Her picture was printed on milk cartons across the United States as part of a project by the National Child Safety Council. And I couldnt make sense of the car being on fire, but you also couldnt talk to him. [13] Steven Pankey was 69 years old at the time of his indictment. Pankey testified he didnt know Hicks took any of these measures back in the 90s. 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. A motions hearing was set for 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8. Now, we may know the whole story or so it seems but Pankey maintains that he's innocent. Pankey's former defense attorney Anthony Viorst told "48 Hours" that Pankey's knowledge of the rake "is arguably the one piece of evidence that arguably ties Mr. Pankey to the crime." The selection changes often, but if you love good Buying or selling a home is the largest financial investment most people ever make. [2] Vierra had used a search consultant to help locate Jonelle. Ross was Pankeys former boss from 7 Up around the time he was fired and a Sunny View member. [17], A chokecherry tree was planted in front of Franklin Middle School in memory of Jonelle. She was considered missing until workers digging a pipeline in a rural area near Greeley in July 2019 discovered human remains matching her dental records. Wikipedia: Who Is Steve Pankey? Jonelle Matthews Murder Suspect And Harris argued during cross that Pankeys comment was strange, but it didnt lead to any kind of evidence. A crew was excavating the area to install a pipeline and discovered the human remains about 15 miles southeast of Matthews former home. He is a suspect but the heat has not been confirmed by a trial or jury. 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 . Jonelle's sister married and moved out of Colorado. 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.. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. [13] She also said that after their return, Pankey forced her to read to him newspaper articles concerning the case. (Staff/Morgan. [16] She appears in the International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons' database. Over the years, the police said that Pankey had intentionally inserted himself into the investigation, claiming to have information about the crime. 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. Where is Steven Pankey now? He also brought up Pankeys interest in other murder cases, including two cases involving women named Mary Piece and Sarah Johnson. At the time, Greeley police started investigating Pankey after he and Cash shared a phone call about the case that made Cash suspicious of the defendant. Upon retrial, Pankey was found guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Jonelle by a Weld County jury on October 31, 2022. 48 Hours: The Kidnapping of Jonelle Matthews chronicles this strange disappearance and charts how and why the police came to accuse Steve Pankey. 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. He was not convicted on either of these allegations. He is next scheduled to appear in court June 3. She also said this trip was unexpected. Since Pankey told her about his attempts to gain immunity, she decided to go to the Sun Valley police. Jonelle Matthews, 12, disappeared from her Greeley, Colorado, home on December 20, 1984. Friends can be as close as family. 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. In September 2019, they thus executed a warrant to search his condo in Idaho upon suspicion of involvement. In 1987, in the year that Carl Wesley Pankey was born, on October 19th, stock exchanges around the world crashed. I mean, then to me, it was just like, Oh my god, this is something else, Hicks said. So, every day just seems like there is going to be something to hopefully look forward to or to do. He began digging in the front yard, which Hicks didnt question. She then learned Pankey had gone to multiple law enforcement agencies over the years. He says Norris Drake, whose mother lived across the street from Jonelle, is the killer. A judge then sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Because I didnt know he was going to the police or the FBI. 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. Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. in the family tree section to add relatives, or press the "X" After hearing testimony from multiple witnesses, Steven Pankey took the stand. A few years after JonelleMatthews disappeared, Steven Pankey and his family moved around to different states before settling in Idaho. ", Steven Pankey told KTVB News he remembers where he was the night Jonelle Matthews disappeared. 48 Hours: Steve Pankey Wife Angela Hicks & Death Of Son - What Happened? 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. Steve Pankey trial: Ex-wife describes behavior | 9news.com 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. [3] Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, by construction workers putting in a new pipeline 15 mi (24 km) from her home. [5], Jonelle Matthews was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on February 9, 1972, to 13-year-old Terri Vierra. While the search was going on, Steve Pankey, a former Idaho governor candidate, made himself a person of interest by making allegedly incriminating statements and also discussing information about the crime the police had withheld from the public. A former Idaho gubernatorial candidate has been found guilty of killing a 12-year-old Colorado girl who vanished nearly four decades ago. Over the next several years, their family moved all over the United States and ended up in Idaho. At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. Weld Assistant District Attorney Robb Miller described Hicks as a sweet, genuine person. Both Miller and Rourke agreed charges may have never been brought against Pankey without Hicks testimony to disprove his alibi around the time of Jonelles disappearance. Carl Wesley Pankey of Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona United States was born on August 6, 1987 in Idaho, and died at age 20 years old on July 4, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. And here I am with my two kids. After Jonelle's body was found in July 2019, Steve was charged with her 1984 murder. That wont be true in 2024. [5] 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 . He testified that in the past he had lied about his knowledge of the case. It's official: Jamal Murray, Nuggets are in Phoenix's heads now. But I definitely felt safe for the first time since the grand jury indictment knowing that this was the resolution to it.. Steve Pankey trial: Ex-wife highlights defendant's fixation on Jonelle Defense attorney Peter Harris brought up the burning car with Hicks, asking if she knew the make, model or color. What am I going to do? He was first held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise, Idaho before he was extradited to Colorado for court proceedings. There were no signs of a struggle or of forced entry. 