Viorst claims that he is Jonelle's killer. Despite Viorsts difficulty advancing in his examination, Yosts testimony revealed the following information about Drake: In 1989, Yost had an interview with Greeley Police Detective Keith Olson in which she made statements that Drake looked at young girls in binoculars. 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. Barr testified she was told by an expert that the gun was un-fireable.. Daviet recalls sleeping on the couch right by the front door when Drake arrived home past midnight to go to his room in the basement. Steve Pankey trial Day 5: Pankeys ex-wife calls defense attorney a Most of his reports were lost when files switched over to a computer filing program at the Greeley Police Department, including the search warrant and most of the interviews other than Drakes. And Pankey himself took the stand. Ryan Horsley:It just seemed strange. Another family member took the stand to answer similar questions from Viorst, adding in some information about Pankey as a child. In 1840 there were 8 Pankey families living in We were totally clueless about this guy. He was criminally charged, but the charge was later dismissed by prosecutors. Mayor Gates thinks there's plenty of evidence against Pankey. It was pure hatred on my part. Francis said her son left her house about 9:30 p.m. Dec. 20, 1984. Afterwards she got a ride home with Deanna Ross and Deanna's father. Hicks talked to officers about her husbands behavior and actions after Jonelle went missing, including the fact that he was aware of evidence from the crime scene that was not public knowledge. Pankeys youngest son, Carl, a 20-year-old college student, was shot and killed by his girlfriend in 2008 in Phoenix. But Jonelle's family and friends could only attract that kind of attention for so long. My dad waited until he saw her flick on the light. Kevin Schneider says he met the Pankey family when they first moved to Idaho. In 1989, they settled in Idaho, but Pankey admits he could not stop thinking about Jonelle. She reported seeing Drake sit in his vehicle for a while, as if he was staring at something. They had to wait a little more than two years until October 2021, for this moment: opening statements in the trial of Steven Pankey. And she could not go on with hers. 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. Like that story he once told law enforcement about his father-in-law. Brett Kavanaugh, associate justice of the US's Supreme Court, has been serving in th Former CIA officer Matt Castelli is running for Congress in the NY-21 district. Additionally, there was no mention of Drakes shoe size in Olsons writings, and he couldnt remember the shoe size from memory during his testimony. There were no fingerprints and if there was DNA, law enforcement was still several years from being able to analyze it. Showbiz Corner Produced by Judy Rybak. ANTHONY VIORST: Norris Drake had an interest in young girls who had recently reached puberty, exactly what Jonelle was, exactly. STEVEN PANKEY: one lie leads to another. He doesnt talk much about his mother, but generally gives the impression that he was raised in a very religious family. Drake and Yost lived together from 1985-1987. I was just kind of glued to the headlines this whole time on just his stories that they just didn't make sense. Steve Pankey trial: Matthews family denies knowing Pankey After prosecutors finished up their direct examination of Pankeys ex-wife Angela Hicks, defense attorney Anthony Viorst had his chance to speak with the witness on Tuesday. Ultimately, her disappearance became a cold case up until her remains were discovered in a Weld County oil and gas site on July 23, 2019. And I had a 5-year-old son. Colorado courts do not have an online records system, so the Statesman on Thursday requested via U.S. mail copies of Pankeys criminal charges in Weld County. Pankey said he had a bad relationship with Greeley authorities afterward. The trial for Steve Pankey, the 70-year-old man accused of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in December 1984, began Wednesday with opening statements addressing his obsession with her case, his Aspergers condition and his confessions to involvement and knowledge surrounding her disappearance. 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. Steve Pankey is charged and on trial for her death. At the time, Pankey was a youth minister at Sunny View Church of the Nazarene in Greeley. Steve Pankey doesn't have a Wikipedia bio, however, he has made several stints in US politics. We just had a big group of friends. Kelly Werthmann: I think it's, it's her word against his. It was agony for Jonelle's mother Gloria, who could no longer hope her daughter would come home. 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. 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. Anthony Viorst: That's the kind of thing that's happened to Mr. Pankey over the years. 