The second trial for Steve Pankey, the man accused of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old Greeley girl in 1984, is underway after the prosecution and defense made opening statements Friday.
“If the court affirms this frivolous matter, it is reasonable for the appellant to believe that he will receive the death penalty for revealing the location of Ms. Matthews’ body,” Weld District Attorney Michael Rourke began, quoting from a court filing Pankey made in an unrelated case in Idaho.
“Steve didn’t do this,” he began, enunciating and often pausing between statements. “There are deep problems with this case that go to the foundations of our criminal law and the principles behind them. You, after you hear the evidence in this case, are going to be the ones to put those principles into effect that protect the community from a miscarriage of justice.”
Jonelle took a message from a teacher at the Kersey school where her father was an administrator. The teacher later said if she knew she was talking with a 12-year-old girl, she’d have thought something was wrong and called the police, Rourke said. He later went into the police department to speak with the detective, who found the meeting insignificant. Pankey, however, seemed to find it was an important meeting. In November 2019, he told a podcaster how pleasantly surprised he was about how well the interview went and that he had slept well for the first time in a long time, Rourke said.
After the Greeley Tribune reported the investigation, however, Pankey was excommunicated from the church. Pankey returned to the church on several occasions, Rourke said, and was forced to leave. This chain of events instilled a hatred in Pankey for the church, its members and law enforcement. Harris also said Drake had babysat Jonelle, suggesting because she knew him, there were no signs of struggle. Described by many as “feisty,” Jonelle wouldn’t be the type not to put up a fight, Harris said.
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