Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Oxygen’s latest true crime series, The Girl on the Milk Carton, explores the mysterious vanishing of a 12-year-old girl in late 1984. Reports indicate that a girl named Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her Colorado home on December 20, 1984. Although authorities searched the entire house, they couldn’t find any strong evidence. More than three decades later, in 2019, they discovered her remains in a desolate field in Greeley, Colorado. A year later, police arrested and charged a man named Steve Pankey for the murder of Jonelle Matthews.
According to CBS News, police searched the Matthews house but couldn’t find any strong evidence. The only piece of evidence they found were shoeprints in the snow. Additionally, the publication mentioned that someone tried erasing the shoeprints with a garden rake. For years, investigators tried to solve the mystery. The case eventually became a nationwide phenomenon and prompted people to ask questions about their safety. In 2019, when police found Jonelle Matthews’ body, they noted that the culprit shot the victim in the head.
The investigation continued, and Steve Pankey became a suspect for his repeated attempts to involve himself in the investigation. Per Oxygen, Pankey talked to the investigators about the evidence that had never been disclosed to the public. Moreover, he owned a gun when the kidnapping took place in 1984. In 2020, police finally arrested Pankey and charged him with kidnapping and first-degree murder. Although the first was declared a mistrial, Pankey was found guilty of the kidnapping and slaying of Jonelle Matthews. According to The New York Times, the court gave him a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years.
Steve Pankey is serving his sentence at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Colorado.
Where is Jonelle Matthews’ killer Steve Pankey now?
As mentioned earlier, Steve Pankey resides at a correctional facility in Colorado. During the trial, prosecutors came forward with evidence that allegedly proved Pankey’s involvement in the case. Even though there was no DNA evidence against Panley, the prosecution used his statements to prove his involvement. Citing the prosecution, CBS News reported, “The evidence in this case will prove … that the defendant is guilty of murder in the first-degree and second-degree kidnapping.”
Pankey’s ex-wife also testified during the trial. In her testimony, she revealed that Steve Pankey forced her to listen to the news reports of Jonelle Matthews’ case. She also found a legal paper with Pankey’s handwriting on it, which said that the snow was raked outside the Matthews household. However, the defense argued that their client was not responsible for the death of Jonelle Matthews.
Afterward, Pankey testified in his case and claimed that he was innocent. However, he admitted that he lied about several things he knew about the case. He said, “The truth is that I made a lot of stuff up out of bitterness. It was just me trying to be a big man, be in the case, OK? I had no knowledge.”
After hearing several testimonies and arguments, the jury went into deliberations. However, they couldn’t reach a verdict on the charges of kidnapping and murder. Correspondingly, the judge declared it a mistrial.
The new trial began in October 2022, and this time, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping, reported The New York Times. Despite the guilty verdict, Steve Pankey continued saying he had nothing to do with the case. He said, “I am a Christian. I will be in heaven. I am innocent. And this is not justice for Jonelle.”
The Girl in the Carton is available to stream on Oxygen.
