The public defenders office would then have a week to reply, at which point Kerns would issue an order as quickly as possible. Walsh said they may file one or two more pleadings. During that time Hicks also referenced multiple legal filings, unrelated to Jonelle's disappearance and written by Pankey, that gave details about her case. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Steven Pankey, 71, will spend life behind . A jury found Steve Pankey, 71, guilty Monday morning of false reporting, first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping. Furthermore, the police claimed that Pankey had information about a crucial piece of evidence a rake used to sweep away footprints in the snow which the police had not disclosed to the public. Pankeys lies about her father were unforgivable to Hicks because Pankey had already taken away her relationship with her father and removed him from her support system back in the early years of their marriage. The Weld County Coroners Office used DNA evidence to confirm that the remains were Jonelles. This file is auto-generated */!function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(! While Harris pressed on with questions about Pankey talking about these cases, Hicks said he was fixated on Jonelles case to an extreme extent compared to the others. But I definitely felt safe for the first time since the grand jury indictment knowing that this was the resolution to it.. Her death was then ruled a homicide. Deputy District Attorney Lacy Wells called Deb McDonald, formerly known as Deb Moon, to the stand to briefly discuss her romantic involvement with Pankey back in 1977 which would later end in Pankeys ex-communication from the church. Although Pankey never directly knew the Matthews family, his fixation on the church only showed his intent and motive behind the alleged crimes because he was bitter after they excommunicated him, according to prosecutors. According to state records, hell actually become eligible for parole on October 1, 2040, when hes in his late 80s. And here I am with my two kids. Since Pankey told her about his attempts to gain immunity, she decided to go to the Sun Valley police. Idaho Man Convicted in 1984 Murder of 12-Year-Old Colorado Girl, Arm teachers? Without those pieces of information, I dont think we could have disproven what the defendant wrote in that alibi letter, Rourke said. He also wrote that he feared he might "get the death penalty for revealing the location of Ms. Matthews body. Yet, all the former political candidates words did was point the fingers right back at him, implicating him for the heinous murder instead. 00:58. Thats why she complied when he demanded she never speak to her father again. The retrial of Steven Pankey is scheduled for October 4, 2022. Weld Assistant District Attorney Robb Miller described Hicks as a sweet, genuine person. Both Miller and Rourke agreed charges may have never been brought against Pankey without Hicks testimony to disprove his alibi around the time of Jonelles disappearance. Jonelle Matthews, 12, disappeared from her Greeley, Colorado, home on December 20, 1984. [12][13], The disappearance attracted interest from the public, including the president of the United States and members of Congress. Jonelle was twelve when . The best home improvement jobs deserve the best materials. [7][8][9] Her father was at his other daughter's basketball game[9] and her mother had traveled out of state to be with Jonelle's ill grandfather. And I think my jaw probably hit my desk, and I said, 'What?'" When back in Greeley, instead of returning home right away, Pankey continued driving past their residence to a Safeway. The average age of Two days later they had reached a verdict. Select "Add Memory" to share stories and photos. I was terrified because I was thinking, What am I going to do if they asked him something? Hicks said.
