Man sentenced to life in prison for Jonelle Matthews’ 1984 murder
WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Steve Pankey has been found guilty of first-degree felony murder and second-degree kidnapping in the 1984 death of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews.
A Weld County jury made that determination Monday.
According to our news partners in Denver, Pankey was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years on the murder and kidnapping convictions.
RELATED: Former Idaho governor candidate indicted in 1984 killing
Jim Matthews, Jonelle's father gave a victim impact statement and said the family has been haunted by the case since Jonelle's death 38 years ago.
"As these two trials have shown, you have been obsessed with your actions, and your consciousness could not let you forget," Jim Matthews said. "You have been a prisoner of your own mind.
"You've claimed to be a Christian on many occasions," Matthews continued. "There's still hope for you. It is not too late to confess your sins, which is the first step to your forgiveness. The second step is to repent or turn away from your evil ways. It's up to you, and it's not too late, Steve Pankey."
Pankey made a statement before sentencing in which he proclaimed his innocence.
"I am a Christian, I will be in heaven," Pankey said. "I am innocent, and this is not justice for Jonelle."
Our news partners report that Jonelle was last seen on Dec. 20, 1984, when she was dropped off at her Greeley home following a Christmas concert. When her father returned home about an hour later, Jonelle was not there.
In 2019, Jonelle's remains were found by oil workers digging in a Weld County field. More than a year later, in October 2020, a grand jury indicted Pankey on charges of first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping with a weapon, as well as two-sentence enhancing crimes of violence counts.
