally found the culprit, the youngest brother Jerry Burns, who had left his DNA at the crime scene.
26:43 - 32:46 (06:03)
Summary
The suspect list for the murder of Michelle Martinko had narrowed down to three brothers living in Iowa, and the police tracked each one down, starting with the middle brother Kenneth, until they finally found the culprit, the youngest brother Jerry Burns, who had left his DNA at the crime scene.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
Defense attorney Leon Spies filed a motion to bar the computer evidence from the trial, questioning police handling of the evidence from four decades ago.
32:46 - 39:00 (06:14)
Summary
Defense attorney Leon Spies filed a motion to bar the computer evidence from the trial, questioning police handling of the evidence from four decades ago. Despite this, the defendant was found guilty of murder in the first degree.
EpisodeAnd Then There Were Three
PodcastDateline NBC
After three hours of deliberation, Jerry Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, bringing long-awaited closure to her family.
39:00 - 40:28 (01:28)
Summary
After three hours of deliberation, Jerry Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the 1979 murder of Michelle Martinko, bringing long-awaited closure to her family.