Joseph Lynch was charged after a new witness account shed light on what happened to the 10-year-old, who was never found
Credit: Prince George’s County Police Department
NEED TO KNOW
- Joseph Lynch, 61, has been charged in the 1993 murder of 10-year-old George “Junior” Burdynski on Sept. 16
- A man who was 13 when Junior disappeared told detectives he was with the boy and Lynch that day, according to police
- Junior’s sister, Virginia, said her family’s “hearts are shattered” after 33 years of hoping for answers
A decades-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of 10-year-old George “Junior” Burdynski has taken a major turn, with Maryland police now accusing a man who lived in the boy’s neighborhood of playing a role in his death.
Joseph Lynch, 61, was charged on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in connection with Burdynski’s 1993 murder after investigators interviewed a man who told them he was inside a home with Burdynski and Lynch on the day the boy disappeared, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
Burdynski was last seen on May 24, 1993, riding his bicycle in his Brentwood neighborhood. His disappearance launched an extensive investigation involving local and federal law enforcement, according to authorities.
For years, detectives continued to revisit the case and pursue new leads, according to police.
The latest breakthrough came during an investigation into separate allegations against Lynch. In May 2026, police charged Lynch with sexually abusing two teenage boys multiple times between 2007 and 2014 at a Mount Rainier home.
Lynch remains in custody in connection with those allegations and a 2012 arson charge, police said.
As detectives investigated the more recent allegations of sexual assault, two members of the department’s Cold Case Unit interviewed the former neighborhood resident who was 13 when Burdynski disappeared. The now 47-year-old’s account ultimately led investigators back to the 1993 case, according to police.
During his interview with detectives, he disclosed that he had been inside a home with Burdynski and Lynch on the day the boy disappeared.
Credit: Prince George’s County Police Department
The man told detectives that Lynch directed him to sexually assault Burdynski while the three were together in the home, and that the boy was killed during the assault, according to police.
Burdynski’s remains have never been recovered, according to the department.
Police then presented the case to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office. Lynch was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree rape, second-degree sex offense and third-degree sex offense. He is currently the only person charged in connection with Burdynski’s death, police said.
At a press conference on Sept. 17, Burdynski’s sister, Virginia, addressed her brother directly as she spoke about the new development.
“First, I would like to say, Junior, I’m so sorry for what happened to you. I’m so sorry for what you had to go through. We’ve held on to hope for 33 years, this is not what we prayed for. This is incredibly devastating. Our hearts are shattered. We love you, Junior,” Virginia said.
The investigation into Burdynski’s disappearance also led police to Lynch and two other men, Stephen Bruce Leak and James Kowalski, who were charged with sexually assaulting multiple boys in the area in 1993, according to police.
Burdynski’s disappearance also played a role in a significant development in the FBI’s investigation of child sexual exploitation.
In a 2020 account published by the FBI, the agency said its investigation into Burdynski’s disappearance uncovered that some of the offenders connected to the case were using computers to communicate with victims and other people involved in child sexual abuse.
That discovery prompted an early online undercover effort by FBI agents in the Baltimore area, according to the agency. The work eventually contributed to the creation and expansion of the FBI’s Innocent Images program, which by 1995 had grown into a nationwide effort.
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Now, more than 33 years after Burdynski disappeared, police are also looking for information about other possible victims.
Detectives believe Lynch may have sexually assaulted additional people either during the 1990s or after his release from prison in 2006, according to the department.
Anyone who believes they were victimized by Lynch or has information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact Prince George’s County detectives.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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