After almost 38 years, the mystery of what happened to Jonelle Matthews on Dec. 20, 1984 has been solved.
A jury found Steve Pankey, 71, guilty Monday of false reporting, first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping He has a sentencing hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday.
The jury entered deliberations Friday after closing arguments before reaching a verdict Monday morning. Along with the guilty rulings, the jury also found Pankey not guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation.
12-year-old Matthews disappeared from her Greeley home. An investigation into her whereabouts ensued for 35 years until her remains were located by oil and gas workers in July 2019 in unincorporated Weld County.
Greeley police arrested Pankey in October 2020 after he was indicted by a grand jury. Last October, Pankey's trial ended with a hung jury on the murder and kidnapping charges. However, jurors then found him guilty of false reporting.
Prosecutors pursued a new trial for Pankey, introducing former testimony and arguing Pankey's motive and intent in his crimes derived from his hatred toward law enforcement and members of the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene — where Jonelle's family attended services.
After the 2021 trial, Pankey's defense attorney Anthony Viorst withdrew from the case due to not having enough time or energy to stand another trial. Attorneys Jessica Brazil and Peter Harris were brought on to his defense.
— This is a developing story. It will be updated as new information is available.
No comments:
Post a Comment