Found Deceased CO - Jonelle Matthews, 12, Greeley, 20 Dec 1984 *arrest 2020*

[crhedBngr]

In the last Greeley Tribune article I found the following paragraph (like most) really odd:

• In an Aug. 15, 2013, letter, he stated, “About a week after the fact I realized a blanket, or comforter, or quilt, also disappeared from the Matthews house. … Some experiences are hard to forget. But I must realize justice isn’t always served and move on.”

How could SP know this unless he took it.
Wouldn’t it be great if LE found it? With Jonelle or maybe when they dug in the yard.
Did he burn it with the car?
I haven’t heard anything in any articles mentioning a blanket etc missing. Hoping LE have some type of concrete evidence that isn’t circumstantial.

RBBM

I hope so, too. I'm hoping they located the gun, which may have been buried in SP's yard as well.

JMVHO.

 

[swedeheart]

premiering now:

 

[LadyL]

he reminds me of Robert Blake

doers anyone have any guesses as to motive?

there's not much in the way of evidence in the indictment JMO

 

[Linear13]

I’ve read through the detailed article listing what is known publicly so far from the Greeley Tribune. It looks like SP has been on the LE radar from the beginning. I’m going to posit something that I’m sure has already been said before and is probably an obvious position. This murder is probably not the only one. In fact it may not even be the first one.

In his ramblings, letters written over the years and his self-published book, he names John Gates and Russ Ross as his chief tormentors. Gates being a former police officer and now mayor of Greeley and Ross being his former boss at 7up and a member of the same church. It is obvious from the ramblings he hated Ross with a passion. He tried unsuccessfully to insinuate that Ross had something to do with the disappearance.

All of these people knew each other. Ross, SP and the Matthews family (not sure about Gates the article didn’t say) all attended the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene. JM’s father Jim Matthews taught at Dayspring Christian Academy which probably was associated with the church but I don’t know for sure. SP claims he was a youth minister there but the church disputes this. SP claims in his ramblings that Sunny View was really just a cult disguised as a church. The fact that his chief tormentors were also members was probably not lost on his paranoid mind.

It looks like the self-pub tome SP wrote “Graveyards: The Untold Story” was his fantasy about the main character (SP) taking down a White Nationalist cult disguised as a church. He didn’t even use many fake names he listed people by their real names so it’s not hard to figure out who’s who. So he seems to have loathed everyone who was an ‘authority figure’ at the church. He saw himself taking them down and saving the day.

The night of JM’s disappearance it was Russ Ross who brought her home. It wouldn’t have been hard for SP to figure out where the Matthews family would be on that day. The choir event was advertised in the paper and the school basketball schedule was probably published as well. But he probably didn’t even need that. He knew all the people involved. He hated Ross. It’s obvious he had either followed Ross before or just ‘coincidentally’ kept having run-ins everywhere Ross seemed to go because the quite extensive police record of SP’s show he had been in at least one violent run-in with Ross at a K-mart store. If the police were called to this incident then how many others occurred that the police weren’t called.

The day before JM disappeared, SP had a run-in at a bank where the police were called. They would not let him remove any money because he owed the money to the bank. So he was in financial straights.

Could he have been following Ross that day? I think he followed Ross quite a bit. Maybe he saw an opportunity to set Ross up for the disappearance of JM. He would have been the chief suspect. The last person seen with the victim. Maybe he wanted either Ross or Jim Matthews set up it seems he had it out for most people in the hierarchy of the church. But the fact that it was Ross that day, SP’s chief tormentor, who dropped JM off is just too big of a coincidence for me. SP knew who JM was. She probably knew who he was if they attended the same church. At first I thought maybe SP thought she was Ross’s daughter but no he knew where Ross lived and SP knew the Matthews family from church so JM was his target. Maybe he hated Jim Matthews as bad as Gates, Ross and Christy (the Sunny View Minister).

As pertains the partial scalp that was found...I hope they kept it and DNA test it. JM’s mother stated it wasn’t her because the hair was different. She also said she didn’t want to look but had to so she wasn’t wanting it to be JM (nor would I). We have to look at the facts that it had lain out in the weather for almost 6 months. -WARNING AUTOPSY DETAILS- JM was shot in the head. The trajectory via the autopsy report looks like he was standing above her. The bullet went in the left frontal bone 1.4 inches left of centerline. So right above the left eye. It came out the lower left occipital bone. At the back of the head near the bottom of the skull. It’s a clear downward angle. The scalp piece was probably torn off at high speed during the shooting. It wouldn’t look exactly like it had. Then factor in 6 months outside in various types of weather. I’d say it was hers. Hopefully the police still have it and are DNA testing it otherwise someone else is out there in those fields.

