Jonelle was never seen again. Hicks, reflecting back to the moment, said it was the only time she saw emotion, other than anger, from Pankey. There he found an interest: politics. 00:58. It didnt make sense to me his digging in the yard, Hicks 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. 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. 48 Hours: The Kidnapping of Jonelle Matthews chronicles this strange disappearance and charts how and why the police came to accuse Steve Pankey. She felt she had no choice but to tell her dad he was being too intrusive in her marriage. [3] Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, by construction workers putting in a new pipeline 15mi (24km) from her home. All the information collected and observed by Hicks, along with a written and verbal statement from her, was sent to the Greeley Police Department. When you share a memory, or just show that you care by interacting with the biography, Pankey's then-defense attorney Anthony Viorst told "48 Hours," "there's no indication that he committed this murder, no indication that he had anything to do with burying the body. By January 8, 2022 06:03 PM. While sitting in the parking lot, she read him every story upon his request. 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. Walsh said they may file one or two more pleadings. His campaign website said that Pankey has studied criminal justice. What Happened During Steve Pankey's Trial For The 1984 Murder Of Jonelle Matthews? Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. 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 has maintained his innocence . [16] She appears in the International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons' database. Pankey family member is 72. Who is Carl Pankey to you? The 22-day trial ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision on the kidnapping and murder charges, though they did convict Pankey of one count of false reporting to authorities. She then learned Pankey had gone to multiple law enforcement agencies over the years. Steve Pankey found guilty of kidnapping, felony murder in Jonelle In 1984, a 12-year-old girl named Jonelle Matthews went missing in Greeley, Colo. Shortly after 8:30 PM, Jonelle answered a phone call and took a message for her father. Prior to this, Pankey had constant problems with law enforcement, Hicks said, and he was suing people left and right. One of the star witnesses in this case, Steven Pankey's ex-wife Angela Hicks, testified about what she says she witnessed while married to Pankey. 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 Weld County Coroners Office used DNA evidence to confirm that the remains were Jonelles. And here I am with my two kids. 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's trial continues 9 a.m. Tuesday in Weld District Court. At the time, Hicks assumed Pankeys obsession stemmed from Russ Ross, a family friend of the Matthews who dropped Jonelle off at her home the night she went missing, possibly being under suspicion and the Sunny View Church of the Nazarenes name coming up in light of Jonelles disappearance. Carl's immediate relatives including parents, siblings, partnerships and children in the Pankey family tree. The grand jury did find him guilty of false reporting. "And one of the things notated in his handwriting on this piece of legal paper was snow outside the Matthews house was raked," she told jurors. Greeley Police Commander Roy Smith stated that Pankey "had made repeated efforts to speak with detectives" about the Matthews case, but refused to answer questions when detectives traveled to Twin Falls on August 15, 2019. The third reason: Hicks would finally be safe from Pankey. Second, the verdict gave the family and community closure. Murder of Jonelle Matthews (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;o 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. Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. " I was home with my then wife and my 5-year-old son.". 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. Steve Pankey found guilty of kidnapping, felony murder in Jonelle Pankey's former defense attorney Anthony Viorst told "48 Hours" about the bank incident. Pankey pleaded not guilty for those crimes. They include minor and non-violent allegations, like accusations of creating a nuisance and harassment at a local bank. (Staff/Morgan. [13] She also said that after their return, Pankey forced her to read to him newspaper articles concerning the case. AncientFaces is a place where our memories & family stories live. UPDATE: Jury finds Steve Pankey guilty, sentences him to life in prison Steve Pankey: Where is Jonelle Matthews' Killer Now? For decades, her devastated family wondered what happened to the sweet 7th grader, whose disappearance cast a pall over Greeley. However, his retrial in 2022 resulted in the jury finding him guilty of not just false reporting but also second-degree kidnapping and first-degree felony murder he was found not guilty of first-degree murder. This is someone I was married to for 23 years, and I walked away from my marriage having little to no respect for the man anymore. 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 Eventually, Sun Valley police put together a file detailing everything Hicks shared and sent it to the Greeley Police Department. I guess the main thing I can say is relief was what went through my mind when the guilty verdict was read, Hicks said. On Dec. 20, 1984, according to a grand jury indictment, Mr. Pankey, armed with a gun, took Jonelle from her family's home and killed her during the course of the kidnapping. The judge declared a mistrial on those counts. 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. August 6, 2022 / 9:34 PM 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.. First published on March 25, 2021 / 5:47 PM. 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. In the 1980s, Pankey prohibited Hicks from driving, reading newspapers, watching TV or listening to music. She was trying to do the right thing back in the 90s when she went to the police then, Miller said. This file is auto-generated */!function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(! A judge then sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The selection changes often, but if you love good Buying or selling a home is the largest financial investment most people ever make. Now, the case has been put to rest thanks to the indictment of Steven Pankey, an Idaho . She looked like she was in shock and disbelief, Sakulenzkia said during her time on the stand. "That's the kind of thing that's happened to Mr. Pankey over the years. Jonelles case came to the attention of then-President Ronald Reagan as his administration launched a national effort to find missing children. On December 20, 1984, Jonelle Matthews vanished from Greeley, Colorado, into thin air. Court sets May 2022 status hearing for Steve, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Court sets May 2022 status hearing for Steve Pankey case, Weld DA announces community relations director position opening, seeks qualified candidate, Weld County could get hit with a legal challenge for not complying with a 2021 redistricting law, Florida was the most prized swing state for decades. Police told her that Pankey not only had come to Sun Valley several times, but he had been to multiple agencies claiming to have information that he wouldnt give away without immunity, according to Hicks. She never heard back until 2019 when Greeley police detectives Robert Cash and Mike Prill began to investigate Pankey as a person of interest. [21] He was held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise until he was extradited to Colorado. 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. She just wanted us to know what she knew.. The third part brings his story from the 1980s to the present and discusses his political campaigns and life in Idaho. Where Is Steven Pankey Now? 'Dateline NBC' Dives In I know thats the way it had to be. Original: A second trial . At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. He also wrote that he feared he might "get the death penalty for revealing the location of Ms. Matthews body. ", On September 4, 2019, just over a month after Jonelle Matthews' remains were found, authorities searched Steven Pankey's home in Twin Falls, Idaho. The Matthews family regularly attended Sunny View after they moved to Greeley. "[13], Jennifer Mogensen, Jonelle's older sister, said her family experienced "some closure" when they learned that Jonelle was murdered and she considers Pankey's arrest "another gift to our family". Those were his exact words.. Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. when he died at the age of 20. The Biography section is collaborative, where we work together to present the facts. But in 2021, the jury convicted Pankey, and he now sits behind bars for at least 20 years, until hes 91 years old. In September 2019, police obtained a warrant to search Pankeys Twin Falls, Idaho home. cbsn.ws/3F7Nia8. Critics say theyll make bias worse. Hicks felt she had to walk on eggshells around Pankey. 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. After hearing testimony from multiple witnesses, Steven Pankey took the stand. We'll connect you with others who know the person you follow. 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. Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. Jonelle Matthews case: Steve Pankey found guilty of murder, kidnapping @48hours. The Dow Jones fell 508 points to 1,738.74 (22.61%). Pankey is accused of forcing Jonelle from her home at gunpoint on Dec. 20, 1984, and then killing her. 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.
Mother Figure Message, How To Create Reverse Lookup Zone For Ipv6, Scuttle Buttin Urban Dictionary, Will County Gis, Illinois Plumbers Continuing Education Classes, Articles W