. 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. But that was a very, very frustrating thing to contend with as a witness.. Along with arguing Pankeys true crime nature, Harris asserted Pankeys interest in Jonelles case, naturally, stemmed from its link to Sunny View Church, particularly Ross and Pastor Jim Christys names being used in the media at the time. 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. And I think my jaw probably hit my desk, and I said, 'What?'" During the trial, Pankey's ex-wife, Angela . Kevin Durant moped. In that instant, Hicks said all of a sudden the events of 1984 the car catching fire, the quick trip to California, the dumping of the dogs all came together in her mind. Hicks went to discuss the rent situation with Pankey, who responded he used the money on legal fees because the Sun Valley police were persecuting him. [21], The police announced that Pankey had long been a person of interest in the case. Prior to this, Pankey had constant problems with law enforcement, Hicks said, and he was suing people left and right. These writings included that Pankey said a blanket and pillow were missing from Jonelles home; that if he revealed where her body was then he would get the death penalty; and not to give the family hope because she was already dead. 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. [21] In 2008, Pankey's son was murdered. In September 2019, police obtained a warrant to search Pankeys Twin Falls, Idaho home. Kiszla: One-hit wonders? It's official: Jamal Murray, Nuggets are in Phoenix's heads now. Jim Matthews was eventually cleared. She had three mothers. After decades of marriage to a controlling man, years of worrying he would figure out she spoke with law enforcement about him and testifying in two trials, Hicks finally felt safe. While Sakulenzkia doesnt recall the exact words Pankey said, she indicated it took her by surprise and she began asking about the remarks made. Despite the mistrial, she felt both sets of jurors did their best and were attentive. After the last time Hicks spoke to Pankey in 2019, she never wanted to speak to him again. Pankey's trial continues 9 a.m. Tuesday in Weld District Court. The jury found him guilty on making false reports to authorities, but they were deadlocked on the other kidnapping and murder counts. 7 death records, 193 followers 8.63k+ favorites, 201 followers 28.0k+ favorites. Pankey was a neighbor of Jonelle and her family when she vanished after being dropped off at her empty home by a family friend after performing at a Christmas concert in Greeley. There he found an interest: politics. The retrial of Steven Pankey is scheduled for October 4, 2022. In 1987, in the year that Carl Wesley Pankey was born, on October 19th, stock exchanges around the world crashed. In the early morning hours the next day, the family left for their trip. I just thought she was a really nice woman who didnt seem to have any ax to grind. Hicks and her then-husband, Steve Pankey, along with their young son, had just visited Pankey's family in Big Bear Lake, California, more than 15 hours away. It was called Black Monday. But where is Steven Pankey now? Jonelle Matthews Murder: Former Governor Candidate Convicted - People Defense attorney Peter Harris brought up the burning car with Hicks, asking if she knew the make, model or color. @48hours. Carl Wesley Pankey lived Harris argued during cross that Pankeys comment was strange, but it didnt lead to any kind of evidence. Without Angela Hicks, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke said, the suspect in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews would have never been arrested, indicted or convicted. She wasnt a woman of scorn. Her father indicated a police officer said he needed help burying a body, according to Pankeys fabricated story. Over the years, Pankey would continue to seek information from law enforcement by offering information in exchange for immunity and talking about the case in unrelated court filings. He stopped her on news coverage about a 12-year-old who had gone missing from her Greeley home. Copyright 2023 Distractify. But, I mean, all of that was put aside because you have to be fair to the defendant, Hicks said. A judge then sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. [25] The prosecution argued that Pankey's behavior and statements incriminated him in the murder, but Pankey's defense attorney argued that his "obsessive interest" in the case could be attributed to Asperger syndrome. This began when Hicks figured out her paycheck was not available because their family didnt pay rent that month. Her father arrived home at 9:30 PM and found the garage door open, but no one was in the house. When Angela Hicks took the. 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. 