Prince George’s County Police have charged a 61-year-old man with the 1993 murder of 10-year-old George Burdynski Jr., known as “Junior,” more than 33 years after the child disappeared from his Brentwood neighborhood.
Junior was last seen riding his bicycle on May 24, 1993. His disappearance prompted a large investigation involving local and federal law enforcement, but his body was never recovered. Police said Joseph Lynch, who lived in Junior’s neighborhood at the time, has now been charged with second-degree murder, second-degree rape, second-degree sex offense and third-degree sex offense.
According to police, a break in the cold case came during an investigation into separate sexual assault allegations against Lynch. Detectives interviewed a now-47-year-old man who was 13 when Junior disappeared and also lived in the neighborhood. Police said the man told investigators he was inside a home with Junior and Lynch on the day of the disappearance and alleged that Lynch ordered him to sexually assault Junior. Investigators said Junior was killed during the assault.
Lynch had previously been arrested in 1993 in an investigation involving the sexual assaults of multiple boys in the Mount Rainier, Brentwood and Hyattsville areas. He was sentenced in those cases beginning in 1994 and released in 2006. Earlier this year, police charged Lynch with sexually abusing two teenage boys between 2007 and 2014. He remains in custody in connection with those allegations and a 2012 arson case.
Police said Lynch is currently the only person charged in connection with Junior’s murder. Detectives believe there may be additional sexual assault victims and are asking anyone with information to contact investigators at 301-772-4930.
