The gruesome murder of Michelle Martinko at the Westdale Mall in Iowa took 40 years for the case to be solved. Martinko’s body, covered in stab wounds and bloodstains, was discovered outside the mall in December 1979.
During the investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department concluded that she might have been killed by a stranger. However, investigators found no clear motive or long-standing feud. She wasn’t robbed or sexually assaulted, despite having $186 with her to shop for clothes.
Martinko was already nervous while going to the mall. A friend revealed her feelings about going out to the mall by herself to 48 Hours. She had told someone that she felt like she was being followed…