UPDATE: October 15th,2020. Former person of interest, Steve Pankey, was arrested in Jonelle's murder. His information is at the bottom of this article.
Jonelle Renee Matthews
Jonelle was born on February 9th, 1972 at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California to 13-year-old, Terri Vierra-Martinez. A month later she was adopted by Gloria and Jim Matthews. The couple had a daughter name Jennifer before they adopted Jonelle. The family then move from California to Northern Colorado, where they settled in 1978 so Jim could take an administrator job at Dayspring Christian School, now Dayspring Christian Academy, in Greeley, Weld County, Colorado.
Back then, Greeley was a conservative, close-knit city set 60 miles north of Denver on Colorado's High Plains. It was a safe place, where front doors remained unlocked and kids rode their bikes on dirt roads past farmers’ fields, explored ravines and sold Girl Scout cookies door to door.
By 1984, Jim had taken the principal post at Platte Valley Elementary School in neighboring Kersey.
Back then, Greeley was a conservative, close-knit city set 60 miles north of Denver on Colorado's High Plains. It was a safe place, where front doors remained unlocked and kids rode their bikes on dirt roads past farmers’ fields, explored ravines and sold Girl Scout cookies door to door.
By 1984, Jim had taken the principal post at Platte Valley Elementary School in neighboring Kersey.
Together the family all lived in a four bedroom bi-level house on the 300 block of 43rd Avenue Court in the Pheasant Run subdivision in Greeley.
Jonelle loved her adopted family, but she also wanted to find her biological parents some day. She was strong physically and she was strong-willed. All throughout her life, even when Jonelle was a little girl, she knew what she wanted and she let you know. She was happy and outgoing. Her and her friend, Deanna Ross, rode bikes all over the place in the summers. They hung out and did a lot of sleepovers. Jonelle loved to sing and act in church skits. She was a member of the Franklin Middle School’s choir as well as the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene’s choir. Jonelle's favorite music band was Menudo.
On Thursday, December 20th, 1984, Jonelle was 12-years-old and a 7th grader singing carols live on TV with Debra and her school's choir. They stood on a staircase decorated with garland at Intrawest Bank in downtown Greeley. Jonelle’s mother, Gloria, was visiting Jonbelle's ill grandfather in California. And Jonelle's father, Jim, was watching Jennifer, Jonelle’s older sister, play with her high school’s varsity basketball team.
When the concert was over Jonelle's friend, Deanna and Deanna's father Russell, drove Jonelle home, arriving around 8:15 p.m. It was one day before Christmas vacation and Jonelle was excited to go to school the next and give her friends the cross-stitched presents she'd been working on.
"She was talking about Christmas, she was all excited," Russell recalled.
When the concert was over Jonelle's friend, Deanna and Deanna's father Russell, drove Jonelle home, arriving around 8:15 p.m. It was one day before Christmas vacation and Jonelle was excited to go to school the next and give her friends the cross-stitched presents she'd been working on.
"She was talking about Christmas, she was all excited," Russell recalled.
Jonelle got out of the truck and told Deanna, 'I'll see you tomorrow!'"
Russell watched as Jonelle went safely into the empty house and flipped on the light to let Russell know she was in. She didn't know it, but a Cabbage Patch Kids doll was waiting among the presents under the family's Christmas tree. Gloria had braved the department store crowds and waited in line to buy her the coveted doll. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Jonelle spoke to a co-worker of Jim's on the phone. His colleague needed him to substitute for her the next day. This was the last time anyone heard from Jonelle.
At 9:30 p.m., Jim arrived home to find the garage door open. The TV and lights were on and Jonelle's shoes and a shawl were near a the portable heater in the family room, where Jonelle often sat. Jim yelled "Hi, Jonelle," but got no response. Jim thought that maybe Jonelle was in her room and didn't hear him, so he didn't think much of it. He wrapped one last Christmas present before walking upstairs and peeking in Jonelle's bedroom. She wasn't there. Jennifer got home at 10:00 p.m., but had not seen her. Jim then called Russell to ask him if he or Deanna had heard from Jonelle. Russell shook Deanna awake to see if she knew anywhere Jonelle might go, but she didn't. Jim then called the the family's pastor, Jim Christy, for advice, who encourage him to call police.
A worried Jim called police and by 10:15 p.m., police were swarming the house. They found footprints in the garage and in the snow by the windows, as if someone had been peering in. They dusted the walls for fingerprints trying to find any signs of foul play.
Russell watched as Jonelle went safely into the empty house and flipped on the light to let Russell know she was in. She didn't know it, but a Cabbage Patch Kids doll was waiting among the presents under the family's Christmas tree. Gloria had braved the department store crowds and waited in line to buy her the coveted doll. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Jonelle spoke to a co-worker of Jim's on the phone. His colleague needed him to substitute for her the next day. This was the last time anyone heard from Jonelle.
At 9:30 p.m., Jim arrived home to find the garage door open. The TV and lights were on and Jonelle's shoes and a shawl were near a the portable heater in the family room, where Jonelle often sat. Jim yelled "Hi, Jonelle," but got no response. Jim thought that maybe Jonelle was in her room and didn't hear him, so he didn't think much of it. He wrapped one last Christmas present before walking upstairs and peeking in Jonelle's bedroom. She wasn't there. Jennifer got home at 10:00 p.m., but had not seen her. Jim then called Russell to ask him if he or Deanna had heard from Jonelle. Russell shook Deanna awake to see if she knew anywhere Jonelle might go, but she didn't. Jim then called the the family's pastor, Jim Christy, for advice, who encourage him to call police.
