Last Updated on: 18th February 2023, 08:57 pm
Who Was Jonelle Matthews? Biography, Wiki
Jonelle Matthews was born in Santa Barbara, California to Terri Vierra, a 13-year-old mother.
Gloria and Jim Matthews adopted Jonelle in March of this year.
She participated in her college choir and attended her local church with her family.
Jonelle Matthews Age
Jonelle Matthews, a 12-year-old from Greeley, Colorado, was born on 9th February 1972.
Jonelle Matthews Died
When a family’s daughter disappeared, there was mystery and grief.
Decades later, police found the remains of Jonelle Matthews and her killer.
On 20th December 1984, after performing with her school choir and returning home, Jonelle disappeared.
He borrowed a car from a classmate the night he disappeared while his father, Jim, was watching his older sister play basketball.
Jonelle came home alone because her mother left town to visit family and was never seen again.
Local officials investigated the situation but found no leads. Therefore, Jonelle’s disappearance file was closed.
How Was She Killed?
She was officially pronounced dead in 1994 and her family held a memorial service in her honor.
On 24th July 2019, a group of construction workers discovered Jonelle’s remains after finding her body during the installation of a new pipeline.
Jim and Gloria Matthews told 9News after learning of the progress of their daughter’s case: “Closing is critical to moving forward and honoring her life in the knowledge that we have found her remains and what happened to her.”
“We want to celebrate giving him honor and dignity because he definitely didn’t have that and we want to do that this time.”
On 31st October 2022, Steven Pankey was found guilty of charges relating to Jonelle’s murder, including:
- Criminal murder
- Second degree kidnapping
- False disappearance report
He was sentenced to 20 years of life imprisonment and his first parole date is set for 2042.
Pankey remains incarcerated at Bent County Correctional Center.
