Drake first became a suspect when the case was dropped on Olsons desk in 1989. As per reports, the 14-year-old was kidnapped and reportedly killed somewhere in Greeley, Colorado. As the trial proceeded, Viorst questioned Hicks about the amount of cars the family had over the years, as well as how many guns Pankey had in his possession. His sister believed he shouldnt be partaking in the interviews, and his involvement in this case physically bothers her, she said. And he said, no, not to his knowledge. Due to his business buying used cars and parts to sell to customers, Pankey would be in possession of several different cars. Hicks had no recollection of Pankey being away the night Jonelle went missing or that night being different from other nights since her husband would come home anytime between 4-11 p.m. on most days, Hicks told Viorst. Before interviewing Drake on the record, Olson spoke with Drake, and he revealed he had knowledge about raked-over shoe prints in the backyard of the Matthews home the night Jonelle went missing. 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Anthony Viorst: There was a sexual encounter. I mean, why would he say that if he didn't know where Jonelle Matthews was buried? Their son, Carl, was murdered in Phoenix in 2008. She reported seeing Drake sit in his vehicle for a while, as if he was staring at something. Anthony Viorst: That's the kind of thing that's happened to Mr. Pankey over the years. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: I contacted the FBI. All right? He was suspicious of people and felt like everyone was always out to get him to the point where his dad made him go on walks to stop being so paranoid. The interviewer in the 1989 video of Drake also addressed past comments reportedly made by him, these included that he knew Jonelle and noticed she was maturing. I am giving you bits and pieces of evidence that hasnt been released, Olson said in the full 1989 interview with Drake, according to Wells. Gloria was working at a restaurant. Viorst began his examination by asking if Pankey had the right to defend himself during this trial, receiving a yes response from Hicks. After Pankey left home, she said she was close with him, but they didnt remain in contact. During Olsons time as an investigator at the DAs office, he testified he received three letters from Pankey, but told Wells he made no reports on this. Cross-examination from Wells highlighted there were no matching shoe prints between the Drake residence and the Matthews residence to the prints found in the back of home. Moroever, the case remained hanging for more than 35 years until the remains of the young girl were discovered in 2019. Steve Pankey trial Day 5: Pankeys ex-wife calls defense attorney a Once back in Greeley, she says Pankey drove right past their house, straight to the grocery store, where he made her buy the local papers and search for news about Jonelle. The detective said there was very little record of the investigation. Kelly Werthmann interviewed Pankey for CBSDenver over FaceTime. Steve Pankey trial Day 11: Two of Pankeys family members On July 23, 2019, the remains of Jonelle Matthews were discovered by an excavation crew digging a pipeline in a rural area southeast of Greeley, Colorado. In 1989, they settled in Idaho, but Pankey admits he could not stop thinking about Jonelle. Barr did attest to his behavior being unusual when he decided to run for office on multiple occasions, because of his lack of experience. On October 12, 2020 Steven Pankey was arrested for the nearly 35-year-old kidnapping and murder of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews. I remember being afraid. But the District Attorney's Office felt they had enough evidence to go to trial. She further testified Viorst left her a voicemail saying she had to cooperate with him. When Viorst asked her if she felt he was threatening or rude in the more recent times the two have talked, Yost responded: Recently, youve been nicer.. Pankey made an unusual witness in his own defense. She made a correction to these statements during Wednesdays trial that he actually watched his adult neighbor, Susan. Then they had another one with the local police. Another family member took the stand to answer similar questions from Viorst, adding in some information about Pankey as a child. But there was no rest for the Matthews. During her testimony, she said she only saw pornography on his computer one time, and only saw women. Jonelle Matthews' mother, father, and sister were the first to testify at the trial for her suspected killer, Steve Pankey. Despite decades of ongoing police work and public interest, Jonelle's case remained cold. "48 Hours" interviewed Pankey's attorney Anthony Viorst as he was preparing for trial. He agreed they were listening to the radio on their way back to Greeley. A crew digging a pipeline in a remote stretch of land just southeast of Greeley had discovered human remains with a gunshot wound to the head. Anthony Viorst: Mr. Pankey loves the limelight. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Mark told Viorst he had no recollection of a red-orange car, which multiple people testified seeing Pankey drive, including Hicks. Pankey was on the stand for two days giving testimony that was often rambling and hard to follow, and sometimes head-scratching. Who is he? But just five days before Christmas, Greeley learned it could not hide from evil. Ryan N. Smith is a development producer. Ryan Horsley: I think that was his last-ditch effort, honestly. The red-orange car was allegedly seen by Jonelle and her friend on the bus heading back from the choir concert on Dec. 20, 1984. On those other counts, the actual murder charges, the jury deadlocked and could not come to a unanimous verdict. The friend, Rochelle Davy, formerly known as Rochelle Baxley, said the car startled and agitated Jonelle. It's the kind of town realtors like to call "a great place to raise kids.". Pankey was even unaware of the gender and names of her children, according to a statement he made in January 2021, Miller said. A SWAT team arrived, rifles in hand, to search his cars and his condo, and the team seized his electronic devices and financial documents, Pankey said. Anthony Viorst: That is arguably the one piece of evidence that arguably ties Mr. Pankey to the crime. In September 2001, Hicks filed for divorce from Pankey. The attorney also told her she had to say what she reported to Olson in their 1989 interview while testifying on Wednesday, to create reasonable doubt in this case. The media interviews Pankey did in 2019 was another aspect Barr named when addressing his behavior. Doreen Schechter is the producer-editor. He said he won all the trials. Ken Blum and Jud Johnston are the editors. I agree with you that it's weird It just makes zero sense. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: I knew more than I wanted to know, OK. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: I told the FBI I want to talk to you. DA ROBERT MILLER: Describe what happens on December 21 at your house. This is going to be a godly home.". He mentioned Jonelle in a speech about missing children. Barr testified she was told by an expert that the gun was un-fireable.. When police arrived, Lowery was still upstairs on the phone with 911. Who is Steve Pankey But by then, defense attorney Anthony Viorst had silenced his chatty new client. However, no DNA evidence was extracted from it, making the evidence against Pankey circumstantial. And yet he picks up the phone. He testified that in the past he had lied about his knowledge of the case. WebHes currently being indicted for the murder of a 12 year old girl in Greeley, CO. On the night Jonelle vanished, Drake was unaccounted for for several hours. In 2019, Hicks and Pankey also had several phone calls throughout August in which her ex-husband requested her not to speak with police if they reached out about the Matthews case, Hicks said during her time on the stand. First published on March 27, 2021 / 11:03 PM. Great news for one of the cases featured on our podcast: Steve Pankey has been arrested for the 1984 murder of 12-year old Jonelle Matthews!https://t.co/sch2tDfjmy. Pankeys youngest son, Carl, a 20-year-old college student, was shot and killed by his girlfriend in 2008 in Phoenix. Mayor John Gates: I could see that goin' either way. She just loves the whole festivities of Christmas. When Pankey was near the urn, Sakulenzki recalled he said something, but she didnt remember the exact words he used. They planned to leave at 5 a.m. the next day for the drive to Big Bear Lake to visit his parents. DAY 18 | LIVE UPDATES: Witness describes pink, foamy substance found on Tammy Daybells mouth as 911 calls are played in court, High school assistant softball coach charged after allegedly sexually abusing student athlete, Teen accused of fatal rock throwing took picture of victims car as a memento, affidavits say, Two people in custody after morning traffic stop in Idaho Falls ends with car in canal, NWS issues flood warning for river, street department offers sandbags. Here we have explained his remarkable political journey after serving his country and community as a responsible officer. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: Don't spit in my face. Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, and the trial for her murder began. Has anyone considered Steve Pankey as Steve Pankey was once a candidate for governor of Idaho. Richard Schlesinger: What do you think happened to your sister? Throughout Yosts testimony, Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells made several objections to Viorsts remarks about Drakes interest in young girls. Jim Matthews: For the longest time I knew exactly what they were doing, and I respected it. I just wanted to not be married to him anymore, she said. Barr claimed she believed that was in regards to her grandchildren. BOISE, Idaho Former Idaho gubernatorial candidate Steve Pankey is again claiming he's innocent. And she could not go on with hers. As a follow up, investigators interviewed people including Drake, his mother, his sister, his first wife, possibly his first wifes father, Connie Daviet, who was his roommates sister, Dave Daviet, who was Drakes roommate, and Yost. A recorded video was conducted during the Nov. 19, 1989 interview of Drake, and fragments of the video were played Wednesday morning. But when did he go missing? She said she has been around Pankey only a handful of times, the last time being the memorial service for Carl. That's when Jonelle went to sing in a school choir concert. The strategy of the defense Wednesday in the trial of Steve Pankey, the 70-year-old man accused of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in 1984, focused on introducing evidence regarding an alternate suspect in the case. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. But boy, just the floodgates opened up for both of us. And six weeks after Jonelle's remains were discovered, authorities were at Pankey's front door with a search warrant. As a result, Steve Pankey was arrested and taken under custody. Pankey says it was lies that led to him being charged with murder, but not his lies; his ex-wife Angela Hicks' lies fueled by her need for revenge. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: It would be in the back of my mind about this case so I called the guy who lived next door I just asked, "did they ever resolve that Jonelle Matthews thing?" Ryan Horsley: Out of the blue he began, um, purchasing firearms and later found out that Greeley Police Department had been contacting him regarding this murder investigation. At least they did until that night December 20. Pankey told the Statesman on Thursday that he was shocked when police searched his home. Viorst questioned how Drake knew about Jonelles disappearance that morning, with it being unlikely he contacted his mother after leaving her house that night or before coming upstairs the following morning. She turned herself in to police last Wednesday. GREELEY, CO OCTOBER 13: Murder suspect Steven Pankey, right, listens to testimony on the first day of his trial at Weld County District Court on October 13, 2020 in Additionally, she contacted friends with the Englewood police about the case a few weeks after her disappearance. The six-page report is the only writing from the 1989 investigation Olson has seen within the last decade, he confirmed during cross-examination. And then I'd say other things and he'd say, "well, that's bull nobody's going to buy that.". 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. At the time, Pankey was a youth minister at Sunny View Church of the Nazarene in Greeley. Richard Schlesinger: And you drove off thinking what? KELLY WERTHMANN: Did you kill Jonelle Matthews? Produced by Judy Rybak. That was just one day after Jonelle disappeared. Ryan Horsley: He ran under the Constitutional Party. PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN [March 7, 1985]: I learned about Jonelle Matthews of Greeley, Colorado. He had compulsions, including touching walls multiple times before he left the room and coming back to re-touch the walls, as well as pacing. Steven Dana Pankey took Jonelle Matthews from her family home, 320 43rd Avenue Court, without her consent and against her will on December 20, 1984 between Jordan Kinsey, Elizabeth Caholo and Lauren A. The Statesman could not immediately verify that. Kelly Werthmann and others covering the trial had never heard the name Norris Drake before, butunlike PankeyDrake had been questioned by police about Jonelle's disappearance. Former candidate for ID governor investigated in 1984 Colorado Mark said he spent time with his dad at least once per week before his arrest in 2020. They describe mostly minor and non-violent allegations, like creating a nuisance and harassment. Hicks also told Viorst she had phone troubles due to changes in 5G coverage in her area, and texts might not have gone through. During the tense moment in the courtroom, Hicks said Viorsts commentary in the ViacomCBS 48 Hours program that aired in March sounded shady and rubbed her the wrong way. Steven Pankey Indictment in Jonelle Matthews Murder Update And she later said it was nonconsensual. Mayor John Gates: The most strong evidence to me is the way Mr. Pankey conducted himself from the time this happened up until his indictment. Deanna Ross: As a community, it rocked Greeley. Mayor John Gates: The jury likely was conflicted on was Mr. Pankey, in fact, someone that kidnapped and murdered Jonelle Matthews? Richard Schlesinger: Were you a close family? STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: He told me that a cop had contacted him and said that he had a body he wanted to be buried. About two years after 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews vanished from her home in Greeley, Colorado, her family made the painful decision to pack up and leave town. He testified about a call he got back in 2019, about a bizarre claim Pankey made in a letter to the media. For 23 years, Hicks was married to 71-year-old Steve Pankey, who was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in 1984. The police and court records of what happened with the charges are no longer available. Richard Schlesinger: Where was he the night Jonelle Matthews disappeared? Law enforcement records show that Pankey had other unrelated run-ins with Greeley police. He told that if his Republicans gain control of the 56-year-old Lord David Frost shocked the British people after his sudden departure from his position as the Brexit minister. STEVEN PANKEY: He told me that a cop had contacted him and said that he had a body he wanted to be buried. He maintains the sex was consensual. After hearing testimony from multiple witnesses, Steven Pankey took the stand. Richard Schlesinger: Oh, to cover them up. Miller confronted Barr about her statements of loving her brother and believing he didnt commit murder through questioning their closeness. It was Steven Pankey who started talking to just about anyone who would