A worried Jim called police and by 10:15 p.m., police were swarming the house. They found footprints in the garage and in the snow by the windows, as if someone had been peering in. They dusted the walls for fingerprints trying to find any signs of foul play.
As the search began for Jonelle, authorities scoured the area, including the fields near the house. Neighbors reported seeing a black car that had been in the neighborhood for several hours. The driver of the car was tracked down, but he was not a suspect.
Jonelle's family knew she wouldn't run away. They said she was too dramatic to do that without leaving a note to explain as to what had made her so upset to do that. Her family weren't the only ones that thought that way.
Authorities believed that there was someone already in the house when Jonelle had arrived home from the concert. And that she was interrupted while watching TV. While dropping her off, Deanna and Russelle had noticed that the garage door was slightly open. Since there was not signs of a struggled or forced entry, it was also believed that Jonelle knew her abductor.
Just to be safe, a police officer drove Jennifer to school the next day. When she arrived, the school was already buzzing about Jonelle's disappearance.
Jim and Gloria spoke with newspapers, a Rescue Jonelle committee was formed and Jonelle's picture was everywhere.
Just to be safe, a police officer drove Jennifer to school the next day. When she arrived, the school was already buzzing about Jonelle's disappearance.
Jim and Gloria spoke with newspapers, a Rescue Jonelle committee was formed and Jonelle's picture was everywhere.
Jonelle's family set a place for her at the table during the family's Christmas Eve dinner in case she walked through the door. When Christmas had came and gone, Jim and Gloria left Jonelle’s Christmas presents wrapped and under their tree in hopes that Jonelle would come home.
On Jonelle’s 13th birthday, over 600 volunteers searched 4000 miles with sign of her.
Jonelle's missing poster was printed on the side of milk cartons.
In front of Franklin Middle School, fellow classmates planted a chokecherry tree in memory of Jonelle. The tree is now gone, along with a plaque inscribed with Jonelle's name.
In front of Franklin Middle School, fellow classmates planted a chokecherry tree in memory of Jonelle. The tree is now gone, along with a plaque inscribed with Jonelle's name.
By Christmas of 1985, Jonelle's family unwrapped the Christmas presents squirreled away in Jonelle's bedroom closet. Her Menudo posters would come down as well, as Jim and Gloria turned Jonelle's room into a guest bedroom. They also dead-bolted their door and installed a new garage door system that locked.
On the tenth anniversary of Jonelle’s disappearance, her family and friends held a memorial service for her at Sunny View Church. More than 250 people attended the service. The family also had Jonelle declared legally dead. Jim and Gloria then retired to Costa Rica.
1997, to their surprise, Jim and Gloria a received a letter from Jonelle's biological mother.
“My name is Terri Vierra-Martinez. On February 9th, 1972, I gave birth to a baby girl at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif. A search consultant recently helped me locate the baby I gave up for adoption. After extensive efforts, it was found that her name is Jonelle Matthews. … I hope that your hearts will be open for a possible reunion sometime in the future.”
At 4:50 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23rd, 2019, excavators installing a pipeline discovered human remains in a oil field, in the remote stretch of unincorporated Weld County, about 15 miles southeast of Jonelle's home. Among the remains were a skull with intact, braces-lined teeth, just like Jonelle's, and scraps of blue and red fabric that could have came from the red blouse, grey skirt and navy blue sweater vest that Jonelle had been wearing the night she disappeared. Based on DNA evidence, the Weld County Coroner’s Office positively identified the remains as Jonelle Matthews.
1997, to their surprise, Jim and Gloria a received a letter from Jonelle's biological mother.
“My name is Terri Vierra-Martinez. On February 9th, 1972, I gave birth to a baby girl at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, Calif. A search consultant recently helped me locate the baby I gave up for adoption. After extensive efforts, it was found that her name is Jonelle Matthews. … I hope that your hearts will be open for a possible reunion sometime in the future.”
Due to the adoption privacy laws, Terri didn't know that Jonelle had been missing for sometime. So, Jim and Gloria wrote her back explaining what happened to Jonelle. After receiving the heart-wrenching letter, Terri flew to Colorado and met with them. There, she found out that she had been under surveillance for over a month after Jonelle went missing. However, Terri is not a suspect and became good friends with Jim and Gloria.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has not released any information about how Matthews might have died, but have stated that the case is being treated as a homicide.
On September 13th, Greeley Police Department announced a "person of interest" of Jonelle's abduction and murder. His name is Steve Pankey. He ran for governor in Idaho in 2014 and 2018, and for lieutenant governor in 2010. His home in Colorado was searched under a warrant. Pankey and his former wife lived only 2 miles away from the Matthews home where Jonelle was last seen. Allegedly, Pankey had made repeated efforts to speak with detectives about the Jonelle's case, but after detectives traveled to Twin Falls Idaho on August 15th, 2019, Pankey refused to answer questions. He claims he is being framed. Pankey has not been charged with Jonelle’s murder, but he is being investigated in relation to her death. Besides being contacted by authorities in Jonelle's kidnapping and murder, allegedly, Pankey was also contacted in the JonBenet Ramsey case.
Every year since Jonelle went missing, her family celebrates her birthday, and still have the Christmas ornaments she made in elementary school. They hang them on the tree each Christmas.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Detective Robert Cash at 970-350-9601 or a case tip line at 970-351-5100.
2 comments:
Could this be the same person responsible for Jonbenet Ramsey's death? Both in Colorado both at/around their house near Christmas, snow, etc....
In my mind, yes it is entirely possible. i mention him in my Jonbenet articles.
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