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

[Mysteries1974]

Martha Jean Lambert - Missing since 1985
I’m so glad Jonelle has finally received justice!!

 

[Herlock5]

Here is a link to the indictment, which I saved to my Google Drive.

SP_Indictment_JM_Case.pdf

Uh this is not really probable cause. Not even close.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

We have to wait and see how they put the case together.
There are different ways to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Interesting that the DA would state "there is "no definitive" DNA link between Pankey and the girl's remains."

A former Idaho gubernatorial candidate has been indicted for the killing of a girl who disappeared in 1984

Snips:
Steven Pankey was indicted in the kidnapping and killing of Jonelle Matthews, who went missing in December 1984, Weld County, Colorado, District Attorney Michael Rourke said Tuesday.

According to court documents, Pankey was was indicted by a grand jury on October 9 on charges including two counts of first degree murder, second degree kidnapping and crime of violence charges related to Jonelle's kidnapping and death.

He is being held without bond in Ada County Jail pending extradition to Colorado, Rourke said.

Rourke said there is "no definitive" DNA link between Pankey and the girl's remains.

 

[evilwise]

I guess that cold case investigator they brought in got some stuck wheels to start turning again but I have to agree with @Herlock5 that this indictment does not appear to offer up reasonable grounds for an arrest. It is very illuminating to us and to our curiosity about what any evidence against Pankey consists of though. I expect law enforcement's strategy is to make him afraid enough of the death penalty to make a confession. I think a good defense attorney might be able to get this dismissed pretty quickly but Pankey has in the past demonstrated both that he prefers to represent himself and that he is not, in fact, a good attorney.

 

[Richard]

Almost 36 years have passed since Jonelle's disappearance/murder. It is good to see that an arrest has been made. A big question lingers: How many others were there?

 

[swedeheart]

Former Idaho governor candidate charged in 1984 murder of 12-year-old Colorado girl | Daily Mail Online

wow. now i wonder how many others there were.

 

[dotr]

Jonelle Matthews murder: Idaho man Steve Pankey arrested in cold case
''At the time of her murder, Pankey lived roughly two miles from Matthews' home and in 1980, four years prior to Matthews' murder, he lived ten miles north of the site where her body was eventually found, according to the indictment.

Mogensen said her family did not know who Pankey was before he became a person of interest in Matthews' disappearance.''

Jonelle Matthews case: Suspect indicted for murder in 1984 Greeley cold case
''A family friend of the Matthews, Russ Baxley, 76, attended the news conference Tuesday because he’s been connected to the case since the beginning. His daughter was the same age as Jonelle, and sang in the same choir, he said. And he’s had a long history with Pankey, whom he described as arrogant and self-centered.

Baxley attended the same church as the Matthews family and Pankey. Years before Jonelle went missing, Baxley said, the church board — of which he was a member — decided to kick Pankey out of the church.''

 

[evilwise]

Almost 36 years have passed since Jonelle's disappearance/murder. It is good to see that an arrest has been made. A big question lingers: How many others were there?

Former Idaho governor candidate charged in 1984 murder of 12-year-old Colorado girl | Daily Mail Online

wow. now i wonder how many others there were.

No way in the world is Pankey a serial killer.

 

[JudgeJoe]

Just saw reports of arrest! Fantastic- now scurrying back to catch up!

 

[JohnTate90210]

Way too many pages to read to see if these have been posted already:

His website while running for governor: Steve Pankey For Idaho Governor

His website while running for sheriff: My Site

His political website: https://www.stevepankey.net/

His page about public safety and unsolved murders: Public Safety

And an open letter he wrote about same-sex marriage: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.tow...-11e4-9413-0019bb2963f4/53ebe5e9bed39.pdf.pdf

 

[JudgeJoe]

Rourke said Pankey had “intimate knowledge of the crime” that wasn’t known to the public — specifically that a rake was used to wipe out footprints in the snow.