listen, including CBS affiliate KMVT. Pankey's defense offered a different theory. Steve Packey is currently awaiting trial for her murder. JIM MATTHEWS | Jonelle's father [on the witness stand]: She could have been lured out of the house and gullible because she was 12 years old. The day before the In 1999, Hicks was collecting evidence, newspapers and legal files, and made a cassette statement on her accounts. All right? Hicks said she found torn-up paper about Jonelle in the trash can. The 71-year-old was a person of interest in the case over the course of three decades. Jim Matthews: Yeah, right out of my garage. Of course, the prosecution also has Pankey's own words. Anthony Viorst: So, here's what I'll say It's our position that it was divulged by law enforcement. He just does, for whatever reason. Viorst asked if Pankeys behavior changed. About 9:30 p.m., Jonelles father returned home from his other daughters basketball game to find Jonelle missing. WebPankey and Hicks lose their son In 2002, Hicks and Pankey finalized their divorce, and on July 4, 2008, their son Carl was murdered. Pankey, 71, is on trial for the second time for her kidnapping and murder. Last year, his first trial ended with a hung jury on the kidnapping and murder charges, but he was convicted for false reporting after he admitted to lying to law enforcement about the case during his testimony. Richard Schlesinger: See, that's weird. Richard Schlesinger: Did it occur to you that maybe she had run away? STEVEN PANKEY: It was a polite way of flipping them the bird. Hicks confirmed nothing was ever found on their property after law enforcement searched where Pankey was digging in their yard. Jonelles case dates back to Dec. 20, 1984, when the young girl attended a school choir concert, received a ride home from her friends father and returned to an unoccupied home. As investigators struggled to find answers, they focused initially on Jonelle's father Jim Matthews. Kelly Werthman: But it raised some significant and, I think, important questions. Everything to know about his ex-wife and son. Richard Schlesinger: Well, at some point, your your name came outta that bucket of bizarre. STEVEN PANKEY: So, the truth is that I made a lot of stuff up out of bitterness. Jennifer Mogensen: I don't know specifics. He claimed that he had contact with somebody who had information about Jonelle's disappearance. | On January 8, 2022 09:21 PM. Gloria Matthews: Everywhere we went I was always looking for her I always had hope that I would find her. Steve Pankey is charged and on trial for her death. Ryan Horsley: Yeah. WELD COUNTY, Colo. Steve Pankey was found guilty by a jury of felony murder and second-degree kidnapping on Monday in the 1984 death of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews. Pankeys father believed a womans place was in the home, women had to obey her husband and other more traditional ideas of marriage. This timeline indicated the family was watching The Cosby Show from 7-9 p.m. Olson testified he checked the TV guide and confirmed the times match up with the statements. Steven Pankey, 69, was born in California to Dana Pankey Jr. and his wife, Ruth. On July 4, 2008, the couples youngest son, Carl, was murdered at age 20, and their family came together to celebrate his life with a memorial service. Mayor John Gates: I think that part might've fit into the no-brainer category. Anthony Viorst, Pankey's former attorney, says Pankey craves attention but is not a murderer. We're leaving before daylight tomorrow morning to go to Big Bear for Christmas.". Yeah, he worked for my father. Mayor John Gates: It's not to me, ah, Richard. Pankey said two Greeley detectives came to his condo around Aug. 15 and asked to interview him, but he told them that he would speak to them only if his attorney was present. By 2002, the divorce was finalized. Steve Pankey The Candidate for Governor Who Killed a Child: Whats Andersen said he remembers the car being reddish, but he could not swear to this statement either. Rochelle Davy, formerly known as Rochelle Baxley, was with Jonelle Matthews on the bus the night she disappeared. Hicks remembered seeing Pankey with a gun three times throughout their relationship: when he worked as a security guard at the job where the two first met, when he did target practice outside their home and when she pawned his gun in 1979. At first, he thought Jonelle was at a friend's house, but after calling around and waiting about a half hour to an hour, Jim says he called police. Richard Schlesinger: What made that campaign a dumpster fire? After hiding her panic from Pankey as her mind flooded with his past odd behavior after Jonelle went missing, she decided to go to the Sun Valley police station. Judge Timothy Kerns sustained the objections, denying most of Viorsts questions. A few days later, on Aug. 19, he said, law enforcement asked him for a DNA sample, and he gave it. Since Jonelles disappearance, Pankey said, investigators have asked multiple times to talk to him about her. But Jim Matthews, who joined that same church not long after Pankey left, says there's another commandment Pankey seems to be having trouble with: thou shalt not bear false witness. Alleged Chinese spy, Christine Lee's son worked for MP Barry Gardiner and they are not related biologically. During his trial in 2019, his ex-wife, Angela Hicks explained