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. Biographies are our place to remember and discover more about the people important to us. She said she confronted Pankey about the situation, who responded that he needed the money to pay legal fees. He was first held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise, Idaho before he was extradited to Colorado for court proceedings. Now, the case has been put to rest thanks to the indictment of Steven Pankey, an Idaho resident. 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? Pankey had been excommunicated from the church prior to their arrival for an incident that occurred between him and another member. Based on DNA evidence, the Weld County Coroner's Office positively identified the remains as being those of Jonelle Matthews. Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Carl's lifetime. [12][13], The disappearance attracted interest from the public, including the president of the United States and members of Congress. "I realize the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the other counts and that is a perfectly acceptable way for a trial to conclude," Judge Timothy Kerns told the court. His indictment also presented 26 reasons why Pankey was being suspected and accused of Jonelles abduction and murder. Details on the Broadwater County Sheriff Shooters. Her picture was printed on milk cartons across the United States as part of a project by the National Child Safety Council. I just thought she was a really nice woman who didnt seem to have any ax to grind. Pankey is being represented by the public defender's office after private defense attorney Anthony Viorst withdrew as counsel, citing a lack of time and energy to potentially go through another trial. His campaign website said that Pankey has studied criminal justice. 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). "The evidence in this case will prove that the defendant is guilty of murder in the first degree and second-degree kidnapping. [13] Hicks said they returned to Greeley on December 26 and that Pankey took an unusual interest in the disappearance. Photos, memories, family stories & discoveries are unique to you, and only you can control. 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. During a service, the pastor recited his vision, or "word from the Lord," that Jonelle was going to be found alive and well, which received an immediate response from Pankey. For decades, her devastated family wondered what happened to the sweet 7th grader, whose disappearance cast a pall over Greeley. Devin Booker sulked. 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. An optical flaw was found within weeks of launch but was fixed within three years. 2:55. [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. The medical examiner also found out that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound straight to the head. [21], Pankey knew he was a person of interest in September 2019 when he was interviewed by the Idaho Statesman. That wont be true in 2024. Over the years, the police said that Pankey had intentionally inserted himself into the investigation, claiming to have information about the crime. Pankey told the newspaper that he did not know Jonelle or the Matthews family and had only heard about them following the disappearance. 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.. In the 1980s, Pankey prohibited Hicks from driving, reading newspapers, watching TV or listening to music. 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. After McDonald decided to break things off with Pankey, an incident occurred between the two of them that led to the arrest of Pankey. [21] Pankey had claimed that on the evening of Jonelle's abduction, a rake was used to cover up tracks left in the snow. He said they were planning to leave town the next day for a Christmas visit with family members in Big Bear Lake, California, and had already loaded their car. 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. My heart goes out to the Matthews family, and I am just heartbroken about what happened to Jonelle, Hicks said. After Jonelle's body was found in July 2019, Steve was charged with her 1984 murder. 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. When Cash reached out to Hicks, she said she relayed all the information from Pankeys prior legal fillings, handwritten letters and other documentation. Si vous ne souhaitez pas que nos partenaires et nousmmes utilisions des cookies et vos donnes personnelles pour ces motifs supplmentaires, cliquez sur Refuser tout. 48 Hours: The Kidnapping of Jonelle Matthews chronicles this strange disappearance and charts how and why the police came to accuse Steve 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.. Copyright 1999-2023 AncientFaces, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Pankey is being represented by the public defenders office after private defense attorney Anthony Viorst withdrew as counsel, citing a lack of time and energy to potentially go through another trial. Feb. 17 2023, Published 9:29 a.m. When 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 former spouse, took the stand for her second day of testimony Monday morning. Even still, Dateline NBC is diving into what exactly happened to Matthews and how Pankey is connected to her disappearance. At that point, well have a better idea of where to go from here, Walsh said. Distractify is a registered trademark. She told Hicks she had a lot of nerve, explaining they hadnt paid their rent. Keeler: Avs fans, could we please skip Valeri Nichushkin, Nazem Kadri revisionist history? Mogensen's father was reportedly "especially excited to see justice". Prosecutors found the details about the day they left for their trip in a hurry to the days after they returned to be the most compelling parts of Hicks testimony. In 1987, in the year that Carl Wesley Pankey was born, on October 19th, stock exchanges around the world crashed. All the information collected and observed by Hicks, along with a written and verbal statement from her, was sent to the Greeley Police Department. Second, the verdict gave the family and community closure. 