He also wrote that he feared he might "get the death penalty for revealing the location of Ms. Matthews body. However, it was more than a year later, on October 13, 2020, that the police announced Pankey had been indicted on charges related to first-degree murder and kidnapping in Jonelles death. Pankeys lawyers said his behavior may have seemed unusual but they argued police did not secure hard evidence against him and failed to clear an alternate suspect who died in 2007. Twin Falls man investigated in killing - Pankey ran for governor in 2014. Incriminating statements, lack of physical evidence again at forefront She was trying to do the right thing back in the 90s when she went to the police then, Miller said. Hicks claimed to have heard Pankey muttering in response, accusing the minister of being a false prophet. Along with arguing Pankeys true crime nature, Harris asserted Pankeys interest in Jonelles case, naturally, stemmed from its link to Sunny View Church, particularly Ross and Pastor Jim Christys names being used in the media at the time. Steve Pankey allegedly killed a 14-year-old girl from Greeley, Colorado in 1984. He also kept searching for information about Jonelle on the internet and has been reported to make statements that made others believe that he knew Jonelle was dead. Oct. 31After almost 38 years, the mystery of what happened to Jonelle Matthews on Dec. 20, 1984 has been put to rest. Despite this, he will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars for kidnapping and murdering a defenseless young girl who never had the chance to grow up. At the time, Greeley police started investigating Pankey after he and Cash shared a phone call about the case that made Cash suspicious of the defendant. In the early morning hours the next day, the family left for their trip. He is next scheduled to appear in court June 3. In 1996, at the age of only 9 years old, Carl was alive when on July 5th, the first cloned mammal - "Dolly the Sheep" - was born in Scotland. Wikipedia: Who Is Steve Pankey? Jonelle Matthews Murder Suspect And Critics say theyll make bias worse. She didnt say, I know he did it. She said, Heres what happened to me back in 1984 that really bothers me.. [5], Jonelle Matthews was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on February 9, 1972, to 13-year-old Terri Vierra. She was also unaware of the functions of the car, including if it was driveable, according to her testimony. Pankey admitted to making it up in his 2021 testimony. . Miller questioned how Pankey knew of the finding, to which Hicks responded he had an online subscription to the Greeley Tribune, despite not residing there since 1987, and he followed it religiously., Pankey also conveyed to Hicks over the phone that if police contact her to tell them she doesnt remember anything because it would make his life easier.. Kevin Durant moped. AncientFaces is a 100% free and family-friendly community to share memories and connect with others to discover more about Uncovering Our Shared Memories: An Introduction to the Community Standards at AncientFaces In that instant, Hicks said all of a sudden the events of 1984 the car catching fire, the quick trip to California, the dumping of the dogs all came together in her mind. Harris argued during cross that Pankeys comment was strange, but it didnt lead to any kind of evidence. " had a call from a journalist in Idahothat told me that I'd been named as a person of interest in this case by Mr. Pankey. In 1987, in the year that Carl Wesley Pankey was born, on October 19th, stock exchanges around the world crashed. [21] He was held without bail at the Ada County Jail in Boise until he was extradited to Colorado. Pankey family member is 72. Who is Carl Pankey to you? The 22-day trial ended in a mistrial after the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision on the kidnapping and murder charges, though they did convict Pankey of one count of false reporting to authorities. Steven Dana . A judge then sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole. The number one reason was the person who killed Jonelle will finally pay for it. He requested Hicks grab copies of the Greeley Tribune and The Denver Post, she said. So, every day just seems like there is going to be something to hopefully look forward to or to do. What is Carl's ethnicity and where did his parents, grandparents & great-grandparents come from? Pankey and his former wife lived about three miles from the Matthews home and he had been a youth pastor at the church the Matthews family attended. Steve Pankey maintains innocence after being convicted of 1984 murder At that point, well have a better idea of where to go from here, Walsh said. He first faced court for the counts against him in 2021, yet it ended in a mistrial when the jury could only reach a unanimous decision on one count, that of false reporting. That was one of the most difficult parts of testifying for Hicks. In 2020, a jury went to mistrial because they couldn't agree on if Pankey was guilty. Hicks felt like Rourkes cross-examination of Pankey cleared her fathers name. Steve Pankey: Where is Jonelle Matthews' Killer Now?