Found Deceased CO - Jonelle Matthews, 12, Greeley, 20 Dec 1984 *arrest 2020*

[Quiet Time]

DBM

 

[Hope4More]

This case is going to be on 48 Hours Saturday March 27, 2021:

Sneak peek: The Kidnapping of Jonelle Matthews

Can't wait to watch this one!

Defense attorney Viorst yapped *way* too much - both about his client & about the case. Especially since the case hasn't even gone to trial. Especially since he didn't always appear to be entirely convinced of his own client's innocence.

That said, he made some good points. If the State doesn't have more evidence than what's already been made public over the years and with his indictment, I can't imagine a jury convicting him.

He was obviously obsessed with JM's disappearance/murder from the get-go. IMO he's pretty clearly unbalanced, and was so before her murder. According to his ex-wife, the suddenness of their trip to CA was odd. It's weird that one of his cars caught on fire shortly after their return. And of everything known, what seems most & definitely hinky is that he knew a rake was used to cover up footprints in the snow.

I don't think that adds up to a compelling legal case against him, much less one beyond reasonable doubt. See: he has a long history of attention-seeking, and of inappropriate & odd.

Viorst could well be right SP is an obsessive-compulsive. That he glommed onto news of JM's disappearance for any number of (perhaps shifting) reasons & never let go. That the suddenness of their trip to CA was no more or less odd than other impulsive decisions or off the wall comments he made. That the burnt car wasn't the car he typically drove or some such.

Knowledge of the rake use stands alone as otherwise inexplicable, but IMO, only if & only if SP brought up that info early on. Otherwise, JM's case has been open for decades & SP seemingly has been obsessed with it for about as long; Greeley is a small town, and SP had multiple contacts with LE about her case over the years. Odds definitely are that SP's defense is going to argue SP could have & did learn the rake info secondhand.

As for whether he's actually guilty, whether or not a jury convicts. I have my doubts, since nothing that is known about him explains why he would stalk, kidnap, and shoot a 12 year child in the head, one who lived a couple miles away & with whom he had no known encounter or overlap.

The closest I can get to there is wild speculation that SP was unbalanced enough & hated Ross enough to try to set him up for JM's disappearance.

 

[Seattle1]

I only caught the last 15 minutes of the 48 Hours show, but I did hear that there was no DNA evidence on Jonelle (I don’t remember the exact wording) that belonged to Steve Pankey. I’m not surprised there wasn’t after all these years, but it sure would have been nice if there would have been DNA evidence linking Steve to Jonelle.

Steve’s attorney is...strange. Lots of blinking, looking to the side, and trouble finding the right words.

I caught that as well from previous news videos of Weld County DA Michael Rourke who said
"there is no definitive link – DNA-wise – between Pankey and Matthews' remains. "

Weld County coroner says Jonelle Matthews was shot in head | 9news.com

 

[Mysteries1974]

I caught that as well from previous news videos of Weld County DA Michael Rourke who said
"there is no definitive link – DNA-wise – between Pankey and Matthews' remains. "

Weld County coroner says Jonelle Matthews was shot in head | 9news.com

They won’t ever get any DNA evidence. Pankey made sure he got rid of everything, including Jonelle’s body for over 34 years.

 

[Seattle1]

They won’t ever get any DNA evidence. Pankey made sure he got rid of everything, including Jonelle’s body for over 34 years.

What do you believe is the strength of the prosecutor's case? How will they prove beyond reasonable doubt that SP is responsible for the abduction and murder of Jonelle.

I think his attorney made a strong case for his client on 48 hours -- Pankey is a real loudmouth that LOVES talking about himself but that doesn't prove he's a murderer.

This isn't going to be a slam-dunk by any means. I'm a bit concerned for the Weld County DA. MOO

 

[Knox]

I only caught the last 15 minutes of the 48 Hours show, but I did hear that there was no DNA evidence on Jonelle (I don’t remember the exact wording) that belonged to Steve Pankey. I’m not surprised there wasn’t after all these years, but it sure would have been nice if there would have been DNA evidence linking Steve to Jonelle.