JM’s sister has stated in reference to SP’s involvement “Why Jonelle?” It’s the question on everyone’s mind. In MOO the fact that he despised all the people involved especially Ross can’t be discounted. This is probably why SP was the prime suspect from the beginning. He’d had run-ins with almost everyone involved at one point or another. I’m not sure if SP had any run-ins with Jim Matthews but it would be interesting to know Mr. Matthews info regarding this. Maybe SP thought about holding her for ransom since he needed money and it all went wrong when she recognized him. It’s all a big question mark till he spills the truth and who knows if what he says will even be the truth.

I also wanted to add SP has all the hallmarks of your high control psychopath. He tried the military. Didn’t make it a year. He supposedly got a 2 year criminal justice degree (it has yet to be authenticated by the school). He was a security guard at a detective agency and got in trouble there trying to exercise his authority by spraying mace in the faces of a 15 and 16 year old when they wouldn’t comply by showing him their hands. He’s been involved in unions. He’s endlessly tried politics. He has a police record a mile long.

This is all my opinions and speculations only.

 

[Swedish Sleuth]

I’ve read through the detailed article listing what is known publicly so far from the Greeley Tribune. It looks like SP has been on the LE radar from the beginning. I’m going to posit something that I’m sure has already been said before and is probably an obvious position. This murder is probably not the only one. In fact it may not even be the first one.

In his ramblings, letters written over the years and his self-published book, he names John Gates and Russ Ross as his chief tormentors. Gates being a former police officer and now mayor of Greeley and Ross being his former boss at 7up and a member of the same church. It is obvious from the ramblings he hated Ross with a passion. He tried unsuccessfully to insinuate that Ross had something to do with the disappearance.

All of these people knew each other. Ross, SP and the Matthews family (not sure about Gates the article didn’t say) all attended the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene. JM’s father Jim Matthews taught at Dayspring Christian Academy which probably was associated with the church but I don’t know for sure. SP claims he was a youth minister there but the church disputes this. SP claims in his ramblings that Sunny View was really just a cult disguised as a church. The fact that his chief tormentors were also members was probably not lost on his paranoid mind.

It looks like the self-pub tome SP wrote “Graveyards: The Untold Story” was his fantasy about the main character (SP) taking down a White Nationalist cult disguised as a church. He didn’t even use many fake names he listed people by their real names so it’s not hard to figure out who’s who. So he seems to have loathed everyone who was an ‘authority figure’ at the church. He saw himself taking them down and saving the day.

The night of JM’s disappearance it was Russ Ross who brought her home. It wouldn’t have been hard for SP to figure out where the Matthews family would be on that day. The choir event was advertised in the paper and the school basketball schedule was probably published as well. But he probably didn’t even need that. He knew all the people involved. He hated Ross. It’s obvious he had either followed Ross before or just ‘coincidentally’ kept having run-ins everywhere Ross seemed to go because the quite extensive police record of SP’s show he had been in at least one violent run-in with Ross at a K-mart store. If the police were called to this incident then how many others occurred that the police weren’t called.

The day before JM disappeared, SP had a run-in at a bank where the police were called. They would not let him remove any money because he owed the money to the bank. So he was in financial straights.

Could he have been following Ross that day? I think he followed Ross quite a bit. Maybe he saw an opportunity to set Ross up for the disappearance of JM. He would have been the chief suspect. The last person seen with the victim. Maybe he wanted either Ross or Jim Matthews set up it seems he had it out for most people in the hierarchy of the church. But the fact that it was Ross that day, SP’s chief tormentor, who dropped JM off is just too big of a coincidence for me. SP knew who JM was. She probably knew who he was if they attended the same church. At first I thought maybe SP thought she was Ross’s daughter but no he knew where Ross lived and SP knew the Matthews family from church so JM was his target. Maybe he hated Jim Matthews as bad as Gates, Ross and Christy (the Sunny View Minister).

