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

[Seratonin]

I don’t think calling a friend first is strange at all. I would imagine you are thinking the worst but trying to talk yourself out of it. A friend, someone who knows you well, someone you trust, you would hope would be able to calm your fears and reassure you that everything is okay. Or, on the flip side, the friend would tell you to call the police. Faced with a scary and new experience it would be hard to know what to do.

And the polygraph, not admissible in court for a good reason. The results don’t prove or disprove a thing.

I don’t think the timeline works for Jim to have done it anyways. He would have had to leave the garage door open when he left (which would make it premeditated), walk around the house and peek in the windows of his own home in order to leave footprints in the snow (again, premeditation), come home from Jennifer’s game, take Jonelle from the home and kill her (police have never stated she was killed in the home, not that they have to release that info., of course), drive 20ish mikes away in the cold with snow on the ground, dig a hole (or have it pre-dug if you believe he planned it), bury her, cover her up, drive home, clean up as I would imagine would be needed after committing such a horrendous crime, and have all of this done by the time Jennifer returned home an hour or so after Jim did.

I just can’t see it at all.

My son is a very good kid, it was like clock work for him coming home after school and my 3:45-3:50 he was home. I would look out the window n see him walking up the block. His school was a total of 4-5 blocks away.

one day he hadnt returned home the time he usually does. By 4pm i was calling the schools, getting numbers to his school friends home and addresses. I ran outside to those addresses knocking on door frantic looking for him. My initial thoughts werent to call police and i have no clue why. I was driving fast everywhere looking for him myself.

just when i started to lose hope it was around 5pm i went home to gather my thought n possible call the police, i was becoming more frantic and shaking so bad i couldnt even think anymore. Thankfully whwn arriving home i seen him walking up the block - omg the tears of fear and joy it was so overwhelming!

me being a mother and always so glued to these missing murder cases and so on. Imagine.

so sometimes ur initial thought isnt to call the police and i have no clue why. I felt like i was superman looking for him right away. I feel like callin the cops would’ve possibly slowed me down with questions and them not necessarily jumping n running to look around the way a parent would.

 

[evilwise]

I think it's actually quite telling about our society today that it's expected to call the police immediately if your child is unaccounted for. If you study law enforcement statistics as a counterbalance to these statistical anomalies we discuss here you can see that something like 97% of these kind of calls to police are just kids neglecting to call in for some reason and the like. The other 3% is known immediately who took the kid (a noncustodial parent basically always) and strangers taking a kid is essentially 0%, just a fraction of a fraction.

 

[Fred Jones]

Here is something that many have missed. Person of Interest Steve Pankey was arrested the DAY BEFORE Jonelle Matthews went missing for "Crimes Against Person- Harassment" and "Trespassing- 3rd Degree". Obviously he was out the right away because he, his ex wife and his then 5 year old son then went to California.

In the podcast interview, Unfound, he states that this arrest was in 1985 and was against "Homosexual Friend who was the manager at a Credit Union"...he seems to imply that they were in a relationship and it was just a "lovers quarrel" to try to minimize the arrest.

Anyone with information about this case are asked to contact the Detective. Robert Cash at 970-350-9601 or the Tip line at 970-351-5100.

 

[oviedo]

View attachment 246095
Here is something that many have missed. Person of Interest Steve Pankey was arrested the DAY BEFORE Jonelle Matthews went missing for "Crimes Against Person- Harassment" and "Trespassing- 3rd Degree". Obviously he was out the right away because he, his ex wife and his then 5 year old son then went to California.

In the podcast interview, Unfound, he states that this arrest was in 1985 and was against "Homosexual Friend who was the manager at a Credit Union"...he seems to imply that they were in a relationship and it was just a "lovers quarrel" to try to minimize the arrest.

Anyone with information about this case are asked to contact the Detective. Robert Cash at 970-350-9601 or the Tip line at 970-351-5100.

Thanks for this info - still nothing about what caused them to take another look once her remains were found??

 

[Fred Jones]

Thanks for this info - still nothing about what caused them to take another look once her remains were found??

No but Pankey had convinced a local CBS affiliate that he was no longer a person of interest, as he attempts to run for Sheriff:

"Steve Pankey, who once was a person of interest in the 1984 cold case killing of a 12 year-old girl in Greeley, Colorado, came down to the KMVT station Thursday afternoon to further say why he thinks he is suitable for the Twin Falls County sheriff position."

He is indeed still a person of interest.

 

[Richard]

• • 

Jonelle Matthews (click photo to enlarge and see other images)
Born
Jonelle Renee Matthews
February 9, 1972
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Disappeared December 20, 1984 (aged 12)
Body discovered Along a rural route southeast of Greeley, Colorado
Education Franklin Middle School
Occupation Student
Organization Member of Sunny View Church of the Nazarene and Franklin Middle School Choir
Height 5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Parents
Jim Matthews (father)
Gloria Matthews (mother)
Relatives
Sister Jennifer

LINK:
Disappearance of Jonelle Matthews - Wikipedia

 

[Fred Jones]

I have received a copy of Person of Interest Steve Pankey's 1993 self published book "Graveyards: The Untold Story". Pankey seems to base the main character "David Darkson" after himself. He slightly changes the names of his actual family members. Other times the real life individuals do not even have their names changed such as Reverend James T. Christy, who was the Pastor at Sunny View Nazarene Church. Which Pankey has claimed that he was a youth pastor at the church, which they have disputed. He even admits in several interviews that he was forced to leave the church following an arrest of rape against a woman who attended the church in 1977.



