OCT 22, 2021
Steve Pankey trial Day 8: Detective relays how suspicions mounted; ‘crucial’ summary exhibit subjected to changes – Greeley Tribune
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Detective Mike Prill began his testimony on the eighth day of the trial. He’s expected to be prosecutors’ final witness before defense attorney Anthony Viorst begins calling his own list of witnesses next week.
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Prill said his work on the case included digitizing handwritten reports, updating media such as tapes and going back over evidence to ensure a sound chain of custody. In the original case file, there were 299 police reports Prill found, including the original report taken when Jonelle was first reported missing. Prill additionally reviewed Greeley police databases, finding nearly 700 supplements with more than 24,000 pages of documents.
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Fourteen months later, Prill was “gleeful” as he provided Cash with extensive follow up opportunities, noting witnesses to talk to and evidence on which to follow up. Prill then continued with other responsibilities at the department.
In the list, Prill said he made a note about “pastor Pankey,” referring to Pankey falsely identifying himself as a pastor in January 1985 when he asked police if they could tell him about the investigation. Prill said Pankey wasn’t a suspect, but someone to “find out his deal.”
Prill wouldn’t be involved in the case again until early 2019, when Cash was focusing his investigation on the family friend who dropped off Jonelle that night, Russell Ross. Prill said Ross had an alibi provided by both his kids, but Cash wanted to be thorough.
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A couple months later, Jonelle’s remains were found. Prill was at Jonelle’s autopsy, where he inspected a coat taken from the body bag. The coat was inside out, Prill said. The coat was also zipped up about an inch above the waistline. The cuffs of the coat were tucked into the armpits. Hand bones came out of the coat as he pulled out the cuffs.
Prill said the coat’s condition led him to believe it had been pulled over Jonelle’s head and pulled away from her, with the sleeves yanked backwards.
Jonelle’s lower leg bones and shoes were never found, Prill said, even after they searched through the dirt where the rest of her remains were found. On Dec. 20 of that year, they attempted digging in the area, to recreate the soil conditions. Prill said it was almost like digging in feathers.
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When Prill and Cash arrived at Pankey’s home in Twin Falls, Idaho, they recorded audio of the interaction, which was played in court Friday. In the recording, Prill and Cash use a friendly tone with Pankey, despite Pankey’s claims in interviews to media that Prill was being combative.
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The interaction and documents Prill reviewed on the drive to Idaho heightened his suspicions about Pankey’s involvement. He began reviewing articles and social media posts, including a comment Pankey made on a Greeley Tribune article relating to Jonelle’s disappearance in which Pankey wrote, “Without a deal, this case may never be resolved.”
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Among the items found in Pankey’s home were a checkbook ledger noting a subscription payment to The Denver Post in July 2019, and more than 1,700 paper documents. Prill said documents were kept in a blue storage bin in a combination study/laundry room.
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The playing of a roughly three-hour-long interview Pankey gave to the “Unfound” podcast host Ed Dentzel concluded Friday morning. Pankey said it was the lengthiest interview he’s had.
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Rourke asked Dentzel a few points that highlighted inconsistencies in what Pankey said during the interview, including:
- Pankey claimed he was a minister in 1985 and tried finding out what police knew.
- In 1984, Pankey’s father-in-law, who Pankey said approached him about a strange conversation he had with someone looking to hide a body, didn’t know where Pankey lived.
- Pankey’s ex-wife said the trip to California was not planned, but a rushed trip.
Gregory McHugh, a retired special agent with the FBI, testified about a November 1986 contact with Pankey for an unrelated matter. During the contact, Pankey told McHugh he was an ordained minister at Faith Ministries Fellowship Church, according to McHugh.
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Pankey told McHugh they were involved in “ritualistic sex acts,” mentioning group sex acts and desires to include a virgin in the sex group, according to McHugh.
Daren Ford, lab director at the Northern Colorado forensics lab, explained the digital forensics he performed on Pankey’s electronics collected in the search warrant. One folder titled “Greeley stuff” contained word processing documents.
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Sgt. Nathan Taylor of the Sun Valley Police Department testified to a 1997 interaction he had with Pankey while working at the Ketchum Police Department. Taylor went with Pankey to the police station to get a statement from a disturbance Pankey had been involved in. Pankey insisted Taylor write the statement, which Pankey signed off on.
In the statement, Pankey refers to Sun Valley police creating a file regarding Jonelle’s disappearance. Taylor said he hadn’t known about that or asked Pankey about it.
People’s Exhibit 209
Rourke and Viorst on Friday discussed a summary document Rourke intends to introduce as evidence, giving a timeline that goes all the way back to Pankey’s birth in 1951. The timeline includes news articles, media and witness interviews, police reports, documents from Jim Christy, pastor of the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene when Pankey attended the church, military records and documents from Pankey’s ex-wife.
Rourke said he believes the evidence is “absolutely crucial” for the jury’s understanding of the breadth and complexity of the case.
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Kerns also brought up the inclusion of digital evidence regarding Pankey’s internet history in late July 2019, after Jonelle’s remains were found. According to the document, Pankey was going back and forth between searches about Jonelle and *advertiser censored*.
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Kerns ultimately decided he couldn’t allow the *advertiser censored*-related searches in the summary document.
Viorst reserved the right to object to other parts of the 75-page document is he finds other parts of concern over the weekend.
Rourke expects Prill’s testimony to take up the full day Monday, with Viorst’s cross-examination likely taking a portion of Tuesday morning. The trial continues 8:30 a.m. Monday.
