He was first held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise, Idaho before he was extradited to Colorado for court proceedings. But where is Steven Pankey now? Heres where Idaho governor candidates stand by CYNTHIA SEWELL, The following appeared in the Idaho Statesman on APRIL 07, 2018 09:59 PM (updated April 9 2018). Shortly after 8:30 PM, Jonelle answered a phone call and took a message for her father. Suspects long obsession with Jonelle Matthews 1984 disappearance at center of trial, Nearly four decades after Greeleys Jonelle Matthews disappeared, a suspect is going on trial for murder, The Denver Post, other news outlets sue DPS for recording of closed-door meeting after East High shooting, Rock-throwing suspects turned back to take photo of fatal crash as memento, Jeffco affidavit says, Jury finds Jeremy Webster guilty of first-degree murder in Westminster road-rage shooting spree, Former Colorado judge censured for drunken sexual advances in first use of new discipline system. Born in Idaho Carli lived in Philadelphia and Arizona. Hicks had to pack in a hurry. It was Pankeys second trial in the case. Steve Pankey is charged with killing Jonelle Matthews. She also said this trip was unexpected. In 2020, Steven Pankey, who says he never met Jonelle, was charged with murder after repeatedly making public statements that inserted him into the case, including drawing up a list of persons of. The former neighbor of the Matthews family/ex-gubernatorial candidate has since been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, meaning he could presumably go free one day. On Monday morning, a Weld County jury found Steve Pankey the man accused of kidnapping and killing the Greeley 12-year-old in 1984 guilty of second-degree kidnapping with use of a deadly. Pankeys verdict was significant for three reasons, Rourke said. When she first went missing, Pankey took his family on an unplanned trip out of town, and when they returned, he forced his now ex-wife to read bits of the newspaper to him about Matthews disappearance. Using DNA evidence, the Weld County Coroners Office was able to confirm that the remains did belong to Matthews, and this discovery reignited public interest in the case. Mar 15 2021. During that time Hicks also referenced multiple legal filings, unrelated to Jonelle's disappearance and written by Pankey, that gave details about her case. Pankey was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. [9] The phone call was the last time anyone was known to have spoken with Jonelle. In October 2021, a year after former Idaho gubernatorial candidate Steven Pankey was arrested for the kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, he went to trial. The ride to California was silent, but on the way back to Greeley, Pankey forced Hicks to flip through the radio stations in search of news about Jonelles disappearance. He also said it happened after his . Over the next several years, their family moved all over the United States and ended up in Idaho. ADVERTISEMENT He noted that Drake had been at his mother's house that night but was missing for a number of hours the same night. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Hicks noted they sat in silence for the whole ride there and back, but about halfway home to Greeley, Pankey asked for her to find a radio station. Also, within a week of returning home, Hicks went outside to check the area after she smelled smoke, only to find Pankey holding a shovel next to a burning car at the far back end of their property. Pankey repeatedly claimed to have knowledge of the crime and had asked "for immunity in exchange for information". Hicks couldnt find her paycheck in her cubby at work, and asked the owner, who was also her and Pankeys landlady. Ross was Pankeys former boss from 7 Up around the time he was fired and a Sunny View member. It was around six and a half years later, on December 20, 1984, that Jonelle vanished from her Greeley home. Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Following this, Pankey said a sentence that Hicks testified had heightened her worries about Pankeys involvement in Jonelles disappearance: I hope God didnt allow this to happen because of Jonelle Matthews.. In 1984, a 12-year-old girl named Jonelle Matthews went missing in Greeley, Colo. She stated that Pankey listened to the radio for news about Jonelles disappearance on the drive home and forced her to read him news from newspapers on the same topic. As a Weld judge read the verdict finding Pankey, 71, guilty of kidnapping and murdering Jonelle in December 1984, Hicks, his 64-year-old ex-wife, felt neither joy nor sorrow. After McDonald decided to break things off with Pankey, an incident occurred between the two of them that led to the arrest of Pankey. However, seeing her sisters face led her to stop questioning Pankey. Add family and friends whose lives he impacted. For decades, her devastated family wondered what happened to the sweet 7th grader, whose disappearance cast a pall over Greeley. At that point, well have a better idea of where to go from here, Walsh said. Kiszla: One-hit wonders? Instead of going straight home after driving all day on Christmas, Pankey drove past their home to a Safeway and made Hicks purchase newspapers about Jonelles disappearance. As the last person suspected of speaking to Jonelle, she testified she would have called the police if she would have known she was talking to a 12-year-old since the girl resembled a first grader over the phone. One of Pankeys handwritten documents even said Jonelle was dead before crossing 10th Street in