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. Her remains were found this week", "Jonelle Renee Matthews (12) Greeley CO, 1984", "Remains ID'd as those of Colorado girl missing 34 years", "Idaho Man Convicted in 1984 Murder of 12-Year-Old Colorado Girl", "After haunting Colorado for three decades, there is new hope in the Jonelle Matthews case", "Jonelle Matthews discovery provides closure for family, but new chapter is only just begun", "Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)COLD CASE FILESJonelle Matthews", "Greeley girl's disappearance still a mystery after 25 years", "Colorado girl's disappearance still a mystery", "Jonelle Matthews disappearance anniversary: Timeline of events", "After 30 Years, They've Found Jonelle Matthews. '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? Within 100 hours, American ground troops declared Kuwait liberated. Tune into Dateline on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. EST on NBC for the full story. While living in Idaho, Pankey continued to have brushes with the law. Critics say theyll make bias worse. She wasnt a woman of scorn. Share memories and family stories, photos, or ask questions. There he found an interest: politics. and you'll be alerted when others do the same. 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. [21] He was held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise until he was extradited to Colorado. [18], Excavators installing a pipeline discovered human remains at 4:50 PM on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, near the intersection of County Roads 34.5 and 49 at coordinates .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}401423N 1043609W / 40.239848N 104.602514W / 40.239848; -104.602514, about 15mi (24km) southeast of Jonelle's home. Copyright 2023 Distractify. 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. Once Jonelles remains were discovered in 2019, the police accused and arrested Pankey for the murder. He emerged as a person of interest in the case three decades later shortly before Jonelles body was found in 2019 after claiming to have information about what happened to her and asking for immunity from prosecution. For Hicks, Pankeys involvement in the case seemed more cut and dry, Hicks said, but the jurors were unaware of many compelling details she couldnt testify about due to rules of evidence. Angela Hicks, Pankeys former spouse, took the stand for her second day of testimony Monday morning. Hicks is thankful for the work of Detectives Robert Cash and Mike Prill, the Weld District Attorneys Office, the jurors and Judge Timothy Kerns for listening to her, working tirelessly on this case and being fair and impartial. The Dow Jones fell 508 points to 1,738.74 (22.61%). The home where Pankey lived with his family at the time of Jonelle's disappearance, pictured, was two miles from her home. Carl Wesley Pankey (1987 - 2008) - Idaho Since, other sheep have been cloned as well as horses, pigs, deer, and bulls. He said he and his wife were home on the night of Jonelle's disappearance. But this time, she started asking questions about what was going on. After McDonald decided to break things off with Pankey, an incident occurred between the two of them that led to the arrest of Pankey. 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. Who killed Jonelle Matthews? What her suspected killer told jurors The retrial of Steven Pankey is scheduled for October 4, 2022. It was suggested that his discharge might have been related to homosexual activities as right after being released, he said that he left the gay lifestyle and repented for it. Steve Pankey, who twice ran for governor of Idaho, is charged in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews. At that point, well have a better idea of where to go from here, Walsh said. Original: A second trial . Dolly lived to be 6 years old and produced 6 lambs. 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. Pankey's trial continues 9 a.m. Tuesday in Weld District Court. The tree died after a few years and a plaque inscribed with Jonelle's name disappeared. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Carl's lifetime. ET. What is Carl's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? On February 24th, the ground war began. Distractify is a registered trademark. The medical examiner also found out that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound straight to the head. She told Hicks she had a lot of nerve, explaining they hadnt paid their rent. The journey to 71-year-old Steve Pankey being found guilty for the murder of Jonelle Matthews by a Weld County jury on October 31 had dragged on for nearly four decades. Jonelles case came to the attention of then-President Ronald Reagan as his administration launched a national effort to find missing children. By January 8, 2022 06:03 PM. Connect with Trevor at (970) 392-4492, [email protected] or @treid71 on Twitter. Miller questioned how Pankey knew of the finding, to which Hicks responded he had an online subscription to the Greeley Tribune, despite not residing there since 1987, and he followed it religiously., Pankey also conveyed to Hicks over the phone that if police contact her to tell them she doesnt remember anything because it would make his life easier.. He was sentenced Monday afternoon to life in prison with the possibility of parole. 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. 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. On Friday, Hicks testified about her relationship with Pankey, as well as their lives together in their home at 6086 10th St. in Greeley.
