Hicks claimed to have heard Pankey muttering in response, accusing the minister of being a false prophet. When the police initially approached Shawna, she insisted on her innocence and denied being involved in Heathers murder. The police arrived at 10:15 PM and found footprints in the snow, indicating that someone had been looking in the windows. The Matthews notified Vierra about what happened and the families became friends. In 2007, Shawna Nelson was a former Weld County police dispatcher who was married to a Weld County Sheriff, Deputy Ken Nelson. However, Ignacio soon realized his mistake, and apart from breaking up with Shawna, even gave up his parental rights. Incidentally, Heather also worked at the Colorado State Employees Credit Union in Greeley, and co-workers couldnt help but praise her diligence. The tree died after a few years and a plaque inscribed with Jonelle's name disappeared. The same tire pattern was found near the crime scene, while the police also recovered a pair of shoes from the same area, which had gunshot residue and Shawnas DNA on it. John Anthony Silva, 35, was convicted of murder, violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, first-degree burglary, aggravated robbery, intimidating a witness and felony drug. He said they were planning to leave town the next day for a Christmas visit with family members in Big Bear Lake, California, and had already loaded their car. On the evening of December 20, 1984, Jonelle was performing in a Christmas concert at IntraWest Bank of Denver as a member of Greeley's Franklin Middle School Choir. The day of January 23, 2007, was a normal one at the Garraus household as Heather left for work as scheduled. [21] Pankey had claimed that on the evening of Jonelle's abduction, a rake was used to cover up tracks left in the snow. Randy Baker had already been through hard times and was fighting for his life when he was shot dead just inside his Greeley, Colorado home in June 2017. [21], On October 13, 2020, Steven Pankey was indicted on charges of murdering and kidnapping Matthews. Records indicate he struck her in the head and delivered numerous blows. Greeley Police said they were called just before 8 p.m. Friday to a report of suspicious activity at Noco Nutrition, in the 1900 block of 59th Avenue. According to the witnesses, the assailant who attacked Heather spoke in a womans voice and even blamed the victim for ruining her life. When produced in court, Shawna maintained her innocence but was soon convicted of first-degree murder. Greeley Police arrested Marcos Vallejos in the death of Angie Vega. Vallejos returned to the cameras view to retrieve the hatchet and take it back to the office area. Twenty-four-year-old Marcos Vallejos was arrested shortly after and charged with sexual assault and first-degree murder. It showed the suspect, Marcos Vallejos, enter the store at 5:36 p.m., while customers were inside. Vallejos was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and sexual assault. When officers arrived, the store was in disarray with large amounts of blood found inside. At 6:36 p.m., Vallejos followed Vega behind the counter and attacked her from behind with a hatchet, the affidavit says. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Affidavit: Greeley resident wanted on suspicion, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Affidavit: Greeley resident wanted on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing in Evans, Campbell wins Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year for record-breaking times, Big Sky Tournament: UNC mens, womens basketball have tough road in Boise, Smileys former JuCo player confident in coach, UNC basketball future, Aims CC offers free science, tech summer camp for high school students, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Weld judge sentences Greeley man to 60 years for October 2020 murder, In-N-Out closes on property for Loveland restaurant in Centerra, Johnstown fisherman reels in the catch of a lifetime while traveling to Texas for son's junior hockey tournament, Sentencing date set for former Greeley Central teacher who pleaded guilty to child exploitation, Weld County commissioners approve new commissioner districts in what some say is violation of state law, Windsor girls switch to rarely used 2-3 zone en route to win over Mead in quarterfinals of 5A playoffs, Fusco Pizza is a love letter to all things Greeley, One call handles it all: TruBlue Total House Care opening in Greeley, Weld and Larimer counties retail food inspection reports, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. GREELEY, Colo. (KDVR) The family of a 22-year-old woman who was killed Friday night has identified her as Angie Vega. Married With Secrets is in Greeley, Colorado, to investigate the murder of Heather Garraus, who was killed by Shawna Nelson, the spurned lover of her husband. We love Greeley, we love the community. In metropolitan areas across the country, the