Steve’s attorney is...strange. Lots of blinking, looking to the side, and trouble finding the right words.

I was just coming here to say the same thing! When he was being interviewed, I kept thinking - Dude, you're strange too!!

@Seattle1 without some direct evidence- I wouldn't be able to convict him based on being obsessed with Jonelle and three bubbles out of level.

 

[BethAnn777]

They won’t ever get any DNA evidence. Pankey made sure he got rid of everything, including Jonelle’s body for over 34 years.

I understand, but can anyone ever guarantee they got rid of all potential DNA evidence? No, I don’t think so. One can take every measure possible and still leave DNA evidence behind. Time and luck probably worked in his favor.

 

[BethAnn777]

They won’t ever get any DNA evidence. Pankey made sure he got rid of everything, including Jonelle’s body for over 34 years.

I understand, but can anyone ever guarantee they got rid of all potential DNA evidence? No, I don’t think so. One can take every measure possible and still leave DNA evidence behind. Time and luck probably worked in his favor.

 

[Quiet Time]

I watched 48 hrs too. But, I'm a little confused. Did they say he was a janitor at the school she attended, or at her church? He was telling people he was the pastor tho....that must have been at church.

And, that's how he knew of her. Did I hear that right?

 

[Wilma_W]

He said that he was a youth pastor, but Jonelle's father Jim Matthews said that Pankey was actually a janitor at the church. So one instance where he lied. It seems in keeping with the theory that Pankey just inserts himself into things or exaggerates his role. It doesn't necessarily mean he is guilty. And what seems to be their best piece of evidence - that Pankey knew that the killer had raked over his footprints in the snow - may not be proof either if Pankey's lawyer can show that the idea was suggested by the police to Pankey during interviews. Hopefully the interviews were all recorded.

He reminds me of Dr. Peter Hackett (from the Shannan Gilbert / Long Island Serial Killer case). Strange; inserts himself into situations even when it is a bad idea; shifts his story; etc. I wish we could have a profiler say whether someone with those characteristics is likely to be an actual killer or is more likely to just insert himself into the case for no good reason.

 

[Knox]

He said that he was a youth pastor, but Jonelle's father Jim Matthews said that Pankey was actually a janitor at the church. So one instance where he lied. It seems in keeping with the theory that Pankey just inserts himself into things or exaggerates his role. It doesn't necessarily mean he is guilty. And what seems to be their best piece of evidence - that Pankey knew that the killer had raked over his footprints in the snow - may not be proof either if Pankey's lawyer can show that the idea was suggested by the police to Pankey during interviews. Hopefully the interviews were all recorded.

He reminds me of Dr. Peter Hackett (from the Shannan Gilbert / Long Island Serial Killer case). Strange; inserts himself into situations even when it is a bad idea; shifts his story; etc. I wish we could have a profiler say whether someone with those characteristics is likely to be an actual killer or is more likely to just insert himself into the case for no good reason.

Agree. I'd like to hear from an impartial profiler & forensic psychiatrist on that too.

 

[SwiftTiff]

