Burns was arrested and questioned when his DNA matched that of some found on Martinko's clothes at the time of her murder. In January 2019, he pleaded not guilty and a trial date was set. The main argument from Burns' defense team was that the evidence used in the case from back in 1979 was mishandled at the time, but on Feb. 24, 2020, Burns was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

Burns' sentence also included that he wouldn't be eligible for parole. Martinko's older sister, Janelle Stonebraker, told the Des Moines Register that their family had waited years for answers.

"We don't exactly know the whys and some of the details, but we definitely know who did it, and that was terribly important to us," she said. "I wish my parents could be here to see this."