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. Now The Family Seeks Her Killer", "Former Idaho gubernatorial candidate charged with killing girl, 12, who vanished in 1984", "25 years after Greeley girl vanished, no clues", "Greeley PD taking a new look Jonelle Matthews case", "Three decades after she disappeared from her Greeley home, memories of Jonelle Matthews remain", "Remains Found in Weld County Identified", "Remains of Jonelle Matthews dug up by work crew 34 years after she vanished, Greeley police sayThen 12-year-old disappeared after middle school Christmas concert", "Man Charged With Murder in 1984 Killing of Colorado Girl Taken From Home", "Former candidate for ID governor investigated in 1984 Colorado cold case killing", "Steve Pankey, Person Of Interest In Jonelle Matthews Case, Hopes Girl's Killer Is Found", "Suspect Steven Pankey Appears In Greeley Court In Jonelle Matthews 1984 Murder Case", "Mistrial declared on murder, kidnapping charges in Jonelle Matthews caseSteve Pankey was accused of killing Jonelle Matthews in 1984. 'Dateline' Looks at the Case, Gloria Satterfield Died While Working for the Murdaugh Family Her Sons Want Answers, Where Are Lloyd and Marshall Barrus Now? She was trying to do the right thing back in the 90s when she went to the police then, Miller said. Yet, all the former political candidates words did was point the fingers right back at him, implicating him for the heinous murder instead. Dateline NBC dives into Jonelle Matthews' disappearance, her cause of death, and what happened when her body was found. Steve Pankey, who is accused of kidnapping and murdering Jonelle, is accused of watching Franklin Middle School children walk home from school in the Weld County Grand Jury's indictment of Pankey. Pankey told the newspaper that he did not know Jonelle or the Matthews family and had only heard about them following the disappearance. in the family tree section to add relatives, or press the "X" Mr. Pankey wanted to be a person of interest Mr. Pankey loves the limelight all of the statements that he has made about his culpability have been, 'I didn't do it.'". [21], Pankey gave an interview to the Times-News and said he was being framed by the police because of his sexuality, identifying himself as a "celibate homosexual". Where Is Steven Pankey Now? 'Dateline NBC' Dives In He says Norris Drake, whose mother lived across the street from Jonelle, is the killer. Once home, Pankey changed into coveralls and galoshes and said there were issues with the septic tank. Charges were filed against him but were later dropped. He also said it happened after his . Pankey admitted to making it up in his 2021 testimony. [14] She was mentioned in the Congressional Record for the United States House of Representatives on April 2, 1985, page 7224. At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. A crew was excavating the area to install a pipeline and discovered the human remains about 15 miles southeast of Matthews former home. This was shocking to Hicks because her then-husband previously banned all kinds of media, including TV, newspapers and radio, when they moved into their home on 10th Street. According to attorney Anthony Viorst, the person who killed Jonelle was someone she knew. Greeley, Colorado, Mayor John Gates testified about learning that Steven Pankey had once named him a person of interest in the disappearance of Jonelle Matthews. The unexpected trip came as a surprise to Hicks because he previously made the decision not to go. The home where Pankey lived with his family at the time of Jonelle's disappearance, pictured, was two miles from her home. Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Sexually violent predator moves into Greeley community, Greeley police shoot, kill armed 24-year-old man Saturday, Windsor announces lineup for Movies in the Park and Summer Concert Series, Greeley, Weld County Death Notices for April 30, 2023, Greeley, Weld County Death Notices for April 29, 2023, Avalanches Stanley Cup defense sputters to end in Game 7 of first round vs. underdog Seattle Kraken, 'We're doing it for these families': Greeley-Weld Habitat for Humanity celebrates double home dedication, Broncos still have holes to fill on roster with 2023 NFL draft in the books, Greeley, Weld County Death Notices for April 28, 2023, Weld RE-1 School District principal named best of the year at middle school level, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. She felt she had no choice but to tell her dad he was being too intrusive in her marriage. (r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); Millers questioning opened by asking about Pankeys controlling nature during his marriage to Hicks. Friends can be as close as family. It was a very unsettling, distressing thing to go through, she said. (t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;oMan Charged With Murder in 1984 Killing of Jonelle Matthews - The New 52 years shorter than He has lived in the Aurora/Southeast Denver Metro area since 1965 and is an expert Getting ready for a yard project? 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. UPDATE: Jury finds Steve Pankey guilty, sentences him to life in prison [19][20] The forensic report listed Jonelle's cause of death as "a gunshot wound to the head".[13][21]. Jonelle Matthews: Roundup of Greeley Tribunes reporting on case, Steve Pankey trials. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Carl's lifetime. Steve Pankey trial, Day 6: Ex-wife testifies about relationship with Yet, as of writing, 71-year-old Steve Pankey is incarcerated at the mixed-security Limon Correctional Facility in Lincoln County, Colorado. Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. The 12-year-old was missing for more than three decades. [21] He was held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise until he was extradited to Colorado. [2] Vierra had used a search consultant to help locate Jonelle. Keeler: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? For decades, her devastated family wondered what happened to the sweet 7th grader, whose disappearance cast a pall over Greeley. A motions hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8. Various other incidents over the years incriminated Pankey in Matthews kidnapping and murder. "NorrisDrake, ladies and gentlemen, knew that the footprints were raked," Viorst told jurors. Steven Pankey, 71, will spend life behind . Prosecutors said Pankey kept up to date on the case throughout the years even as he moved his family to several states before settling in Idaho where he ran unsuccessfully as a Constitution Party candidate for Idaho governor in 2014 and in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, the year that authorities said he was named as a person of interest in the girls death. 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. Before Jonelles disappearance, there were a few allegations against Pankey, namely teenage students who claimed that he maced them and a woman who accused him of rape. 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), Jury finds Steve Pankey guilty of 1984 kidnapping, murder of Jonelle Matthews, Second trial begins for man accused of 1984 kidnapping, murder of Jonelle Matthews, Mistrial declared after jury fails to reach verdict on murder, kidnapping charges in Jonelle Matthews case, Killer or true crime junkie? It was very, very frightening.. Pankey's former defense attorney Anthony Viorst told "48 Hours" about the bank incident. Although Pankey never directly knew the Matthews family, his fixation on the church only showed his intent and motive behind the alleged crimes because he was bitter after they excommunicated him, according to prosecutors. She shared that Pankey would not allow her to spend money without getting his permission first, prohibited her from seeing her father, would not let her drive the car and even gave her a time limit if she would go to the grocery store. The Matthews friends from church, Russ Ross and his daughter, dropped Jonelle off around 8:15 p.m. and left with an indication that she was safe and sound inside the home. When they arrived, Pankeys mother seemed surprised, Hicks said, apparently not knowing Pankey, Hicks and their child were going to be there. It wasnt until back in 1995, when they lived in Idaho, that Pankey made a statement that made Hicks blood run cold as she pieced together the events of December 1984. The Matthew family didn't know Pankey. It was around six and a half years later, on December 20, 1984, that Jonelle vanished from her Greeley home. 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. Law enforcement asked her to take notes along the edges of the article about things that stood out regarding Pankey. One portion of an article said there were signs of foul play at the Matthews home, but details were being withheld from the public, which Hicks noted with, One time Steve was rambling on about the snow being raked outside of Jonelles house.. We are purposely breaking this one into three parts, the first will cover the crime, the second covers the background of the alleged perpetrator up through his time living in Greeley, Co. Jonelle Matthews? Hicks asked, trying not to show panic or any emotion. [4] Steven Pankey was sentenced to life imprisonment on October 31, 2022, after his arrest in 2020. Pankey is accused of forcing Jonelle from her home at gunpoint on Dec. 20, 1984, and then killing her. The selection changes often, but if you love good Buying or selling a home is the largest financial investment most people ever make. Steve Pankey (credit: Weld County District Attorney's Office) It was Dec. 20, 1984 when 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews sang in a concert and was dropped at home by a friend and the friend's father . According to the forensic report, Matthews cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head. This was a tragic end to her story, and was only discovered when her body was found decades after her disappearance. At about that time, a car stored on their property caught fire and the burned car "was disposed of at a salvage yard". All Rights Reserved. Offers may be subject to change without notice. During both visits to Greeley for her testimony, Hicks visited Jonelles grave and left a pink rose with a purple ribbon for her. Kerns set a Dec. 10 deadline for prosecutors to file a response to the defenses motion regarding the release of juror information, noting media would need to apply before the same deadline if they would like to get involved because he would not plan to make the document public if it is granted. A status hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. May 3. The third reason: Hicks would finally be safe from Pankey. She died from a single gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said. AncientFaces is a 100% free and family-friendly community to share memories and connect with others to discover more about Uncovering Our Shared Memories: An Introduction to the Community Standards at AncientFaces She was also unaware of the functions of the car, including if it was driveable, according to her testimony. Within 100 