The affidavit alleges that Pankey took Jonelle from her home on Dec. 20, 1984, and shot her during the kidnapping. It also said he had been watching Jonelle and other children walk home from Franklin Middle School, and that he exhibited strange behavior over the years, including muttering “false prophet” in 1985 during a church service when the pastor announced that Jonelle Matthews would be found safe.

The indictment states that Pankey’s ex-wife, Angela Hicks, provided much of the information on his background, which may have led to the charges, including “dumping” the family dogs before they went on their Christmas trip in December 1984. The dogs “were never seen again,” she said.

Weld County grand jury indicts man in 1984 Greeley cold-case murder of 12-year-old girl

Jonelle’s sister, from your link:
“The premeditation of Jonelle’s murder put a little shock to my stomach. He had the weapons,” Mogensen told The Sun. “I would like to know, how did it come to be Jonelle? What happened that night? I want to put to rest some of the thoughts that go through my head.”

After she left the courthouse, Mogensen visited the cemetery where her little sister is buried to let her know.

“This is a big step to getting justice for you,” she said.

 

[PayrollNerd]

I bet if they could find the dogs' remains, the ballistics would match.

When they returned from the trip and he started digging in the yard, wouldn't the ground have been frozen? What was he trying to bury? Jonelle's personal items, the weapon or bullet casings, the dogs? Hmmm.

Odd too that a car would spontaneously catch fire in the dead of winter. Is that where the crime took place? What kind of car was it?

"The indictment states that Pankey’s ex-wife, Angela Hicks, provided much of the information on his background, which may have led to the charges, including “dumping” the family dogs before they went on their Christmas trip in December 1984. The dogs “were never seen again,” she said."

 

[JudgeJoe]

I bet if they could find the dogs' remains, the ballistics would match.

When they returned from the trip and he started digging in the yard, wouldn't the ground have been frozen? What was he trying to bury? Jonelle's personal items, the weapon or bullet casings, the dogs? Hmmm.

Odd too that a car would spontaneously catch fire in the dead of winter. Is that where the crime took place? What kind of car was it?

"The indictment states that Pankey’s ex-wife, Angela Hicks, provided much of the information on his background, which may have led to the charges, including “dumping” the family dogs before they went on their Christmas trip in December 1984. The dogs “were never seen again,” she said."

Excellent idea with the dogs/ ballistics. One thing he could have buried was the blanket he said was taken from the house- I can’t recall if he reportedly said that to LE or a reporter. Link one page back...

 

[JudgeJoe]

Way too many pages to read to see if these have been posted already:

His website while running for governor: Steve Pankey For Idaho Governor

His website while running for sheriff: My Site

His political website: https://www.stevepankey.net/

His page about public safety and unsolved murders: Public Safety

And an open letter he wrote about same-sex marriage: https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.tow...-11e4-9413-0019bb2963f4/53ebe5e9bed39.pdf.pdf

Boy, he must have divorced his first wife & married his 2nd shortly after executing 12 year old JM. His stevepankey.net site says he’s been married to his wife for 35 years. Either he’s embellishing things, or his life changed rapidly after Jonelle’s murder 36 years ago.

ETA: this site makes the hairs on my head stand up. Scroll down & read his take about wrongful convictions on “no-dna” cold cases. Creep factor uber high. Imo, he’s known for certain LE has no DNA to connect to him.
Public Safety

 

[JudgeJoe]

Uh this is not really probable cause. Not even close.

It does seem like quite a few of the 26 statements regarding the 5 indictment counts are coinciding events- not incriminating. Like... where he lived, where he went to church, that he owned a gun, that he had been seen watching kids in the neighborhood, that he knew 2 police officers lived on JM’s street, etc. Then there’s the ex-wife’s testimony in statements 19-22, which at first glace, could be deemed retaliatory. But looking closer, most could be confirmed through other witnesses, receipts, material evidence, etc. I think the most damning parts are from his own bizarre statements over the years to reporters & LE- including that a rake was used to destroy the snowy tracks at JM’s home. I’m guessing that LE has much more that will come out at trial. They’ve been patient for 36 years, so why not wait a few more- unless confident with what they have? Jmo, moo, etc.