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Richard Schlesinger: I know that you're a politician and not a priest, but did he seem in need of an exorcism? And I heard on the car radio that a girl was missing from Greeley, Colorado. Andersen explained the car was what people in his business referred to as a boyfriend/girlfriend burn, where it was clear the car was burned from the inside by accelerant. Gloria was working at a restaurant. Mr. Pankey loves the limelight all of the statements that he has made about his culpability have been, 'I didn't do it,'" Viorst told "48 hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger as he prepped for the trial. Kelly Werthman: But it raised some significant and, I think, important questions. Jonelle became one of the first missing children whose photo appeared on milk cartons across America. Richard Schlesinger: It's a hell of a way to get the limelight. His son was friends with Pankey's son, Mark. He had abducted her on Dec 20th, 1984 from her home after she came home from a Christmas concert. As per reports, the 14-year-old was kidnapped and reportedly killed somewhere in Greeley, Colorado. He agreed they were listening to the radio on their way back to Greeley. 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. "And you always knew Jonelle was around [laughs]. Ryan Horsley: He's ran for lieutenant governor once. He's had periodic sort of spats with people because he is an irascible, prickly guy. Norris Drake died in 2007, but many thought Viorst's theory about him helped Pankey's case. At the time, Pankey and his former wife lived about 2 miles away. In the matter of the burning car, Pankey allegedly told Hicks he knew the car was going to catch on fire, so he moved it to the back property. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: They searched this place, they took my laptop . He maintains the sex was consensual. He was described as immature, hung out with a younger crowd and focused on partying. Along with Mark, Barr was unaware of past gun use by Pankey, but said she gave him the old gun recently. Police might have been closer to an answer than they knew. The presentation confirmed there was no probable cause to bring the case to prosecution due to a lack of evidence, Olson said. A few days later, on Aug. 19, he said, law enforcement asked him for a DNA sample, and he gave it. Mr. Pankey wanted to be a person of interest. 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 Steve Pankey was born in 1951 in Ventura, California. But the District Attorney's Office felt they had enough evidence to go to trial. Thats why its so important to That great looking new building in Wiggins? She says that shocked her because Pankey had forbidden radio and television use in their house, about a year earlier. At trial, Viorst told the jury that Pankey was a true-crime junkie. On Wednesday, Olson took the stand to explain his involvement in the 1989 investigation into Jonelles disappearance. The trial starts back up at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday with a new witness on the stand. After Pankey left home, she said she was close with him, but they didnt remain in contact. Mayor John Gates: The jury likely was conflicted on was Mr. Pankey, in fact, someone that kidnapped and murdered Jonelle Matthews? Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. But it was intense. Hicks stated she does not remember if there was one car her husband drove more often than others. She explained her brother was upset Drake had not returned his truck before midnight, the time both siblings went to bed. The defense attorney strived to bring this evidence into Pankeys defense from the testimony of Andrea Yost, the ex-wife of Drakes roommate in 1984 and a woman with whom he developed a romantic relationship. 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. 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. And I think my jaw probably hit my desk, and I said, "What?". The ex-wife of Steve Pankey, the man accused of killing 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in 1984, testified in his murder trial Monday and Tuesday. Patti Aronofsky is the senior producer. Steve Pankey was once a candidate for governor of Idaho. More than three decades later, in 2019, Jonelle's body was found by a crew digging a pipeline. They describe mostly minor and non-violent allegations, like creating a nuisance and harassment. Steve Pankey and Angela Hicks' son, Carl, was murdered in 2008. It builds a really, really strong circumstantial case, in my mind. During her testimony, she said she only saw pornography on his computer one time, and only saw women. STEVE PANKEY ["Unfound" podcast]: She was 23 years old. When Drake woke up the next day, he came upstairs and asked if the Daviets had heard about Jonelles disappearance. A Additionally, she contacted friends with the Englewood police about the case a few weeks after her disappearance. Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, and the trial for her murder began. Don't accuse me . Viorst asked if Pankeys behavior changed once he became a suspect in the case. That, of course, doesn't exist. And one of the times he ran for governor was a real dumpster fire. After hearing testimony from multiple witnesses, Steven Pankey took the stand. This is going to be a godly home.". And then he buried her and went on with his life. Pankey Name Meaning & Pankey Family History at Ancestry.com It was Steven Pankey who started talking to just about anyone who would listen, including CBS affiliate KMVT. Police won't directly confirm any of that. Of course, the prosecution also has Pankey's own words. I mean, why would he say that if he didn't know where Jonelle Matthews was buried? The best home improvement jobs deserve the best materials. STEVE PANKEY [Idaho Statesman political ad]: I'm one of the people who wants to represent you. Anthony Viorst: So, here's what I'll say It's our position that it was divulged by law enforcement. Steve Pankey He does. Steven Dana Pankey was born in 1951 in Ventura, CA. 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. Once her remains were identified, the police department issued a news release saying that the case was now a homicide investigation. He even agreed to a lie detector test, with an FBI agent. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: On the 26th we were driving back. [Update] Steve Pankey has been arrested for the 1984 murder of On Monday, Hicks testified Pankey was less happy with his job when Ross became his boss at the 7 Up Bottling Company, especially after he was let go from his position over a legal battle Pankey started. That night, Daviet and her brother Dave were home, while Drake borrowed Daves truck to go to his mothers house. ANGELA HICKS: He said, "get us ready to go. 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. Around that same time, Steven Pankey, his young son and his wife, who was pregnant with their second son, also left Greeley. Steve Pankey: Where is Jonelle Matthews Killer Now? - The It may or may not have something to do with the Jonelle Matthews case. Or was he one that just surrounded himself with strange, bizarre behavior for years? In addition to appearing in Weld District Court, Yost stated she had to go to court in North Carolina. His mother and sister lived across the street from the Matthews home, and he was at his mother's house the night Jonelle was taken. 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. Jonelle was reported missing from her home in Greeley, north of Denver, on Dec. 20, 1984, after returning from performing a Christmas concert with her classmates, according to the Denver Post. ANTHONY VIORST: Mr. Pankey does have a mental illness. But Pankey has never been a man with clear answers. Pankey was charged Monday morning with child abuse resulting in death and abuse of a corpse in the case. Until a man living in Twin Falls Idaho, Steven Pankey, became a person interest. Both were members of the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene and friends to the Matthews family, who had also attended the church. Law enforcement records show that Pankey had other unrelated run-ins with Greeley police. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: I contacted the FBI. WebWhat happened to Steve Pankey son? Andersen said he remembers the car being reddish, but he could not swear to this statement either. Hicks stated Viorst, sounded like a bully in the first voicemail, which is why she never returned his calls. But in reality, there was no sign of Jonelle. Zero physical evidence, OK? 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. First Lady Lindsey Graham #TheView pic.twitter.com/qBNs4GjqEI. LOCAL NEWS REPORT: 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her Greeley home. She found his behavior strange because he never addressed her question, according to Sakulenzki. Jim Matthews: The Rescue Jonelle Committee made all kinds of things happen. Jim Matthews: You have to go on with life. Pankeys youngest son, Carl, a 20-year-old college student, was shot and killed by his girlfriend in 2008 in Phoenix. White are the field producers. Anthony Viorst: He was at home that night with his wife and child. 