Pankey’s defense attorney withdraws
The attorney for the man accused of the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews withdrew from his defense Monday afternoon.
Defense attorney Anthony Viorst, just days after a mistrial was declared in the case against Steve Pankey, told the court Monday he lacks the time and energy to go through another potential trial in this case. Pankey will now be represented by the public defender’s office.
“He did a great job for me and fought hard,” Pankey said as he thanked Viorst after the announcement of withdrawal.
On Thursday Pankey was found guilty of false reporting, but the jury was unable to reach an unanimous verdict on two counts of murder and one kidnapping charge. Prosecutors pleaded for retrial during Monday’s hearing, which discussed Pankey’s bond and the status of the case.
Public defenders, led by John Walsh, asked the court for more time to review the lengthy case before the court makes a decision on moving forward with another trial. After a quick discussion with his new representation, Pankey waived his speedy trial rights until his next hearing on Nov. 17.
Before Viorst announced his withdrawal from the case, the defense attorney asked the court to reconsider the set bond of $5 million, cash only, by reducing the amount significantly or by allowing Pankey to post bond through a bondsman.
Assistant District Attorney Robb Miller argued bond should remain the same due to Pankey’s past behaviors of stalking and harassing witnesses. Angela Hicks, Pankey’s ex-wife and a significant witness in the Jonelle case, would be in danger if Pankey was released on bond, Miller indicated.
In addition, the Matthews family objected any change in Pankey’s bond.
Judge Timothy Kerns said the court was against modifying the defendant’s bond due to his prior litigations involving his behavior.
A status conference is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. Nov. 17.
Pankey, described by his lawyer as a paranoid true crime junkie, testified in his own defense, delivering sometimes rambling testimony.
He said he pretended to know information about the case out of bitterness for police and because he wanted his former church and former employer investigated. He denied being involved in Jonelle Matthews’ disappearance and death.
Pankey was a neighbor of Jonelle and her family when she vanished after being dropped off at her empty home by a family friend after performing at a Christmas concert in Greeley. He emerged as person of interest in the case three decades later — shortly before Jonelle’s body was found in 2019 — after claiming to have information about what happened to her and asking for immunity from prosecution.
Lacking physical evidence, the prosecution relied heavily on testimony from Pankey’s ex-wife, who said that Pankey unexpectedly announced the night that Jonelle disappeared that they were leaving to visit family in California early the next day. It also pointed to Pankey’s unwarranted visits and statements to law
enforcement about the case, including sharing information it said had not been made public.
Prosecutors said Pankey kept up to date on the case throughout the years even as he moved his family to several states before settling in Idaho, where he ran unsuccessfully as a Constitution Party candidate for
Idaho governor in 2014 and in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, the year that authorities said he was named as a person of interest in the girl’s death.
Jonelle was considered missing until workers digging a pipeline in a rural area near Greeley in July 2019 discovered human remains matching her dental records.
Her death was then ruled a homicide. She died from a single gunshot wound to the head, prosecutors said.