Where is Steve Pankey now? Jonelle Matthews's killer evaded justice for decades
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
GREELEY, COLORADO: It took close to four decades for the justice to be delivered in Jonelle Matthews's murder case. The kidnapping and murder case of 12-year-old girl in Colorado wasn't solved until her mortal remains were found 35 years later, a few miles away from her home where she was last seen.
On October 31, 2022, Steve Pankey, a Greeley resident was found guilty for the kidnapping of Matthews on December 20, 1984 and her subsequent murder. He was sentenced life in prison with a possibility of parole in 2040, as per Greeley Tribune. He is serving his sentence at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Colorado.
The gripping murder case of Jonelle Matthews
On the evening of December 22, 1984, 12 year old Jonelle Matthews returned to an empty home after performing at a Christmas concert at IntraWest Bank of Denver. Her father was at her sister's basketball game while mother was out of town to look after an ill family member.
Matthews was dropped home by her friend's father and that was the last time anybody saw her, as per Craig Press. When the girl's father, Jim Matthews returned home, he found the garage door open. When he couldn't find Matthews anywhere near the house, he called the cops.
The cops found footprints in the snow which suggested that someone was looking through the windows of their house. However, there was no sign of struggle and Matthews's disappearance remained a mystery until 2019 when her mortal remains were found by construction workers about 15 miles from her home. The cause of Matthews's death was found to be a gunshot wound to the head, as per NBC News.
Why did Steve Pankey kill Jonelle Matthews?
Steve Pankey, a local resident of Greeley, had been a person of interest since 2018, owing to his extreme obsession with the case and inconsistent statements, says the report by NBC News. Though the exact motive of the crime was never established, the prosecution argued that Pankey's involvement in Matthews's murder stemmed from a combination of personal issues, including a troubled past and strained relationships.
Greeley Police Detective Mike Prill told that Pankey held a vendetta against the local church for excommunicating him. It was the same church where Matthews attended her choir practice.
“I think he kidnapped and murdered Jonelle because she was Latino going to this church that, when he attended it, they wouldn’t accept. He did it in a way to frame the church in general," Prill was quoted by Fox31.
How to stream 'The Girl on the Milk Carton'?
'The Girl on the Milk Carton' is a true crime docuseries that delves into the chilling case that took close to four decades to get solved. The two part series consists of exclusive interviews of the victim's family and the cops who investigated the case over the years.
The first part debuts on Oxygen on Sunday, August 25 at 7 pm ET/PT. It is followed by the release of second part on the same day at 8 pm ET/PT.
'The Girl on the Milk Carton' trailer