Okay I just heard of this case and while I watched that entire long video of him (is that Nate E doing that interview? The voice sounds familiar) .
I’d also suggest some odd things I noticed in this thread there are a few accounts that are a bit weird. They posted some odd things and when asked where they got the information they never really made sense. I don’t think it’s one person it seems like it’s at the very least two people and both are pointing their finger clearly at a different person. Ones saying it’s SP and the other account is suggesting her sister, her dad, her friends dad that gave her the ride home . Which is interesting bc in that incredibly long video where he just talked his head off he said a lot . He seemed to think that by explaining he was gay and he even said he’d hurt a man before ever hurting a woman, he implied lots of things. He said that weird suggestion about offering a deal to get the truth and when the reporter called him on that he gave that weird info again which he’d mentioned in prior interviews about his son being murdered. When the reporter asks him very clearly why he involved himself or other things that pointed to him being guilty and if he’d like to be cleared of it THE REPORTER HAD TO ASK HIM bc he never mentioned he wanted to be cleared and move forward with his life . There’s a lot of odd things. I don’t know if he is really gay but he mentions it a super lot in a way that to him seems to mean gay men don’t hurt people or idk honestly what he’s trying to do bc he doesn’t make a lot of sense. He has a lot of strange behaviors in his past well before she went missing. He does seem to think he’s smarter than everyone. He holds grudges. He seems kinda off his rocker. I’m not saying he didn’t do it bc it seems like he did but there’s a lot to look at . How did they find her body after 35 years? What lead them out there? On the surface it seems like Steve was angry at the church and at her friends dad that gave her a ride home . It seems like she was picked honestly bc he thought they’d accuse that girls dad and no one would think otherwise . It seems thought out to some degree bc he would’ve had to followed that family . I think it’s like he did follow him and idk if the entire answer of what was going on with R and if it was about the girls abortion, rape and the church (where is this time like bc he was married with a wife one child and another on the way right?)and being fired or if SP is suggesting that he and that guy had an affair (it’s very difficult to understand him bc he talks a whole lot but it’s rambling and doesn’t make any sense to anyone but SP) and that’s why he was mad and seemingly tried to frame him for the kidnapping and murder. But the odds are pretty high that J would’ve recognized SP from the church right? I think he was planning to do something to “get even” with R and he was following him and he saw him drop her off and it was pretty obvious I’m sure she was home alone and the last adult person with her was R (whom he seems to imply was a danger to children setting this up in both interviews ) I think she knew who he was right away and he killed her right away. I think he for sure planned on killing someone maybe even R but I can’t be sure bc why was he said to be looking at the children unless he was trying to find Rs children . He had do something bc he already had set up he was going out of town so he thought he wouldn’t be a suspect. I think he only got caught seemingly bc he kept trying to implicate R of the crime. He had some strange vendetta . In almost all of the strange crimes he’s accused of it’s him being angry and vengeful . It’s so weird bc I think he may have even tried something sexually with J not bc he was sexually motivated but to make it that much worse for trying to frame R. Someone mentioned he reminded them of Robert Durst and others didn’t get that bc Robert was introverted but I definitely for sure had that same thought. It’s very weird. Again go back and start reading this thread from the start and you will see what I’m saying about the weird posts.

 

[SwiftTiff]

Drew Peterson also did crazy things where he gave interviews and did insane things thinking he’d get away with it even though he clearly murdered them but he thought he was the smartest most charming person ever and people would believe him . This reminds me of him. But I also think it wouldn’t take the worlds greatest attorney to give reasonable doubt . I very much believe in reasonable doubt Bc if it’s there at all ......well you can’t put people in prison if it’s there and there are plenty of innocent people in prison and people that go to prison all the time even with major reasonable doubt bc the trials are held in venues where there really isn’t any possible way they aren’t being found guilty . So idk ‍ he has a lot of people he was angry with in that area alone. The church, the company he sued, the police .....he mostly in this situation seems based around whatever happened for him to be fired from the church in a crime he says he didn’t commit and was found innocent of but ruined his life and that’s actually where for me it makes the most sense he puts all the pieces together for you . He explains weirdly that he was having a sexual relationship with that piano choir girl and she went to England (?) had an abortion came back they had sex again and he threatened to tell someone she had an abortion without his permission (but he’s gay) and at that point he says he found himself accused of rape and he couldn’t keep his job at the church or in town bc being wrongly accused of a sexual crime ruined his life so that’s what exactly what he tried to do was have someone he was mad at accused of the kidnapping and murder bc they were a trusted adult like he was at the church and they were the last adult to been seen with her so in his mind it made sense ? Idk honestly I don’t know bc at this point he’s certainly crazy but I’d have to see evidence I haven’t seen or heard like how’d they end up finding her body? What lead them there after all this time ? I think it would also seem as if he just can’t shut up can he and he’s moved around so if he had actually kidnapped and murdered her without the motivation for doing it to punish someone or frame someone else then he’d have committed similar crimes and talked himself into trouble in other cases as well but idk

 

[Quiet Time]

Swift Tiff, you've given us a lot to think about.