As pertains the partial scalp that was found...I hope they kept it and DNA test it. JM’s mother stated it wasn’t her because the hair was different. She also said she didn’t want to look but had to so she wasn’t wanting it to be JM (nor would I). We have to look at the facts that it had lain out in the weather for almost 6 months. -WARNING AUTOPSY DETAILS- JM was shot in the head. The trajectory via the autopsy report looks like he was standing above her. The bullet went in the left frontal bone 1.4 inches left of centerline. So right above the left eye. It came out the lower left occipital bone. At the back of the head near the bottom of the skull. It’s a clear downward angle. The scalp piece was probably torn off at high speed during the shooting. It wouldn’t look exactly like it had. Then factor in 6 months outside in various types of weather. I’d say it was hers. Hopefully the police still have it and are DNA testing it otherwise someone else is out there in those fields.

JM’s sister has stated in reference to SP’s involvement “Why Jonelle?” It’s the question on everyone’s mind. In MOO the fact that he despised all the people involved especially Ross can’t be discounted. This is probably why SP was the prime suspect from the beginning. He’d had run-ins with almost everyone involved at one point or another. I’m not sure if SP had any run-ins with Jim Matthews but it would be interesting to know Mr. Matthews info regarding this. Maybe SP thought about holding her for ransom since he needed money and it all went wrong when she recognized him. It’s all a big question mark till he spills the truth and who knows if what he says will even be the truth.

I also wanted to add SP has all the hallmarks of your high control psychopath. He tried the military. Didn’t make it a year. He supposedly got a 2 year criminal justice degree (it has yet to be authenticated by the school). He was a security guard at a detective agency and got in trouble there trying to exercise his authority by spraying mace in the faces of a 15 and 16 year old when they wouldn’t comply by showing him their hands. He’s been involved in unions. He’s endlessly tried politics. He has a police record a mile long.

This is all my opinions and speculations only.

Wow- very well written!
Your speculation about the scalp is really interesting, it makes a lot of sense!
I too figured he shot her standing over her, how the bullet went in and came out.
There was so much going on with SP during this time it makes my head spin!
Hopefully, on the 23rd they’ll get him back to Colorado.

Thinking of you Jonelle. You have and will always be remembered.

 

[Cogdisso]

I have received a copy of Person of Interest Steve Pankey's 1993 self published book "Graveyards: The Untold Story".

How did you go about receiving a copy?

 

[Seattle1]

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article234982707.html

Sept 13, 2019

On the night Jonelle went missing, Pankey said, he was home with his then-wife. His 1980 Toyota Corolla was packed to visit family in California for the Christmas holiday. They planned to leave at 5 a.m. the next day for the drive to Big Bear Lake to visit his parents.

They returned to Colorado on Dec. 26, 1984, he said, and heard the news of a missing child on the radio.

“I never met Jonelle, I never met her family, I didn’t know she existed or disappeared until Wednesday, Dec. 26 (1984),” Pankey said.

[..]

But he said he met with an FBI agent at the Greeley police station shortly after he returned, because he heard from his father-in-law, who worked for a cemetery, that someone had asked about getting rid of a body. The comments made him suspicious given Jonelle’s disappearance, he said, so he reported them to the FBI rather than to local police.

Pankey said he left Greeley in 1987 and hasn’t been back to Colorado since.

And except for that meeting with the FBI, Pankey said he has never been formally interviewed by police about Jonelle’s disappearance, although they have tried. 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. The detectives then left.

A few days later, on Aug. 19, he said, law enforcement asked him for a DNA sample, and he gave it.

Pankey said he also has volunteered to take a polygraph test.

[..]

WHY PANKEY SAYS HE’S TALKING
Pankey told the Statesman he was sure that after police had his DNA, they would stop investigating him. He was surprised when they didn’t.

So, Pankey said, he decided to speak publicly now, because of his concerns about law enforcement’s ideas about him, and because he is a public figure in light of his runs for office.

He gave the Statesman a copy of the search warrant, signed on Sept. 3 by Idaho Magistrate Judge Calvin Campbell.

“I’m trying to be transparent,” he said. “... I have nothing to hide.”
______________________

Copy of search warrant dated 9/3/2019 available at the MSM link above

 

[PommyMommy]

How did you go about receiving a copy?

Welcome to Websleuths, Cogdisso. Nice to have you.

 

[Cogdisso]

Welcome to Websleuths, Cogdisso. Nice to have you.

Thank you!