hours, American ground troops declared Kuwait liberated. To give her that opportunity to get up and say, I get to speak on behalf of Jonelle, but also I get to talk about my own trauma that Ive suffered in my own life at the hands of the same guy, Rourke said. Jurors found Steve Pankey, 71, guilty of felony murder, second-degree kidnapping and false reporting in the disappearance and death of Jonelle Matthews in 1984, the office of district attorney Michael Rourke said. When it comes to landscape Did you know Your Butcher, Frank has super tasty delicatessen salads? Right after Jonelles remains were discovered, detectives traveled to Pankeys residence to question him, but he refused to cooperate. Photos, memories, family stories & discoveries are unique to you, and only you can control. He said he and his wife were home on the night of Jonelle's disappearance. But Pankey came home late in the afternoon on Dec. 21, 1984, announcing they would go visit his family for Christmas in California a trip Pankey had previously decided against taking. He never shared that with me. " I was home with my then wife and my 5-year-old son.". Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. Yet everything changed in July 2019 when excavators installing a pipeline about 15 miles southwest of Jonelles home discovered human remains. Jonelle Matthews murder case: Steven Pankey goes on trial in 1984 killing Thats why its so important to That great looking new building in Wiggins? 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 jury found him guilty on a charge of false reporting", "Steve Pankey's Defense Poses Theory That Another Man Killed Jonelle Matthews In 1984", "Steve Pankey found guilty of kidnapping, felony murder in Jonelle Matthews case", "Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Jonelle Matthews' 1984 Murder", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Jonelle_Matthews&oldid=1145793361, December 1984 events in the United States, Pages using infobox person with multiple organizations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Member of Sunny View Church of the Nazarene and Franklin Middle School Choir, Jennifer Mogensen (sister), Terri Vierra-Martinez (biological mother), This page was last edited on 21 March 2023, at 01:02. Devin Booker sulked. He is a suspect but the heat has not been confirmed by a trial or jury. After his indictment, Pankey pleaded not guilty to the charges, choosing to take his case to trial while remaining in custody on a $5 million bond. Since, other sheep have been cloned as well as horses, pigs, deer, and bulls. After years of waiting to feel safe with Pankey behind bars, especially after testifying against him in the trials, Hicks is not taking the simple things in life for granted. It's official: Jamal Murray, Nuggets are in Phoenix's heads now. His father was a Youth for Christ leader, and Pankey claimed that he came from a family with a long history of homosexuals and hellfire/brimstone Baptists. In 1975, he enlisted with the US army in Denver but was discharged precisely one year later. But I definitely felt safe for the first time since the grand jury indictment knowing that this was the resolution to it.. Oct. 18When Steve Pankey's son was murdered in 2008, his ex-wife heard him say in front of the urn, "I hope God didn't allow this to happen because of Jonelle Matthews." Angela Hicks, Pankey's . ADVERTISEMENT International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons', "Jonelle Matthews investigation: Chronicling the 34-year search for missing Greeley 12-year-oldThe vivacious 12-year-old disappeared in 1984. In 2018, Pankey made a long-shot bid for the Republican nomination for governor of Idaho, but that would be the beginning of his downfall. When you share a memory, or just show that you care by interacting with the biography, Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. Although no physical evidence could connect him to the case, he became the prime suspect in 2019. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. The name of that college is unknown. Pankey and his former wife lived about three miles from the Matthews home and he had been a youth pastor at the church the Matthews family attended. cbsn.ws/3F7Nia8. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Upon retrial, Pankey was found guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Jonelle by a Weld County jury on October 31, 2022. [21] Pankey had claimed that on the evening of Jonelle's abduction, a rake was used to cover up tracks left in the snow. In 1994, Matthews was legally declared dead even though the police knew very little at the time. [22][23], On October 13, 2020, Pankey was indicted on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping in Jonelle's death. Select "Add Memory" to share stories and photos. Hicks recalled he proceeded to make her read to him in the parking lot every article pertaining to Jonelle. Walsh said they may file one or two more pleadings. Angela Hicks, Pankeys former spouse, took the stand for her second day of testimony Monday morning. Jurors found Steve Pankey, 71, guilty of felony murder, second-degree kidnapping and false reporting in the disappearance and death of Jonelle Matthews in 1984, the office of district attorney.

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