Ex-Idaho governor candidate’s murder trial in 1984 Colorado case ends. Here’s the verdict
After weeks in a Colorado courtroom, a former candidate for Idaho governor accused of murder received the jury’s decision.
The court declared a mistrial Thursday on murder and kidnapping charges against 70-year-old Twin Falls resident Steve Pankey, according to a news release from the Weld County District Attorney’s Office in Greeley, Colorado. Weld County is just north of Denver.
A mistrial was declared on three felonies: murder after deliberation, felony murder and kidnapping. The jury could not unanimously find a verdict on the charges, resulting in a hung jury.
The jury did find Pankey guilty on one count of false reporting to authorities, which is a misdemeanor under Colorado law.
Pankey — who has unsuccessfully run twice for governor and once for Twin Falls County sheriff — was arrested and charged in the killing of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, who went missing in December of 1984. Pankey had been labeled as a person of interest during the initial police investigation. Her body was found by a pipeline excavation crew in a Weld County field on July 24, 2019.
Weeks after the body was found, police in Twin Falls served a search warrant on Pankey’s home. That same month, Pankey denied any involvement in Matthews’ death in an interview with the Idaho Statesman.
On Oct. 9, 2020, a grand jury indicted Pankey on multiple felony counts. His trial began nearly a year later, on Oct. 5.
With the mistrial declared, Pankey’s next hearing will take place Monday afternoon. That hearing will focus on his sentence on the false reporting conviction, plus the potential refiling of charges by the prosecution and Pankey’s bond amount, according to a tweet from the state’s court system.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 3:14 PM.