 

[crhedBngr]

He knew that because he did the raking. In one of his numerous interviews, (posted here way back on the thread) he mentioned that the police shined their headlights on his house the night they were searching for Jonelle. He said he got up and looked out the window to see how much snow there was or something to that effect. I remember thinking, and posting here, that nope, he wasn’t checking on the depth of the snow. He was checking to see if enough snow had fallen to cover his tracks.

My suspicion is, now that we know more, is he abducted her, tied her up and left her in that extra car, just long enough to go attempt to smooth out his footprints in the snow. He then likely assaulted her in that car, shot her, loaded her up in the family car, then disposed of her where she was found. The next morning he surprised his family with a trip, packed the car himself, left town for a few days, thus hoping to create an alibi.

RBBM

This makes sense.

ETA: This Friday's review hearing (10/23) at 8:30 a.m. MST should be interesting.

JMVHO.

 

[neesaki]

In the last Greeley Tribune article I found the following paragraph (like most) really odd:

• In an Aug. 15, 2013, letter, he stated, “About a week after the fact I realized a blanket, or comforter, or quilt, also disappeared from the Matthews house. … Some experiences are hard to forget. But I must realize justice isn’t always served and move on.”

How could SP know this unless he took it.
Wouldn’t it be great if LE found it? With Jonelle or maybe when they dug in the yard.
Did he burn it with the car?
I haven’t heard anything in any articles mentioning a blanket etc missing. Hoping LE have some type of concrete evidence that isn’t circumstantial.

That does sound strange. Does SP have a screw loose or something?

 

[crhedBngr]

That does sound strange. Does SP have a screw loose or something?

(ahem)

I would say several!

JMVHO.

 

[crhedBngr]

There has been some doubt in my mind that maybe SP wasn’t responsible. However, burning cars, digging in yard, possibly lying about alibi or knowing of Jonelle earlier than stated, mentioning rake, footprints, blankets, inserting himself in this since it started, watching children at Franklin, his relation to Ross, owned a gun....... it’s pretty compelling.
I did not know that about Costa Rica, interesting.
I have looked at SP ex wife’s fb page, she still has a pic of her and SP obviously taken years ago, doesn’t strike me as vindictive.
If she was vindictive I think she could have said a lot more.
I am praying there is more evidence that we have been told or if SP did this he will confess. Also him mentioning “without a deal this will never be solved” gives some hope. He does seem to me to have mental issues.
I too cannot figure out how someone could dig a grave in the middle of winter. I have wondered if it dug ahead or was she buried later.
I truly appreciate your post. It would be an injustice to see the wrong person convicted of Jonelle’s death.

RBBM

According to the below-linked article, Greeleys average December temps. can vary between 42 F/5 C and 16 F/-9 C.

Weather Greeley in December 2020: Temperature & Climate - Climate-Data.org

I'm not sure how cold Greeley was in Dec. 1984, but I would think SP was able to dig holes then.

JMVHO.

 

[Cat01]

RBBM

According to the below-linked article, Greeleys average December temps. can vary between 42 F/5 C and 16 F/-9 C.

Weather Greeley in December 2020: Temperature & Climate - Climate-Data.org

I'm not sure how cold Greeley was in Dec. 1984, but I would think SP was able to di

RBBM

According to the below-linked article, Greeleys average December temps. can vary between 42 F/5 C and 16 F/-9 C.

Weather Greeley in December 2020: Temperature & Climate - Climate-Data.org

I'm not sure how cold Greeley was in Dec. 1984, but I would think SP was able to dig holes then.

JMVHO.

It was 9 degrees out according to the Greeley Tribune. However I looked it up online and the temperature that night at UNC in Greeley was 10 degrees. There was one inch of snow on the ground. The average temperature for the day was 28 degrees. When the daytime temperature dips below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), the ground will become frozen solid. At that point, it is very hard to dig into the soil

 

[Cat01]

RBBM

According to the Greeley Tribune the temperature that night was 9 degrees. I looked up the weather on that date and the average temperature on December 20, 1984 was 28 degrees during the day and 10 degrees that night with one inch of snow on the ground. When the daytime temperature dips below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit), the ground will become frozen solid. At that point, it is very hard to dig into the soil. Therefore, I would have to respectfully disagree with your comment.

 

[scapa]

That is interesting info. Sounds like Pankey had at least 3 hostile & escalating incidents with Ross, the dad that drove JM home after her Christmas concert the night she was murdered. Maybe Pankey hoped Ross would be arrested & imprisoned for the crime as an act of revenge. I don’t think Pankey changed after ‘85 though. He seems to have issues with anyone who disregards his perceived authority or power.

