Sneak peek: Who Killed Jonelle Matthews? | Forensic Files

[Applause] [Music] where's chanel do you know where janelle is i wonder what happened to that 12 year
old little girl everybody was looking for janelle what happened and why nearly 37 years after a young girl
vanished from her home in greeley the trial underway in the janelle matthews murder case ladies and gentlemen for 37
years justice for janelle has been denied that change is beginning today let's talk about december 20th
1984. my mom was going to california to visit her family for christmas and i had
a basketball game that night my dad dropped my sister off at the choir concert and he came and watched my game
janelle needed a ride home so she hopped in our truck and we took her home my dad waited until he saw her
flick on the light that was our sign that she made it inside and everything's fine
[Music] i came home and you could tell janelle had been there i yelled out hi janelle
janel are you there no answer i got home probably between 9 30 and 10. jennifer do you know where janelle is
and i said no she should be here was there anything out of place in the house not to me
i'm starting to feel real uneasy i called the police and told them that my daughter was missing and they did
uncover some footprints i called home and he said i just have to tell you something
[Music] we can't find chanel i just had a sick feeling to my stomach tell me a little bit about janelle
just sweet bubbly fun so kind so nice i always seemed to kind of be the life of the party and you always knew janelle
was around [Music] years go by five years ten years 20 years 30 years the police were working
like hell to get this case cleared we just had to wait 35 years janelle was finally found a bulldozer
operator uncovered the bones more than 20 miles from her old home i didn't want that to be juno
i really wanted to not know the discovery of her body was not the end of the story this is steve pankey
panke is a person of interest in a homicide out of colorado i've never met janelle matthews he's run for governor
never met her never talked to her he ran for sheriff never heard of janelle matthews he likes
to talk he's a talkative guy i voluntarily gave my dna but he's not a murderer i want to hear what he has to say about
that night [Music] could you please state your name and spell your last name steven dana panky
when you heard that panky was going to take the stand how did you react i was so surprised
and cbs 4's kelly wurthman is watching the trial as it all unfolds and joins us now from the newsroom
you don't often have a person who is being charged with murder to take the stand
i did some things that were wrong did you ever think this case would end this way
i didn't i did not see this coming we the jury find the defendant stephen dana panky

A former candidate for governor is accused of kidnapping a 12-year-old girl. Does his decades-long fascination with the case mean he’s a true-crime junkie or a murderer? "48 Hours" correspondent Richard Schlesinger reports Saturday, August 6 at 9/8c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

The episode discusses the trial of Steven Pankey in the 1984 Janelle Matthews murder case and the discovery of her remains.

Key points

Justice for Janelle. Nearly 37 years after her disappearance, the trial for Janelle Matthews begins.
The Discovery. Janelle's remains were uncovered after 35 years, revealing a tragic end to the search.
Panky's Testimony. Steve Panky, a person of interest, takes the stand in a shocking twist.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I just had a sick feeling to my stomach.

A parent's instinct upon hearing news of a missing child

1:49WatchJan 6, 2022

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