Who killed Jonelle Matthews? Oxygen revisits 'The Girl on the Milk Carton' case that took 35 years to solve
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised
GREELEY, COLORADO: Oxygen revisits Jonelle Matthews's tragic story in its upcoming two-part series titled 'The Girl on the Milk Carton'. The first part delves into her life and her mysterious disappearance on December 20, 1984. It puts together exclusive interviews with the victim’s family and local police who spent over 35 years trying to solve the case.
The second part brings viewers face-to-face with the shocking revelation that finally broke the case open. 35 years after Matthews's disappearance, her mortal remains were found, which eventually helped the cops capture her killer, Steve Pankey.
What happened to Jonelle Matthews?
On the evening of December 20, 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews disappeared without a trace. After performing at a Christmas concert at IntraWest Bank of Denver, she was dropped home by her friend DeeAnna Ross and DeeAnna's father around 8 pm, as per Craig Press.
Her father was at her sister's basketball game while her mother was out of state to look after an ill relative. At around 8:30, she received a call from her father and this was the last time anyone was known to have spoken to her. When her father arrived at the house at around 9:30 pm, he found the garage door open and Jonelle Matthews was nowhere to be seen. In a state of panic, he called the cops and found footprints in the snow, which suggested that someone was peeping through the windows.
Matthews's shoes and shawl were near a heater in the room and her father, Jim Matthews realized that she wouldn't be able to go too far in the snow without the shoes. However, there was no sign of struggle, which further complicated the investigation.
Her disappearance continued to haunt her family and community for decades. The case garnered national attention as Matthews became one of the first "milk carton kids", an initiative to find the missing children. Matthews's photo and date of disappearance were printed on milk cartons. In 1994, ten years after her disappearance, Matthews was legally declared dead.
How was Jonelle Matthews's case solved?
The victim's family and the cops never stopped looking for answers. Even after 34 years, Greeley Police was re-contacting witnesses and applying the latest forensic advances in their investigation to solve the case, as per a report by Greeley Tribune. Yet, there was no luck.
However, things took a major turn in 2019 when Matthews's remains were discovered by construction workers about 15 miles from her home. The cause of death was found to be a gunshot wound to the head. This discovery after 35 years of her disappearance reopened the wounds of her family but also brought new hope for justice.
The investigation led the cops to Steve Pankey, a former Greeley resident who ran for governor in Idaho in 2014 and 2018. Over the decades he often forced his way into the investigation, making inconsistent and incriminating statements. He constantly tried to manipulate the narrative, misleading the cops, and even mentioned that he was being framed by the police because of his sexuality as a “celibate homosexual," as per The New York Times.
The evidence pointed squarely at him. As per The New York Times, Pankey who was carrying a gun, took Matthews from her home and eventually killed her.
What happened to Jonelle Matthews's killer?
In October 2020, Pankey was arrested on charges of first-degree murder and kidnapping in Matthews's death. A year later, his case went to trial. However, due to a hung jury, it ended up in a mistrial. In the second trial, the jury found Pankey guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison with the possibility of parole, as per Coloradoan. He is currently serving his sentence at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Colorado.
In Oxygen's true crime series, fans can expect a look into the pain and agony of the victim's family while also shedding light on the failure in the system that allowed a killer to walk free for so long.
How to stream 'The Girl on the Milk Carton'?
The official synopsis for 'The Girl on the Milk Carton' reads, "Five days before Christmas in 1984, Jonelle Matthews went missing from her own living room in the small town of Greeley, Colorado. In an attempt to find Jonelle, her face appeared on milk cartons. Nearly 34 years after her disappearance, her remains were finally found about 20 miles away from her home."
Marcus Plowright serves as director and showrunner of 'The Girl on the Milk Carton'. The first part of the show titled 'A Devastating Disappearance' will air coming Sunday, August 25 at 7 pm ET/PT. The second part, 'A Monster Revealed' will be released on the same day at 8 pm ET, on Oxygen.
'The Girl on the Milk Carton' trailer