He does indeed.

Reminds me of Steven Powell, father of Josh P, mixture of overt religiosity and inner perversion, intent on asserting control over family and wider social circle, belligerent and taunting behaviour, works to punish those who question his authority and has a penchant for projecting onto others, accusing them of the things he himself has done.

Glad they've finally arrested him. Seems like it has been a long time coming.

 

[Niner]

Friday, October 23rd:
*Extradition Review Hearing (@ 8:30am MT) – ID/CO – Jonelle Renee Matthews (12) (went missing on Dec 20, 1984 after entering her home at 8pm, Greeley, found July 24, 2019 by construction workers at an oil & gas site in rural part of Weld County near County Road 49 & County Road 34½) – *Steven Dana Pankey (32 @ time of crime/69) indicted (10/9/20) & arrested (10/12/20 in Meridian, ID.) with 1st degree murder after deliberation, 1st degree felony murder, 2nd degree kidnapping, with sentence enhancers for using a weapon in a violent crime & 2 counts of crime of violence.
Twin Falls (ID) Police Dept. verified Thursday (9/12/19) that it had executed the warrant on Wednesday, Sept. 4, serving him a warrant that said investigators had probable cause to believe he kidnapped and killed Jonelle in 1984. A SWAT team arrived, rifles in hand, to search his cars and his condo, and the team seized his electronic devices & financial documents. The Greeley Police Dept. issued a brief statement Friday (9/13/19) in which it called Pankey “a person of interest" in the murder investigation. As of Thursday, no criminal charges had been filed.
8/18/20 Update: The 19th Judicial District Grand Jury has accepted the investigation & will conduct it with the assistance of the Weld County District Attorney’s Office & the Greeley Police Dept. in the coming months.
10/14/20 Update: Online court records show Pankey is facing three charges for offenses committed from Dec. 20-21, 1984: first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping, with sentence enhancers for using a weapon in a violent crime. He was indicted by the Weld County Grand Jury on Oct. 9, according to court records. Jonelle died from a gunshot to the forehead & was found wearing the same clothes she went missing in. His extradition to Weld County, Colorado is expected in the near future & being held in Ada County jail.
10/17/20 Update: Extradition Review hearing in Idaho on 10/23/20 @ 8:30am with Deputy Public Defender Erin Johnelle.

 

[Rockfarmer]

@watcher9 thanks for pulling this together and bringing it forward. I was wondering too.

I didn't remember about the scalp being found so did a search. All I could find was the hair on the scalp find wasn't hers. Did LE retest it? If it wasn't hers, I wonder if the new DNA testing could identify it? Maybe there is another victim out there?

'The following May a farmer found a partial scalp on his farm in southwest Weld County. It was a piece of skin and hair. Gloria Matthews knew it wasn’t Jonelle’s remains because the hair was the wrong color.
“I wasn’t really prepared emotionally to look at the scalp, but it was a job that had to be done,” she told a former Denver Post reporter. “I felt a great sense of relief when I realized it wasn’t Jonelle.”

35 Years After Jonelle Matthews Went Missing, Workmen Made A Grisly Discovery At A Pipeline Site

Colorado Cold Cases: Jonelle Matthews vanished after singing Christmas carols at a nursing home

 

[Rockfarmer]

The car that he burned...when did that happen? I think it was within a couple of weeks, so during the winter, still. Was it the same car that went on the trip to California? Was it a different car that...could have been used for cold storage while a hole was dug elsewhere? What ties did he have to the property where she was found? Did he have access to equipment that could be used to dig?
IMO MOO

 

[Swedish Sleuth]

The car that he burned...when did that happen? I think it was within a couple of weeks, so during the winter, still. Was it the same car that went on the trip to California? Was it a different car that...could have been used for cold storage while a hole was dug elsewhere? What ties did he have to the property where she was found? Did he have access to equipment that could be used to dig?
IMO MOO

I doubt the car he burned was same car he went to California in. He was selling some cars so my guess it was one of those.
Cold storage is a very interesting, something I hadn’t thought about. I don’t think I’ve seen time frame it was on fire after coming back from California. I suppose it could have caught fire by itself but that would be a huge coincidence. It does seem like a good way to get rid of evidence.