his odd behavior in her testimony as well. WebWhat happened to Steve Pankey son? DA ROBERT MILLER: How long were you driving as you flipped stations looking for news stories about Jonelle Matthews? After the two-and-a-half hour interview, Drake indicated he would return back to discuss the case more, but he never did. After being charged, he left the position. Upon reviewing the full case, Olson testified to finding a supplement containing an account from Francis Drake, Norris Drakes mother. He even agreed to a lie detector test, with an FBI agent. Greeley was much smaller then and Pankey was known around town. BOISE (Idaho Statesman) A former candidate for Idaho governor says he is under investigation in the killing of a 12-year-old girl in Colorado 35 years ago. Darla Jentzsch: I'm so fortunate that we were neighbors. He had abducted her on Dec 20th, 1984 from her home after she came home from a Christmas concert. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Greeley's Mayor John Gates was 27 years old at the time, and a police officer. Though Jonelle was reported missing in 1984, it wasnt until July 23 of this year that her body was found, according to Greeley police. STEVEN PANKEY: In the little jail cubicle before coming up here, I was praying and I was thinking, God, maybe I shouldn't testify Because I'd be just telling more lies. There were two campaigns for governor, one for municipal council, one for lieutenant governor and three runs for county sheriff. By February 3, 2021, Pankey pleaded not guilty to those crimes. Like that story he once told law enforcement about his father-in-law. That's what he says he thought at first, but a month after Jonelle's disappearance, Pankey suddenly inserted himself directly into the middle of this case and volunteered some information about Jonelle's disappearance. In September 2019, just weeks after discovering the remains of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, the case that had been so cold for so long quickly heated up. In August 2019, nearly 35 years after Jonelle vanished, Gloria and Jim Matthews were finally able to lay her to rest. ANTHONY VIORST: Norris Drake murdered Jonelle Matthews. He also wrote that he feared he might "get the death penalty for revealing the location of" her body. Jim Matthews: Whoever did it, tried to rake their footprints. Steve Pankey trial: Ex-wife highlights defendant's fixation He does. CHIEF MARK JONES [to reporters]: To the Matthews family, I pray that this news brings you some closure and hope as we continue to pursue justice for Jonelle and your family. Like his father, Pankey also believed in these viewpoints, according to Hicks. Idaho Falls news, Rexburg news, Pocatello news, East Idaho news, Idaho news, education news, crime news, good news, business news, entertainment news, Feel Good Friday and more. Jim Matthews was eventually cleared. Pankey also had an obsession with what Viorst referred to as murder mysteries. He loved the TV show Unsolved Mysteries and well-known unsolved murder cases, according to Hicks. Hicks on Monday said Pankey acted suspiciously in the days following Jonelles disappearance, including making their family leave town, fixating on the news coverage and digging a hole for hours outside their house. Mayor John Gates: I do. Kelly Werthmann: I think it's, it's her word against his. And that's why Gates became a prosecution witness. He has lived in the Aurora/Southeast Denver Metro area since 1965 and is an expert Getting ready for a yard project? Ryan Horsley: He's ran for lieutenant governor once. Richard Schlesinger: Do you believe that he was a threat to children in that church? The most Pankey families were found in USA in 1880. DA ROBERT MILLER: He's not someone that has a mental health disorder, he's a master manipulator. Mayor John Gates: My assignment that night was going around the neighborhood, knocking on doors asking them if they had seen or heard anything suspicious that evening. If that's the theory of the defense, did Pankey's time on the stand help him or hurt him? But police clearly think it's more than that and seem to be looking closely at Pankey's past possibly including a case from 1977, when a 26-year-old Pankey was charged with sexually assaulting a woman he met in church. In 2008, he ran for sheriff in Shoshone once again. His girlfriend severely killed him in 2008 in Phoenix. I never met Jonelle, I never met her family, I didnt know she existed or disappeared until Wednesday, Dec. 26 (1984), Pankey said. A group of Greeley residents worked hard to keep Jonelle's story alive. Carter served for the past three years as associate vice president of communications and institutional advancement at Triton College in River Grove, IL, where he oversaw development and implementation of the colleges mission, vision and three-year strategic plan. LOCAL NEWS REPORT: 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her Greeley home. Mark Pankey, the first child of Pankey and his ex-wife, Angela Hicks, was called to the stand by Viorst to discuss his fathers behavior and his accounts from his childhood. Chelsea Narvaez is the associate producer. When it comes to landscape Did you know Your Butcher, Frank has super tasty delicatessen salads? He's had periodic sort of spats with people because he is an irascible, prickly guy.
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