Prince George’s County detectives have charged a longtime suspect in the 1993 killing of 10-year-old George “Junior” Burdynski after a witness came forward with new details that investigators say broke one of the county’s oldest cold cases.
BRENTWOOD, Md. – More than three decades after 10-year-old George “Junior” Burdynski disappeared while riding his bicycle through his Brentwood neighborhood, the Prince George’s County Police Department has charged a 61-year-old man with murder and multiple sex offenses in connection with the child’s death.
Police announced Wednesday that Joseph Lynch, who lived in Junior’s neighborhood at the time of the boy’s disappearance in May 1993, has been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree rape, second-degree sex offense, and third-degree sex offense. Investigators say Junior’s body has never been found.
Related: Maryland • Crime • Cold Cases • Prince George’s County
New witness interview led detectives to charges
According to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the breakthrough came during an investigation into separate sexual abuse allegations filed against Lynch earlier this year. Detectives assigned to the department’s Cold Case Unit interviewed a now-47-year-old man who was 13 years old when Junior disappeared.
Investigators said the witness told detectives he was inside a home with Junior and Lynch on the day the child vanished. During the interview, the witness alleged Lynch ordered him to sexually assault Junior and that the 10-year-old was killed during the assault. Police said Junior’s remains have never been recovered.
Authorities presented the findings to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, which authorized the new criminal charges against Lynch.
Case remained active for decades
Junior disappeared on May 24, 1993, after he was last seen riding his bicycle in Brentwood. His disappearance prompted a large-scale investigation involving the Prince George’s County Police Department and federal law enforcement agencies.
Although the homicide remained unsolved for decades, detectives continued reviewing evidence and pursuing new investigative leads. The department said the case was never closed.
The investigation into Junior’s disappearance also uncovered unrelated child sexual abuse cases in the early 1990s involving Lynch, Stephen Bruce Leak, and James Kowalski. Lynch was convicted in those cases and was released from prison in 2006, according to police.
Detectives seek additional victims
Earlier this year, Prince George’s County police charged Lynch in another case alleging he sexually abused two teenage boys between 2007 and 2014 at a Mount Rainier home. Authorities said those victims knew Lynch personally. He also remains in custody in connection with a 2012 arson case.
Detectives believe Lynch may have assaulted additional victims during the 1990s or after his release from prison and are urging anyone with information or who believes they may have been victimized to contact investigators at 301-772-4930.
The investigation into Junior Burdynski’s death remains active as detectives continue searching for information that could help locate his remains or identify additional evidence.
For more information about the investigation, visit the Prince George’s County Police Department and Maryland court information is available through the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.