Reposting @crhedBngr’s indictment link:
SP_Indictment_JM_Case.pdf

 

[oviedo]

It does seem like quite a few of the 26 statements regarding the 5 indictment counts are coinciding events- not incriminating. Like... where he lived, where he went to church, that he owned a gun, that he had been seen watching kids in the neighborhood, that he knew 2 police officers lived on JM’s street, etc. Then there’s the ex-wife’s testimony in statements 19-22, which at first glace, could be deemed retaliatory. But looking closer, most could be confirmed through other witnesses, receipts, material evidence, etc. I think the most damning parts are from his own bizarre statements over the years to reporters & LE- including that a rake was used to destroy the snowy tracks at JM’s home. I’m guessing that LE has much more that will come out at trial. They’ve been patient for 36 years, so why not wait a few more- unless confident with what they have? Jmo, moo, etc.

Reposting @crhedBngr’s indictment link:
SP_Indictment_JM_Case.pdf

I have always wondered if they found any evidence with her remains that he left behind. I need to read the indictment.

 

[evilwise]

I have always wondered if they found any evidence with her remains that he left behind. I need to read the indictment.

I've been pretty inclined to think that they recovered fibers which was why they searched his house again after the remains were uncovered but I'd think they would have arrested him sooner if they'd found a match and it's not in the indictment

It does seem like quite a few of the 26 statements regarding the 5 indictment counts are coinciding events- not incriminating. Like... where he lived, where he went to church, that he owned a gun, that he had been seen watching kids in the neighborhood, that he knew 2 police officers lived on JM’s street, etc. Then there’s the ex-wife’s testimony in statements 19-22, which at first glace, could be deemed retaliatory. But looking closer, most could be confirmed through other witnesses, receipts, material evidence, etc. I think the most damning parts are from his own bizarre statements over the years to reporters & LE- including that a rake was used to destroy the snowy tracks at JM’s home. I’m guessing that LE has much more that will come out at trial. They’ve been patient for 36 years, so why not wait a few more- unless confident with what they have? Jmo, moo, etc.

Reposting @crhedBngr’s indictment link:
SP_Indictment_JM_Case.pdf

30+ years is an awfully long time to go back and look for corroborating evidence and the church parishioners could be argued as unreliable. Probably less so the people at his son's funeral though.

It'll take a long, long time for this to come to trial - which I don't think it's expected to since Pankey has indicated he has additional information to offer. It'll take more pressure than this for him to crack. I wonder if he has the bail money.

 

[JudgeJoe]

I've been pretty inclined to think that they recovered fibers which was why they searched his house again after the remains were uncovered but I'd think they would have arrested him sooner if they'd found a match and it's not in the indictment


30+ years is an awfully long time to go back and look for corroborating evidence and the church parishioners could be argued as unreliable. Probably less so the people at his son's funeral though.

It'll take a long, long time for this to come to trial - which I don't think it's expected to since Pankey has indicated he has additional information to offer. It'll take more pressure than this for him to crack. I wonder if he has the bail money.

Not sure if anyone other than his ex heard the comment at his son’s funeral. Indictment only mentions that detail from her testimony alone. The church members have credibility though, imo. Indictment says several people had to remove him from the church for his outburst regarding JM. I can’t imagine anyone from that church not remembering that scene given the high-profile nature of the case back then. If Pankey has “more to offer”, I can’t imagine it’s worth much more than a sentence reduction- which at his age, won’t mean anything. Jonelle’s family has their daughter back and has given her a proper burial. Unless they want details of how it all went down, there’s nothing else he can provide, imo. UT is a DP state. Given Pankey’s statements on all his various websites, he may prefer DP for all the appeals, attention, and interactions with the court system.
Imo, he’ll die in prison either way- if convicted.
Utah | Death Penalty Information Center

 

[MaryG12]

Pretty scary how he ran for governor twice, then for sheriff.

Precisely what was he doing with a 12 year-old girl? Pervert.

He belongs in jail.

RIP Jonelle