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. Jonelle was just 12-years-old when she went missing the night of December 20, 1984. 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. It charged that "he took Jonelle Matthews from her family home " and "shot Jonelle Matthews during the course of the kidnapping.". Hicks and her sister, Vanesa Sakulenzkia, who also took the stand Monday, both testified they stood near Carls urn when Pankey approached and kissed it. 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. 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. A crew was excavating the area to install a pipeline and discovered the human remains about 15 miles southeast of Matthews former home. Ross was Pankeys former boss from 7 Up around the time he was fired and a Sunny View member. 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. Pankey family member is 72. Who is Carl Pankey to you? Dateline NBC dives into Jonelle Matthews' disappearance, her cause of death, and what happened when her body was found. or visit Help / Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) to discover more about the community. [5], Jonelle Matthews was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on February 9, 1972, to 13-year-old Terri Vierra. [2] Vierra had used a search consultant to help locate Jonelle. 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. Twin Falls man investigated in killing - Pankey ran for governor in 2014. [21], On October 13, 2020, Steven Pankey was indicted on charges of murdering and kidnapping Matthews. 00:01. [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". Pankey, who has maintained his innocence . She felt she had no choice but to tell her dad he was being too intrusive in her marriage. Read More: Where Are Jim and Gloria Matthews Now? 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. I think she obviously had some fears about doing it. [21] Mogensen said that while there had been sibling rivalry between her and Jonelle in 1984, Jonelle's killing eliminated the possibility for the two siblings to grow closer. He also brought up Pankeys interest in other murder cases, including two cases involving women named Mary Piece and Sarah Johnson. /*! Then, he proceeded to go to the back of the church, pacing and repeating, False prophet.. 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." While living in Idaho, Pankey continued to have brushes with the law. The public defenders office would then have a week to reply, at which point Kerns would issue an order as quickly as possible. Within about two weeks, Hicks received two or three of these files, she said. Her father indicated a police officer said he needed help burying a body, according to Pankeys fabricated story. During their conversation about his legal fees, Hicks said Pankey followed with, Do you really think I would hurt her when she looked so much like you?, My blood went cold, Hicks said, reflecting back to what she called an internal panic.. In the early morning hours the next day, the family left for their trip. 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. His formal charge indicted him on five counts related to Jonelles death: murder in the first degree after deliberation, felony murder, second-degree kidnapping, and two related crime of violence charges. Prior to this, Pankey had constant problems with law enforcement, Hicks said, and he was suing people left and right. A former Idaho gubernatorial candidate has been found guilty of killing a 12-year-old Colorado girl who vanished nearly four decades ago. Saddam Hussein's forces had previously invaded the sovereign state of Kuwait and the focus of the operation was to remove his Iraqi troops from Kuwait. 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. 22 birth, 7 death, 4 marriage, 27 divorce, View All Rights Reserved. Require gun training? Pankeys lies about her father were unforgivable to Hicks because Pankey had already taken away her relationship with her father and removed him from her support system back in the early years of their marriage. Si vous souhaitez personnaliser vos choix, cliquez sur Grer les paramtres de confidentialit. Jonelle was twelve when . 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. " I was home with my then wife and my 5-year-old son.". 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. But it just was unnerving.. He was never elected. The jury voted to convict Pankey on a single misdemeanor count of making false statements to police, but was unable to come to a unanimous verdict on the kidnapping and murder charges. Fred Smith knows real estate. When Steve Pankeys son was murdered in 2008, his ex-wife heard him say in front of the urn, I hope God didnt allow this to happen because of Jonelle Matthews.. And here I am with my two kids. Angela Hicks, Pankeys former spouse, took the stand for her second day of testimony Monday morning. 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. (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. 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. Add family and friends whose lives he impacted. 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. The name of that college is unknown. Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, defense attorney Anthony Viorst withdrew as counsel, 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.