Man sentenced to life in prison for Jonelle Matthews' 1984 murder

Published: Oct 30, 2022 Duration: 00:02:39 Category: News & Politics
Tags : news local ott crime investigations true-crime
Trending searches: steve pankey
Nearly four decades after a young girl disappeared, a jury has convicted her killer. The jury found Steve Pankey guilty of kidnapping and murdering 12 year old Janelle Matthews in Greeley. She disappeared back in 1984. Peggy's first trial had ended in a mistrial, but this time it took jurors less than a day to reach a decision. It was crime and justice reporter Matt Jablo is in Greeley. Joining us now with more on the decision. Matt. Tom Janelle's parents said they often thought this day would never come, but now that it has, they're overjoyed and deeply grateful. I just want to cry. 38 years after their daughter Janelle disappeared, Jim and Gloria Matthews said justice delayed was not justice denied. What did I feel when they announced the verdict? Well, obviously. Relief. In December of 1984, twelve year old Janelle Matthews was kidnapped from her home in Greeley. Her body was finally found 35 years later in 2019 by oil workers digging in a remote field in Weld County. That was a miracle. Then, in 2020, police arrested Steven Pankey, a former Weld County resident who over the years told police and prosecutors that he would lead them to Janelle's body in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Which he never received. We, the jury, find the defendant, Steven Dana Panky, guilty. Late Monday morning, a jury found Panky guilty of first degree murder, and a few hours later a judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years. close your finality. For our family. And. Praising God. For his help in this as well, I cannot forgive him for how he killed Janelle. God's the only one who can forgive evil. And I feel that this is evil. For his part, Panky made only a brief statement in court today saying, quote, I am a Christian, I will be in heaven. I am innocent and this is not justice for Janelle, Kim and Tom. I can't even begin for those of us who've been here for 40 years trying to sort through all that's happened in that time and how, how that family, how the prosecutors, how all the people had to work on this case and live with this case for so long are feeling today. Tom, it was, as you can imagine, an incredibly emotional day both inside the courtroom and afterwards, outside of the courtroom steps when prosecutors and the Matthews family spoke. Alright, Matt, thanks.

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