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. But just five days before Christmas, Greeley learned it could not hide from evil. Barr explained what Pankey was like as a kid, claiming her brother had problems, including: Barr admitted to paying for Pankeys bills and seeing a subscription to broadcasts about cold case murders, which Viorst has used as an argument to defend Pankeys obsession in the Jonelle case as part of a larger true crime obsession. "It was just me trying to be a big man, be in the case, OK? Pankey told the Statesman he was sure that after police had his DNA, they would stop investigating him. Steven Pankey, 69, was born in California to Dana Pankey Jr. and his wife, Ruth. Richard Schlesinger: You'd be the last people to whom something like this would happen, I would think. Wells had to reword her questions to receive only yes or no responses about the witness reports. They never had conversations about his life, and she said she had to stay out of his business.. By 2002, the divorce was finalized. Before Olson took the stand, he was only given one six-paged police report from his investigation into Drake. His now ex-wife, Angela Hicks, took the stand on Monday afternoon. Ken Blum and Jud Johnston are the editors. Has anyone considered Steve Pankey as Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, and the trial for her Hicks described their relationship as bitter enemies.. I'm telling you everything I know." He was different from others and didnt get along with most people. Fred Smith knows real estate. The man, who tried to threaten Justice Brett Kavanaugh with his life, was arrested with the joint efforts of the U.S. Ryan Horsley: I think that was his last-ditch effort, honestly. And that's why Gates became a prosecution witness. Richard Schlesinger: Where was he the night Jonelle Matthews disappeared? Pankey became a suspect in Jonelles murder the same year her remains were discovered, after Greeley police investigators took steps to modernize the case. Richard Schlesinger: Did your son ever see any unusual things at the Pankey house when he was over there? The day before the Hicks also stated in her testimony that Pankey banned radio, TV and news from their household around the time Jonelle went missing. His girlfriend severely killed him in 2008 in Phoenix. Hicks reported that was the only time she saw that much emotion from Pankey, as he kneeled down to kiss the urn. It's believed she's the victim of a kidnapping. Before stepping down from the stand, Pankeys sister confirmed she refused to talk about the case with police on April 15. Its the new home of High Plains Bank in Wiggins. Pankey Richard Schlesinger: What was it like for you to be considered a suspect in your daughter's disappearance? The media interviews Pankey did in 2019 was another aspect Barr named when addressing his behavior. Former gov. candidate a focus in Jonelle Matthews cold case He said he won all the trials. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In September 2001, Hicks filed for divorce from Pankey. 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. He even mentioned them in a 2019 conversation, with investigators. 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. Jim Matthews: She was interested in any kind of performing thing. Pankey said he had brushes with the law in Colorado before Jonelles disappearance that led police to mistrust him. Pankeys eldest son has no recollection of this ban and remembers watching TV with his parents, he said during his short time on the stand. Since the beginning of trial, Viorst has argued Drake was across the street at his mothers home the evening of December 1984, making him a plausible suspect. Jonelle Matthews was laid to rest nearly 35 years after her disappearance. Their son, Carl, was murdered in Phoenix in 2008. The best home improvement jobs deserve the best materials. He had a friendship with a younger girl, but Yost said she didnt believe there was anything romantic between the two. Steven Pankey Indictment in Jonelle Matthews Murder Update The only physical evidence were those footprints in the fresh snow. In July 2019, Jonelles remains were found at an oil and gas site in rural Weld County, and it was determined she died from a gunshot wound to the head. Following a lengthy bench conference Tuesday, new evidence was introduced by Miller for a limited purpose that can be considered in regards to other factors, but cannot be considered in Pankeys conviction. Because Norris Drake got her to leave the house. Pankey was even unaware of the gender and names of her children, according to a statement he made in January 2021, Miller said. This story was originally published September 13, Viorst began his examination by asking if Pankey had the right to defend himself during this trial, receiving a yes response from Hicks. 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. Richard Schlesinger: And you drove off thinking what? In 2020, Steven Pankey, who says he never met Jonelle, was charged with murder after repeatedly making public statements that inserted him into the case, including drawing up a list of persons of interest with his own name on it. 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. He said he was charged over his years in Colorado with as many as 20 other arbitrary misdemeanors, such as battery and harassment by phone, and went to trial multiple times. STEVE PANKEY [to KMVT]: Don't spit in my face. Moroever, the case remained hanging for more than 35 years until the remains of the young girl were discovered in 2019.