Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
In late 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her residence in Greeley, Colorado. Reports indicate that after the girl’s parents called authorities, investigators searched the Matthews house and looked for clues. For almost three decades, the case remained cold because the police couldn’t find any DNA evidence. However, in 2019, police found Jonelle’s remains in Greeley, and a year later, they arrested Steve Pankey and charged him in the case. The Oxygen true crime documentary The Girl on the Milk Carton explores the case in great depth.
CBS News reported that Jonelle Matthews went missing from her home on December 20, 1984. Meanwhile, The Colorado Sun noted that Jonelle’s father, Jim, became suspicious when his older daughter did not know about Jonelle’s whereabouts. The father grew concerned because his children never went out without telling the parents.
He told the outlet, “After being home for about a half an hour, I just had a really strange feeling because our girls were very good about letting us know if they were gonna change their plans, leaving a note or calling.” As a result, the parents called the police to investigate the matter. However, investigators couldn’t do much and just found strange shoeprints in the snow outside their house.
According to CBS News, police felt someone tried to erase the shoeprints with a garden rake. They continued the investigation but failed to find any clue. Although the case remained cold for over thirty years, in 2019, they found Jonelle Matthew’s remains in Greeley. The discovery of her remains prompted the authorities to find the culprit again. After further investigation, police indicted Steve Pankey for the disappearance and killing of Jonelle Matthews. Even though police had no DNA evidence against him, prosecutors used his statements to prove that he might be involved in the case.
Who killed Jonelle Matthews & how was the killer caught?
As mentioned earlier, police apprehended Steve Pankey for the murder of Jonelle Matthews. Pankey and his family lived in Greeley, Colorado, at the time of the disappearance. However, they soon moved to Idaho, where Pankey started investing his time in politics. While living in Idaho, he had a close encounter with police after he caused a scene in a bank. Citing the court documents, CBS News reported that Pankey did that to meet police officers and become an “informant” in Jonelle Matthew’s case. The filing stated that Pankey wanted to come forward with the location of Matthew’s body, but he was scared that he might get a “death sentence.”
In September 2019, police issued a warrant and searched Steve Pankey’s house. The outlet mentioned that they took his laptop and cell phone. Then, in October 2020, a grand jury indicted him for the abduction and murder of Jonelle Matthews. In his indictment, the jury mentioned how Pankey used information such as the culprit using a garden rake to erase the shoeprints in the snow. This information was never made public and raised suspicions about Pankey. During the trial, Pankey’s ex-wife also testified and told the court about his controlling behavior. CBS News reported that Pankey forced her to listen to the news reports of Jonelle Matthews’ disappearance.
Apart from his ex-wife, Steve Pankey also testified in court and denied all the charges against him. He maintained his innocence. After listening to several arguments, the jurors went into deliberations and reached a verdict in two days. CBS News reported that the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision. As a result, the judge declared it a mistrial.
The new trial started in October 2022 and ran for approximately three weeks. This time, the jury Steve Pankey found guilty of the murder of Matthews, according to The New York Times. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. He is currently serving his sentence at the Arkansas Valley Correctional Facility in Ordway, Colorado.
The Girl on the Milk Carton is available to stream on Oxygen.
