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Colorado 1984 Cold Case Solved — The Killer Once Ran For Idaho Governor

Cold Case Files

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Colorado 1984 Cold Case Solved — The Killer Once Ran For Idaho Governor

42 years ago, a 12-year-old girl in Greeley, Colorado performed in her school’s Christmas concert, was driven home by her friend’s family, signaled that she had gotten inside safely by turning the lights on and off from the front window, left a note by the phone for her dad, and then disappeared from the house while her father was on his way home from a basketball game. The only trace outside the house was a set of footprints in the snow — footprints that someone had tried to erase with a garden rake before the police arrived. Authorities searched everywhere but never found her body.

1. Former Idaho Gubernatorial Candidate Charged With Killing Girl, 12, Who Vanished in 1984
NBC News reports that Steven Pankey, 69, was arrested in Idaho on October 12, 2020, after being indicted by a Weld County grand jury. Weld County DA Michael Rourke stated Pankey had revealed "intimate knowledge about the commission of the crime" not available to the public. Greeley Police Chief called the arrest "36 years in the making."
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...

2. Who Killed Jonelle Matthews? What Her Suspected Killer Steve Pankey Said on the Witness Stand
CBS News' in-depth 48 Hours investigation covers the full arc of the case: Jonelle's 1984 disappearance after a Christmas choir concert, the 2019 discovery of her remains by pipeline workers, and Pankey's contradictory statements across decades. Pankey attended the same Greeley church as the Matthews family and lived approximately two miles from their home.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonelle-...

3. Former Idaho Gubernatorial Candidate Convicted of Killing Colorado Girl, 12, Who Vanished in 1984
NBC News covers the October 31, 2022 guilty verdict in Pankey's retrial at Weld County District Court. Jurors found Pankey, 71, guilty of felony murder, second-degree kidnapping, and false reporting. The first trial in 2021 had ended in a hung jury. A judge immediately sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/...

4. Former Political Candidate Names Himself a Person of Interest in a Murder Case — CBS News
CBS News details how Pankey, over the course of seven political campaigns in Idaho, repeatedly and publicly inserted himself into the Jonelle Matthews investigation, drawing scrutiny. He attempted runs for governor, sheriff, lieutenant governor, and council — all while investigators tracked his increasingly suspicious statements about the 1984 cold case.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jonelle-...

5. Ex-Idaho Gubernatorial Candidate Found Guilty in 1984 Murder of Colorado Girl — Reuters
Reuters wire service reports that Pankey was found guilty in Weld County District Court on October 31, 2022, in his second trial. An autopsy had confirmed Jonelle died from a gunshot wound to the head. Pankey faced a mandatory life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years, to be imposed the same day as the verdict.
Source: https://news.yahoo.com/ex-idaho-guber...

20 Comments

@ColdCaseFiles10 Creator 4 months ago Pinned

Date: At 4:50 p.m. on July 23, 2019, workers installing a pipeline discovered human remains near the intersection of County Roads 34.5 and 49, approximately 15 miles southeast of the Matthews family home.

Location: A remote field southeast of Greeley, about 20 miles from the Matthews residence.

Identification: The skull still contained intact orthodontic braces, and fragments of clothing matched the plaid skirt, blouse, and vest Jonelle was wearing on the night of her Christmas concert. The identification was later confirmed through DNA analysis.

Cause of Death: The autopsy report determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

Official Confirmation: Police officially confirmed the identity on Thursday—two days after the remains were discovered on Tuesday.

The braces remained intact on the skull, a specific forensic detail that helped investigators identify her at the scene even before DNA testing.
The clothing was still recognizable—a plaid skirt, blouse, and vest—matching descriptions of what she was wearing on the night of December 20, 1984.

@maryfernando7545 3 months ago

Watching in the state of Queensland, Australia. This proves over and over how evil humans are. It does not matter what profession or what class they belonged to. All humans are capable of these very same evil deed. They continue their life like they are innocent and might even participate in the search.

@JamesMcgarvie 4 days ago

I am watching whilst at home in Erskine Scotland.

@glynisthompson4526 4 months ago

So much repetition!

@PauseFiles 4 months ago

Was it guilt driving him to talk, or just pure, unfiltered ego?

@marilyngandhi8571 1 month ago

Hi from Queensland, Australia 🇦🇺

@meggrotte4760 2 months ago (edited)

As a christian and a missionary and a self supportive Evangelist , I want to tell you , just because someone is a youth pastor or they say that they're christian, that does not mean they are.
A true christian would have never laid a hand on that kid❤

@MarkHoezee 3 months ago

Interesting story,glad they finally got that monster. Little too much repeating,you could have cut your video in half

@candykane4271 3 months ago

I rarely trust youth pastors ….

@dawnwagoner8307 3 days ago

10:49 am Gresham Oregon

@pilbomags488 3 months ago

How many pages? I didn't hear it the first 200 times he said it.

@poteznakecharitomene8308 3 months ago

Wszystkie odcinki spokojnie mogłyby być o połowę krótsze.

Bez mielenia po kilka razy tych samych informacj,
przez cały odcinek

@betsyriveradiaz7348 2 weeks ago

Hablas muy rápidos hace difícil entender

@scott-o3345 3 months ago

Let us prey.

@yolandawilson6619 4 months ago

Her stockings were laying across the back of the sofa, that's odd for a 12 yr old child to take her stockings off in the living room. There was one set of footprints which means she didn't walk out. How'd a kidnapper also think to access the rake in the home to try and cover footprints while also removing a 12 yr old from the home? Why not have Jonelle dropped off at the basketball game her sister played in that night? Who was Jonelle's bio father?

@westernhemisphere2205 4 days ago

if she hadn't been home alone at 12 years old she would probably still be alive today. nothing like an irresponsible parent to let someone slip in and take your child. you would think people are smarter than that.

@toyin-i1k 4 months ago

The is the most stupidest cold case I have ever watched, he should have been arrested the moment he mentioned the rake which nobody knew about

@Anna-d4t8v 4 months ago

I enjoy this type of content should I subscribe or question myself 🤭

@yolandawilson6619 4 months ago

It's no secret that Jonelle's sister, though older and the actual biological child of the parents did not like Jonelle and was jealous. This is the alleged reason that the dad left the concert to go to the basketball game. Jonelle was rarely allowed at any of her sister's events and activities bc her sister felt she got too much attention. They literally cleaned Jonelle's bedroom completely out, claiming it was too upsetting for the sister.