Steve Pankey was arrested in Idaho on Monday and charged with kidnapping and murdering 12 years old boy Jonelle Matthews. "[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". [9] Jonelle's older sister, Jennifer, got home at 10:00 PM, but had not seen her. New pediatric guidelines aim to treat obesity without stigma. Pankey claimed that he had no idea about Jonelles disappearance as he had left Greeley to visit his parents in California in the early hours of December 21, 1984. Walsh said they may file one or two more pleadings. Afterward, Hicks requested Greeley Tribune archives of articles relating to Jonelles case from over the years to give to the police. Pankey told her he needed the money because he wouldnt tell Sun Valley police what they wanted to know about Jonelle Matthews without gaining immunity first. Daily, over 337 million Europeans use the euro. When Angela Hicks took the. It charged that "he took Jonelle Matthews from her family home " and "shot Jonelle Matthews during the course of the kidnapping.". 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. He requested Hicks grab copies of the Greeley Tribune and The Denver Post, she said. He is next scheduled to appear in court June 3. 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. Welcome to AncientFaces, a com "Thank you for helping me find my family & friends again so many years after I lost them. She remained missing for almost 35 years as her family and the police searched for her. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. 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. Pankey told the newspaper that he did not know Jonelle or the Matthews family and had only heard about them following the disappearance. Prior to this, Pankey had constant problems with law enforcement, Hicks said, and he was suing people left and right. 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. Pankey, Hicks and their family members joined together later that year on Aug. 6, to celebrate their sons life on what was supposed to be his 21st birthday. Critics say theyll make bias worse. At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. Hicks, reflecting back to the moment, said it was the only time she saw emotion, other than anger, from Pankey. 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. Pankey's trial began on Thursday, October 14, 2021, ultimately ending in a mistrial on November 4, 2021, due to a hung jury. 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. I have no happiness or no sadness related to this. Hicks recalled he proceeded to make her read to him in the parking lot every article pertaining to Jonelle. 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. 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. Because I didnt know he was going to the police or the FBI. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. He is a suspect but the heat has not been confirmed by a trial or jury. 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. And here I am with my two kids. 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. She never saw the dogs again. the heart becomes full 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. Steven Dana . 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. Kevin Durant moped. 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. [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. Mar 15 2021. In 1987, in the year that Carl Wesley Pankey was born, on October 19th, stock exchanges around the world crashed. [2], Years after Jonelle's disappearance, her parents moved to the Philippines. Kiszla: One-hit wonders? 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. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. All the information collected and observed by Hicks, along with a written and verbal statement from her, was sent to the Greeley Police Department. Her disappearance became the talk of local and national news when in 1985, then-President Ronald Reagan even referenced the tragic case. She told Hicks she had a lot of nerve, explaining they hadnt paid their rent. They are currently retired and living in Costa Rica. She died from a single gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said. She was trying to do the right thing back in the 90s when she went to the police then, Miller said. Add family and friends whose lives he impacted. Over the years, he has been haunted by the disappearance of Matthews, to the point of obsession. 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. It didnt make sense to me his digging in the yard, Hicks said. She was also unaware of the functions of the car, including if it was driveable, according to her testimony. (WLBT/Gray News) - A Mississippi family is searching for answers about what happened to their son after his remains were found in three separate places.Attorney Ben Crump is now . Even after the divorce, Pankey continued to send her documents, including dozens of letters he sent to Weld County. On Wednesday, September 4, 2019, police in Twin Falls, Idaho, searched Pankey's condo under a warrant that stated investigators had probable cause to believe that Pankey abducted and murdered Jonelle. At that point, well have a better idea of where to go from here, Walsh said. 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. @48hours. 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.. Last year, jurors were unable to reach verdicts on the kidnapping and murder charges and prosecutors decided to put him on trial again. 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. Yet everything changed in July 2019 when excavators installing a pipeline about 15 miles southwest of Jonelles home discovered human remains. Jonelle was adopted in March 1972 by James "Jim" and Gloria Matthews, a married couple with a daughter, living in Greeley, Colorado. Although she had been missing for over three decades, Matthews body was found in July 2019 in Weld County. Feb. 17 2023, Published 9:29 a.m. In a matter of three days, on October 12, 2020, police arrested Pankey for kidnapping and first-degree murder in Jonelle's case. a When he made me break it off with my dad, he told me, If your dad shows up here, Im going to kill him and Im going to use every opportunity to piss on his grave, Hicks said. During that time Hicks also referenced multiple legal filings, unrelated to Jonelle's disappearance and written by Pankey, that gave details about her case. [21], On October 13, 2020, Steven Pankey was indicted on charges of murdering and kidnapping Matthews. His campaign website said that Pankey has studied criminal justice. I guess I am a simple person in that regard.. 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. 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.. Distractify is a registered trademark. When we share what we know, together we discover more. [13][21] According to the 2020 indictment statement, shortly following their return to Greeley, Pankey started digging in their yard. 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. [13] Steven Pankey was 69 years old at the time of his indictment. It was Pankeys second trial in the case. It was called Black Monday. " I was home with my then wife and my 5-year-old son.". Nearly 38 years after he murdered Jonelle Matthews and buried her body in a field, Steve Pankey was sentenced to life in prison on Monday afternoon. Oct. 31After almost 38 years, the mystery of what happened to Jonelle Matthews on Dec. 20, 1984 has been put to rest. Born in Idaho Carli lived in Philadelphia and Arizona. Invite family and friends to share what they know about Carl Wesley Pankey. "NorrisDrake, ladies and gentlemen, knew that the footprints were raked," Viorst told jurors. Did Carl serve in the military or did a war or conflict interfere with his life? Select the next to any field to update. . But that was a very, very frustrating thing to contend with as a witness..