Murder of Jonelle Matthews

Jonelle Renee Matthews
BornFebruary 9, 1972[1]
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.[2]
DisappearedDecember 20, 1984 (aged 12)
StatusSolved
Diedc. December 20, 1984
Greeley, Colorado
Cause of deathGunshot wound to the head
Body discoveredAlong a rural route southeast of Greeley, Colorado
Resting placeLinn Grove Cemetery, Greeley, Colorado
NationalityAmerican
EducationFranklin Middle School
OccupationStudent
Organization(s)Member of Sunny View Church of the Nazarene and Franklin Middle School Choir
Height5 ft 3 in (160 cm)
Parents
  • Jim Matthews (father)
  • Gloria Matthews (mother)
RelativesJennifer Mogensen (sister), Terri Vierra-Martinez (biological mother)

Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984.[3] Her remains were discovered on July 24, 2019, by construction workers putting in a new pipeline 15 miles (24 km) from her home.[4] Steven Pankey was sentenced to life imprisonment on October 31, 2022, after his arrest and trial for Matthews' murder.[5]

  1. ^ "Missing Children". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Greenwood, Mississippi. 2 June 1985. p. 26. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  2. ^ Kirk Mitchell (July 26, 2019). "Jonelle Matthews investigation: Chronicling the 34-year search for missing Greeley 12-year-old—The vivacious 12-year-old disappeared in 1984. Her remains were found this week". The Denver Post. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Jonelle Renee Matthews (12) – Greeley CO, 1984". Websleuths. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  4. ^ Banda, P. Solomon (July 26, 2019). "Remains ID'd as those of Colorado girl missing 34 years". KUTV. Associated Press. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  5. ^ Medina, Eduardo (October 31, 2022). "Idaho Man Convicted in 1984 Murder of 12-Year-Old Colorado Girl". The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2022.