Martinko Murder Suspect Wants Trial Moved

The man accused of killing Michelle Martinko is looking for a change of venue.

The case of the missing Martinko was closed until last December when Jerry Burns was arrested and charged with the killing of Martinko some 40 years ago.

Genetic testing and DNA finally led police to locate Burns. Lawyers for the man say they are asking for his trial to be moved out of Linn County due to "presumption of prejudice" and an "atmosphere of actual bias" in Linn County. Martinko's body was found in a car outside Westdale Mall in Cedar Rapids in 1979.

Wherever it ends up taking place, the murder trial is set to start on February 10, 2020.

The story gripped Cedar Rapids and everyone in the state of Iowa and nationwide since it happened and attorneys say media coverage leaves Burns vulnerable to bias if the case is held too close to the area where he and Martinko lived, worked and where the murder took place, here in Linn County.

[Via CBS2]