Niner
Long time Websleuther
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- Aug 18, 2003
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Tuesday, February 8th:
*Motions Hearing (@ 1:30pm 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/now 70) 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. Bond reduction denied (11/8/21).
Trial began on 10/12/21 & ended on 11/2/21. Have 12 jurors & 3 alternates. 10/14/21: Judge excuses a juror for inattentive behavior. Now 12 jurors & 2 alternates. Jury selection from 10/7/21 to 10/8/21. 11/2/21: Jurors deliberated for ~5 hours. 11/3/21: Jurors deliberated for ~7 ½ hours. 11/4/21: Jurors deliberated for ~5 ½ hours. Total deliberations: 18 hours. Mistrial declared for counts 1 thru 3. Guilty on count 4, false reporting to authorities.
Info on warrant & court info from 8/18/20 thru 9/30/21 & Jury selection (Day 1-3) 10/6/21-10/8/21 & Trial (Day 1-15) 10/12/21-11/2/21 & Jury deliberations (Day 3/Trial Day 19) 11/4/21 reference post #132 here:
MISTRIAL - CO - Jonelle Matthews, 12, found deceased, Greeley, 20 Dec 1984 *arrest 2020* #2
11/8/21 Update: Prosecutors will pursue a new trial for Pankey. Judge Timothy Kerns denied Tony Viorst's request to modify Pankey's bond. He's being held in custody on a $5 million cash-only bond. Viorst also withdrew as Pankey's attorney Monday, saying he doesn't have time or energy to devote to trying the case again given his small law practice & his age. The court appointed public defenders to represent Pankey. Pankey's new public defenders said they are looking into whether Pankey's new trial should be moved out of Weld County, given heavy media coverage of the case. Judge Kerns set a status conference hearing for 1:15pm 11/17/21.
11/17/21 Update: Pankey on Wednesday withdrew his not guilty plea to kidnapping & murder charges in the case to prevent legal issues with his speedy trial rights. Public Defender John Walsh noted it’s “exceedingly likely” Pankey will reenter a plea of not guilty. Walsh asked Weld District Judge Timothy Kerns to set a status hearing in about six months to give the defense time to review the evidence in the case. The defense filed a couple of motions that were briefly discussed Wednesday, including one regarding the release of juror information & another objecting to expanded media coverage. Kerns set a Dec. 10 deadline for prosecutors to file a response to the defense’s 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. The public defender’s office would then have a week to reply, at which point Kerns would issue an order as quickly as possible. A motions hearing was set for 1:30 pm on 2/8/21 & arraignment hearing on 5/3/22.
*Motions Hearing (@ 1:30pm 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/now 70) 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. Bond reduction denied (11/8/21).
Trial began on 10/12/21 & ended on 11/2/21. Have 12 jurors & 3 alternates. 10/14/21: Judge excuses a juror for inattentive behavior. Now 12 jurors & 2 alternates. Jury selection from 10/7/21 to 10/8/21. 11/2/21: Jurors deliberated for ~5 hours. 11/3/21: Jurors deliberated for ~7 ½ hours. 11/4/21: Jurors deliberated for ~5 ½ hours. Total deliberations: 18 hours. Mistrial declared for counts 1 thru 3. Guilty on count 4, false reporting to authorities.
Info on warrant & court info from 8/18/20 thru 9/30/21 & Jury selection (Day 1-3) 10/6/21-10/8/21 & Trial (Day 1-15) 10/12/21-11/2/21 & Jury deliberations (Day 3/Trial Day 19) 11/4/21 reference post #132 here:
MISTRIAL - CO - Jonelle Matthews, 12, found deceased, Greeley, 20 Dec 1984 *arrest 2020* #2
11/8/21 Update: Prosecutors will pursue a new trial for Pankey. Judge Timothy Kerns denied Tony Viorst's request to modify Pankey's bond. He's being held in custody on a $5 million cash-only bond. Viorst also withdrew as Pankey's attorney Monday, saying he doesn't have time or energy to devote to trying the case again given his small law practice & his age. The court appointed public defenders to represent Pankey. Pankey's new public defenders said they are looking into whether Pankey's new trial should be moved out of Weld County, given heavy media coverage of the case. Judge Kerns set a status conference hearing for 1:15pm 11/17/21.
11/17/21 Update: Pankey on Wednesday withdrew his not guilty plea to kidnapping & murder charges in the case to prevent legal issues with his speedy trial rights. Public Defender John Walsh noted it’s “exceedingly likely” Pankey will reenter a plea of not guilty. Walsh asked Weld District Judge Timothy Kerns to set a status hearing in about six months to give the defense time to review the evidence in the case. The defense filed a couple of motions that were briefly discussed Wednesday, including one regarding the release of juror information & another objecting to expanded media coverage. Kerns set a Dec. 10 deadline for prosecutors to file a response to the defense’s 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. The public defender’s office would then have a week to reply, at which point Kerns would issue an order as quickly as possible. A motions hearing was set for 1:30 pm on 2/8/21 & arraignment hearing on 5/3/22.