The book is disturbing to say the least and appears to destroy the reputations of anyone that he seems to feel has wronged him. In the book, Darkson aka Pankey tells of how the Pastor and Church leaders try to recruit him and force him commit "Rape-Murders". He then implies that the death of an actual woman who was murdered, Mary Pierce, was the work of the Pastor Christy and the Sunny View Nazarene Church leaders. But in reality, Mary Pierce's murder was finally identified just a couple of years ago through DNA. There is no mention of Jonelle Matthews but Pankey is trying to get the reader to connect the dots and assume that the church had a nefarious plan to murder her, which he has attempted to present this theory several times in the past.



In the meantime he is still running for Twin Falls County Sheriff, his latest ad states "There's No Pankey with Pankey". Despite a heavy funding and advertising, he has only been able to garner 4 Likes on his Facebook Page.

 

[oviedo]

Steve Pankey, Person Of Interest In Jonelle Matthews Case, Hopes Girl's Killer Is Found
I was searching for an update on her case but not finding much -

 

[Fred Jones]

Person of Interest in the Jonelle Matthews Case, Steve Pankey, failed to win his latest bid for election as Twin Falls County Sheriff against incumbent Tom Carter.

Pankey has ran for various county and state offices in Idaho over the years but has yet to win an election. Pankey's great grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Pankey was the former Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico.

 

[crhedBngr]

Anything going on in Jonelle's case?

I suspect we would have heard if there were any developments.

JMVHO.

 

[oviedo]

Anything going on in Jonelle's case?

I suspect we would have heard if there were any developments.

JMVHO.

not that I am finding - I should set a google alert - I try to remember to check once a week or so.

 

[manybooks]

Thursday, June 18 2020

Judge orders disclosure of redacted Jonelle Matthews autopsy report – Greeley Tribune

 

[Fred Jones]

Thursday, June 18 2020

Judge orders disclosure of redacted Jonelle Matthews autopsy report – Greeley Tribune

It appears that they may be seeking to convene a Grand Jury:

"Rourke testified there have been many unexpected snags on the investigation, including the inability to convene the Weld County grand jury since the COVID-19 pandemic has put any kind of juries on pause through at least Aug. 3. Grand juries decide whether to bring criminal charges or indictments against potential defendants."

 

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[Legally Bland]

The redacted version of Jonelle Matthews’ autopsy report released by the Weld County Coroner’s Office on Thursday night offered few new details about the identification and examination of Matthews’ remains.

[...]

The front page of the autopsy report is largely redacted, offering only that Matthews was found in a clandestine grave after about 34 years. Other details about Matthews’ death are redacted, including the examiner’s opinion, which describes the cause and manner of death.

Redacted Jonelle Matthews autopsy report offers few details about identification, examination of remains – Greeley Tribune

 

[Niner]

It appears that they may be seeking to convene a Grand Jury:

"Rourke testified there have been many unexpected snags on the investigation, including the inability to convene the Weld County grand jury since the COVID-19 pandemic has put any kind of juries on pause through at least Aug. 3. Grand juries decide whether to bring criminal charges or indictments against potential defendants."

If they are taking it to the Grand Jury - does that mean Steven Pankey is the suspect? Or have I missed mention of another suspect? TIA!

 

[oviedo]

If they are taking it to the Grand Jury - does that mean Steven Pankey is the suspect? Or have I missed mention of another suspect? TIA!

The report doesn’t say - but they are saying there’s an investigation so if they are taking it to the grand jury it must mean charges and for that - they have to have a suspect - that’s my understanding. I think it’s interesting they redacted the autopsy - does this mean they are protecting evidence found and don’t want the potential suspect to know anything until arrest? jmo

 

[crhedBngr]

I went googling for this report. Is it actually available somewhere?

TIA.

ETA: I answered my own question. I copied the information from the 06/19/20 Greeley Tribune article, and pasted it to my Google Drive.

Here is the link:

التعرف على Google Drive – مكان واحد لكل ملفاتك

And, the link to the Greeley Tribune article: Redacted Jonelle Matthews autopsy report offers few details about identification, examination of remains – Greeley Tribune

I'm not sure if there is more information available at this time. If so, maybe someone can add another link.

Thanks.

 

[crhedBngr]

Bumping for Jonelle.



(Image courtesy of Top Thread Bump Emoji Stickers for Android & iOS | Gfycat)

 

[CastlesBurning]

Weld County Sheriff's Office hires on first cold-case detective, on a mission to bring justice