I don't remember him saying he was gay, and I don't remember how they were led to her body.
He sure had a lot to say tho, that's for sure...

 

[Niner]

Swift Tiff, you've given us a lot to think about.

I don't remember him saying he was gay, and I don't remember how they were led to her body.
He sure had a lot to say tho, that's for sure...

found - per my notes:
went missing on Dec 20, 1984 after entering her home at 8pm, Greeley, found July 23, 2019 by construction workers at an oil & gas site in rural part of Weld County near County Road 49 & County Road 34½

 

[Quiet Time]

found - per my notes:
went missing on Dec 20, 1984 after entering her home at 8pm, Greeley, found July 23, 2019 by construction workers at an oil & gas site in rural part of Weld County near County Road 49 & County Road 34½

That's right Niner, thanks for refreshing my memory..

 

[SwiftTiff]

The video with East Idaho news that’s just over 50 minutes he keeps mentioning “his homosexual past” repeatedly more than ten times plus every single other interview he ever has went out of his way to give he mentions it

 

[Mysteries1974]

The video with East Idaho news that’s just over 50 minutes he keeps mentioning “his homosexual past” repeatedly more than ten times plus every single other interview he ever has went out of his way to give he mentions it

I found that very odd that he was continuously mentioning that fact. I feel like he was using his supposed homosexuality as a way of making it seem like he wouldn’t have hurt Jonelle since she was a girl, not a guy. That’s been my feeling ever since Pankey gave those interviews following his official status as a suspect in this case.

 

[Niner]

Friday, May 28th:
*Motions Hearing (@ 9am MT) – CO – Jonelle Renee Matthews (12) (went missing on Dec 20, 1984 after entering her home at 8pm, Greeley, found July 23, 2019 by construction workers at an oil & gas site in rural part of Weld County near County Road 49 & County Road 34½) – *Steven Dana Pankey (33 @ time of crime/69) indicted (10/9/20), arrested & charged (10/12/20 in Meridian, ID.) with 1st degree murder after deliberation, 1st degree felony murder, 2nd degree kidnapping, with sentence enhancers for using a weapon in a violent crime & 2 counts of crime of violence. Plead not guilty. $5M cash-only bond.
Trial set to begin on 7/12/21 with jury selection & trial starts 7/15/21 (thru 7/30/21).
Info on warrant & court info from 8/18/20 thru 12/4/20 reference post #761:
CO - Jonelle Matthews, 12, Greeley, 20 Dec 1984 *arrest 2020*
12/4/20 Update: A status conference hearing is set for 12/30/20 @ 2pm that will include a review of the bond amount. 12/30/20 Update: No change in bond. Next arraignment hearing on 2/3/21. 2/3/21 Update: Plead not guilty. Defense attorney Anthony Viorst intends to file for a change of venue within 21 days. Deadline for motions to be filed by 4/30/21. A motions hearing is scheduled on 5/28/21 @ 9am & pretrial readiness conference on 6/30/21. Trial to begin on 7/12/21 with jury selection with trial starting on 7/15/21 thru 7/30/21.

 

[Niner]

Date Len Appearance Name Hearing Type Case # Location Division
6/30/21
1:30 PM 15M IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Pre-Trial Readiness Conference D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/12/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/13/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/14/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/15/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/16/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/19/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/20/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/21/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/22/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/23/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/26/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/27/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/28/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/29/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

7/30/21
8:30 AM 1D IN PERSON PANKEY, STEVEN Jury Trial D622020CR1866 Weld County Division 11

link: Seventh Judicial District » Docket Search