DENVER — A Weld County jury on Monday found Steven Pankey guilty on three counts, including felony murder, in the 1984 kidnapping and killing of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews.
The jury found Pankey guilty of felony murder (class 1 felony), second-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon (class 3 felony) and false reporting to authorities (class 3 misdemeanor). He is scheduled to be sentenced Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
The jury found Pankey not guilty of first-degree murder after deliberation. possibility of parole.
This month’s trial was the second for Pankey in the case involving Matthews’ murder and cold case. The first ended last year in a mistrial when the jury could not reach a consensus on most counts, though it felt him guilty of false reporting, a class 3 misdemeanor.
Matthews was last seen alive on Dec. 20, 1984, after a choir performance. In 2019, construction crews in Weld County found bones at a site which were identified as those of Matthews. Pankey lived about two miles away from her at the time, and according to his indictment, he took her from her home that night and fatally shot her.
The Greeley Police Department confirmed in September 2019 Pankey was a person of interest. A Weld County grand jury indicted Pankey in October 2020.
During the original trial, witnesses testified that Pankey appeared obsessed with the case. Evidence presented included statements Pankey made in church, internet searches he made about Williams and statements he made to law enforcement.
And though Pankey’s attorneys repeatedly noted during both trials there was no physical evidence linking Pankey to the case, the Weld County jury was convinced and delivered a unanimous verdict.
Pankey ran as a Republican in the 2018 gubernatorial primary and as a Constitution Party candidate in 2014.
This is a developing news story that will be updated.
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