How a DNA Match from a Straw Solved Cold Case 39 years later

Michelle Martinko, a high school student, was tragically discovered murdered in her family's vehicle on December 19, 1979. Nearly four decades later, the perpetrator was identified through a DNA match found on a straw.

Michelle, who was raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during the 1960s, was recognized for her beauty and talent, particularly in singing, theater, and twirling.

At the age of 18, Michelle went to a concert with a friend before heading to Westdale Mall alone in her parents' car to purchase a new coat. She had $180 (£156) in her possession and was last seen inside the mall that evening.

The student was known to frequent the shopping center until around 10pm, but on December 19th, when she did not return home, Michelle's parents grew worried. They alerted the authorities about the missing teenager, and in the early hours of the following day, the family's vehicle was discovered in the mall parking lot, with Michelle's lifeless body inside. She had suffered multiple stab wounds and displayed defensive injuries, suggesting she had resisted her assailant.