On Wednesday, the Prince George’s County Police Department charged a suspect in connection with the murder of 10-year-old George Burdynski, Jr., affectionately known as “Junior”, 33 years after he disappeared in his Brentwood neighborhood. The suspect is 61-year-old Joseph Lynch who lived in Junior’s neighborhood at the time of his disappearance and murder in 1993.
Junior Burdynski was last seen on May 24,1993, riding his bicycle in his neighborhood. His disappearance sparked a massive investigation involving both the Prince George’s County Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners. Separately, the investigation into Junior’s disappearance led to the arrest of Joseph Lynch, Stephen Bruce Leak, and James Kowalski, who were charged with sexually assaulting multiple boys in Mount Rainier, Brentwood and Hyattsville in 1993. Joseph Lynch was sentenced in those cases began in 1994 and he was released in 2006.
In the years following Junior’s disappearance, multiple PGPD detectives continued to work to find answers for his family. Investigators would reexamine evidence or pursue new information in the case. Earlier in 2026, the PGPD charged Lynch with sexually abusing two teenage boys multiple times from 2007 to 2014 at a home in Mount Rainier. Both of the victims were known to Lynch. Lynch remains in custody in connection with those assaults and a 2012 arson.
The investigation into these new sexual assault charges led two dedicated Cold Case Unit detectives to speak to a now 47-year-old man who was 13 years old when Junior disappeared in 1993. He lived in Junior’s neighborhood at the time. During the interview, the man admitted to having been in a home with Junior and Joseph Lynch the very day Junior disappeared. The man told detectives Lynch ordered him to sexually assault Junior while the three of them were in the same room. During that assault, Junior was killed. Junior’s body has never been recovered.
The PGPD presented its investigation to the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office for consideration of charges in this case. Lynch is now charged with 2nd Degree Murder, 2nd Degree Rape, 2nd Degree Sex offense, and 3rd Degree Sex Offense of Junior Burdynski. At this time, only Lynch is charged in connection with Junior’s murder.
Detectives strongly believe Joseph Lynch sexually assaulted other victims either in the 1990s or after his release from jail in 2006. If you believe you were victimized or have information relevant to this case, we want to hear from you. You are asked to call detectives at 301-772-4930.
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