Greeley and that two cops were living within a block of her home. Harris introduced Pankeys obsession with true crime, and how he even tied it into a science fiction book he wrote, while Hicks remained on the stand for the majority of Monday. Based on DNA evidence, the Weld County Coroner's Office positively identified the remains as being those of Jonelle Matthews. we begin to show & tell who our loved ones were during particular moments in their lives. Where we share what we remember to make discoveries and meaningful connections with others. I hope that she found that to be an empowering experience., Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), It was very, very frightening: Steve Pankeys ex-wife talks living in fear up until his guilty verdict, Four arrested in connection with shooting outside Aurora mall, Mesa County, health contractor to pay $2 million after 27-year-old dies of epileptic seizures in jail, 14-year-old girl missing from Denver found safe, Driver dies, passenger survives fatal Corvette rollover crash that forced closure of northbound I-225. Public Defender John Walsh noted its exceedingly likely Pankey will reenter a plea of not guilty. In 1997, Gloria Matthews received a letter from Vierra requesting permission to visit Jonelle. Without those pieces of information, I dont think we could have disproven what the defendant wrote in that alibi letter, Rourke said. "This touched our. Her father arrived home at 9:30 PM and found the garage door open, but no one was in the house. She told Hicks she had a lot of nerve, explaining they hadnt paid their rent. Hicks felt like Rourkes cross-examination of Pankey cleared her fathers name. After almost 38 years, the mystery of what happened to Jonelle Matthews on Dec. 20, 1984 has been put to rest. In 2002, Hicks and Pankey finalized their divorce, and on July 4, 2008, their son Carl was murdered. A few days later, Hicks testified that she went to the Sun Valley Police Department wanting to confirm or deny if her husband did come into the department saying he had information about Jonelle. In a few court filings, he brought up Jonelle's case, such as this 1999 filing when he told the Idaho Supreme Court that his conviction for causing a scene in a bank was in part "an attempt to force" him "to become an informant" in Jonelle's disappearance. Although it was intimidating and difficult to sit 10 feet away from Pankey and testify against him, Hicks was always told by her father to do the right thing and tell the truth. Pankey is accused of forcing Jonelle from her home at gunpoint on Dec. 20, 1984, and then killing her. Hollywood writers going on strike over fair pay in streaming era, Missing teens likely among 7 people found dead in Oklahoma, authorities say, Fish contaminated with "forever chemicals" found in nearly every state, Gordon Lightfoot, "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" singer, dies at 84, CBS News Poll: How GOP primary race could be Trump v. Trump fatigue, At least 6 dead after dust storm causes massive pile-up on Illinois highway, Oklahoma governor signs gender-affirming care ban for kids, U.S. tracking high-altitude balloon first spotted off Hawaii, Bob Lee died from three stab wounds, medical examiner says. Thats why she complied when he demanded she never speak to her father again. dvelopper et amliorer nos produits et services. First, he said, False prophet, under his breath before standing up and repeating his statement, according to Hicks, who was sitting next to him during this time. The testimony was only introduced with the purpose of highlighting his ex-communication from the church, which bolsters the prosecutors' argument of his hatred toward the church and law enforcement, Kerns said. Pankey, who has maintained his innocence . That was one of the most difficult parts of testifying for Hicks. In 1984, a 12-year-old girl named Jonelle Matthews went missing in Greeley, Colo. Hicks plans to pay off her farm in 16 months and sell the business she built to purchase a commercial greenhouse to propagate roses and work on her writings. Share what Carl did for a living or if he had a career or profession. the heart becomes full It's official: Jamal Murray, Nuggets are in Phoenix's heads now. In July 2019, oil workers found Jonelles remains with one gunshot wound to the head buried in unincorporated Weld County. Since Pankey told her about his attempts to gain immunity, she decided to go to the Sun Valley police. Pankey was indicted in October 2020 by a grand jury on first-degree murder and kidnapping charges in connection with the 1984 killing of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in Greeley. GREELEY A former longshot Idaho gubernatorial candidate was convicted Monday of kidnapping and killing a 12-year-old Greeley girl who went missing nearly 40 years ago. The Matthews family regularly attended Sunny View after they moved to Greeley. In September 2019, they thus executed a warrant to search his condo in Idaho upon suspicion of involvement. I had no knowledge.". "It was just me trying to be a big man, be in the case, OK? When it comes to landscape Did you know Your Butcher, Frank has super tasty delicatessen salads? And so to me, that was the single most significant telling of what she recalled that really, to be honest with you, put me over the top in terms of charging him in the first place.. When you share a memory, or just show that you care by interacting with the biography, Charges were filed against him but were later dropped. Hicks said it wasnt unusual for her husband to leave for the day in the early morning and not return until anytime between 4-11 p.m., which is why she couldnt recall what time he came home and what he was doing on Dec. 20, 1984, the day Jonelle went missing. He stopped her on news coverage about a 12-year-old who had gone missing from her Greeley home. Her memory of it was the same every time, frankly, Miller said. The name of that college is unknown. [7][8][9] Her father was at his other daughter's basketball game[9] and her mother had traveled out of state to be with Jonelle's ill grandfather. Then, he proceeded to go to the back of the church, pacing and repeating, False prophet.. Over the years, he has been haunted by the disappearance of Matthews, to the point of obsession. (Staff/Morgan. Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells called Deb McDonald, formerly known as Deb Moon, to the stand to briefly discuss her romantic involvement with Pankey back in 1977 which would later end in Pankeys ex-communication from the church. However, it was more than a year later, on October 13, 2020, that the police announced Pankey had been indicted on charges related to first-degree murder and kidnapping in Jonelle's death. On the evening of December 20, 1984, Jonelle was performing in a Christmas concert at IntraWest Bank of Denver as a member of Greeley's Franklin Middle School Choir. Last year, his first trial ended with a hung jury on the kidnapping and murder charges, but he was convicted for false reporting after he admitted to lying to law enforcement about the case during his testimony. Pankey, who resided in Idaho in the years leading up to his arrest,. Jonelle was just 12-years-old when she went missing the night of December 20, 1984. Now, the case has been put to rest thanks to the indictment of Steven Pankey, an Idaho resident. Jonelle's shoes and shawl were near a heater in the family room, a place she often sat. They are currently retired and living in Costa Rica. Yet, all the former political candidates words did was point the fingers right back at him, implicating him for the heinous murder instead. The indictment also mentions that Pankey knew of and discussed a rake used to obliterate foot impressions in the snow at the Matthews home, which law enforcement withheld from the public. The family took off in the early morning hours of Dec. 22, 1984, causing Hicks to pack in a rush and Pankey to dump the dogs. She never saw her pets again. He does not believe in gun control of any kind and hoped that all gun laws would be repealed. All Rights Reserved. There is some discussion online at websleuths and reddit that Carl may have changed his name to Carl Kassem Jetson just a few months before his murder (See. In 1990, by the time he was merely 3 years old, on April 24th, the Hubble telescope was launched into space after long delays due to the Challenger explosion. The public defenders office would then have a week to reply, at which point Kerns would issue an order as quickly as possible. As a witness, she couldnt say anything prejudicial or bring up any of Pankeys prior bad acts while on the stand. When they arrived, Pankeys mother seemed surprised, Hicks said, apparently not knowing Pankey, Hicks and their child were going to be there. She called it an endless barrage of nothing real serious.. A judge then sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Kevin Durant moped. At the time of Matthews disappearance, Pankey lived just three miles from her familys home and allegedly was a youth pastor at the Matthews church. In a matter of three days, on October 12, 2020, police arrested Pankey for kidnapping and first-degree murder in Jonelle's case. At about that time, a car stored on their property caught fire and the burned car "was disposed of at a salvage yard". Critics say theyll make bias worse. But, I mean, all of that was put aside because you have to be fair to the defendant, Hicks said. The first trial ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on three of the. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Vous pouvez modifier vos choix tout moment en cliquant sur le lien Tableau de bord sur la vie prive prsent sur nos sites et dans nos applications. I mean, then to me, it was just like, Oh my god, this is something else, Hicks said. I have no happiness or no sadness related to this. The third part brings his story from the 1980s to the present and discusses his political campaigns and life in Idaho. Tune into Dateline on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. EST on NBC for the full story. [2], Years after Jonelle's disappearance, her parents moved to the Philippines. Pankey further explained that Sun Valley, a city in Idaho, was persecuting him because he wouldnt give them the information they wanted about the Jonelle case unless he received immunity first. "They've got full SWAT gear on," Pankey said in an interview with CBS affiliate KMTV and he said, "they took my laptop, cell phones, they took a bunch of pics ", A year after authorities searched Steve Pankey's home, a grand jury handed down an eight-page indictment against Pankey on October 9, 2020. ", On September 4, 2019, just over a month after Jonelle Matthews' remains were found, authorities searched Steven Pankey's home in Twin Falls, Idaho. Thats why its so important to That great looking new building in Wiggins? Law enforcement asked her to take notes along the edges of the article about things that stood out regarding Pankey. He left the church around June of 1978, and in the summer of that same year, Jonelles loving parents became a part of the congregation.
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