increase in homicides last year eclipsed the national surge in some cases, many times over. Now The Family Seeks Her Killer", "Former Idaho gubernatorial candidate charged with killing girl, 12, who vanished in 1984", "25 years after Greeley girl vanished, no clues", "Greeley PD taking a new look Jonelle Matthews case", "Three decades after she disappeared from her Greeley home, memories of Jonelle Matthews remain", "Remains Found in Weld County Identified", "Remains of Jonelle Matthews dug up by work crew 34 years after she vanished, Greeley police sayThen 12-year-old disappeared after middle school Christmas concert", "Man Charged With Murder in 1984 Killing of Colorado Girl Taken From Home", "Former candidate for ID governor investigated in 1984 Colorado cold case killing", "Steve Pankey, Person Of Interest In Jonelle Matthews Case, Hopes Girl's Killer Is Found", "Suspect Steven Pankey Appears In Greeley Court In Jonelle Matthews 1984 Murder Case", "Mistrial declared on murder, kidnapping charges in Jonelle Matthews caseSteve Pankey was accused of killing Jonelle Matthews in 1984. A Greeley detective accessed the interior video surveillance from NOCO Nutrition. Her remains were found this week", "Jonelle Renee Matthews (12) Greeley CO, 1984", "Remains ID'd as those of Colorado girl missing 34 years", "Idaho Man Convicted in 1984 Murder of 12-Year-Old Colorado Girl", "After haunting Colorado for three decades, there is new hope in the Jonelle Matthews case", "Jonelle Matthews discovery provides closure for family, but new chapter is only just begun", "Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI)COLD CASE FILESJonelle Matthews", "Greeley girl's disappearance still a mystery after 25 years", "Colorado girl's disappearance still a mystery", "Jonelle Matthews disappearance anniversary: Timeline of events", "After 30 Years, They've Found Jonelle Matthews. Some experts speculate that each of these factors likely played a role in rising homicide rates nationwide. As a result, she was sentenced to life in prison in 2008 and still remains behind bars at the Denver Womens Correctional Facility in Denver, Colorado. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. His campaign website said that Pankey has studied criminal justice. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Family members identified the woman killed as 22-year-old Angelica "Angie" Vega. Her father arrived home at 9:30 PM and found the garage door open, but no one was in the house. In fact, the show also stated that Shawna and Ignacios affair led to a child, and the former wanted him to divorce his wife and move in with her. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Officers helped tend to the victims injuries until Evans fire personnel arrived. However, from the looks of it, the cops seemingly had an immediate breakthrough as there were several eyewitnesses to the murder. A final cause and manner of death await the conclusion of autopsy reports., Greeley police said Saturday that all three had apparent gunshot wounds and that evidence at the scene suggests that this was a murder-suicide.. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. They are currently retired and living in Costa Rica. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana). The affidavit says he was out of camera view. Vallejos was booked into the Weld County Jail on first-degree murder and sexual assault charges. but it can also be stressful. She was very unique and had a heart of gold! When officers arrived, they found a wounded man on the ground with. During the interview in the field and at the police station, officers said that Vallejos made several incoherent or nonsensical statements. Every picture of Vega at the memorials shows her smile. Police determined Jaramillo left the scene in a Dodge. In the last 5 years Greeley has seen decreasing violent crime and decreasing property crime. Multiple bullets hit the kneeling woman, who immediately collapsed on the ground while the assailant made a quick escape. At 1:51 a.m. July 24, Evans police responded to a stabbing in a garage in the 4000 block of Mariposa Lane. The suspect is Jessica Reeves-Burrola, according to jail records. A news release from the coroner's office notes they were family. Eyewitnesses present on the scene mentioned that the figure was dressed in a dark robe and had a Grim Reaper mask on their face to conceal their identity completely. According to court documents, he said, "Yeah, I'm your guy," when an officer told another officer aloud that he thought Vallejos, who was covered in blood, matched the description of the suspect. [18], Excavators installing a pipeline discovered human remains at 4:50 PM on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, near the intersection of County Roads 34.5 and 49 at coordinates .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}401423N 1043609W / 40.239848N 104.602514W / 40.239848; -104.602514, about 15mi (24km) southeast of Jonelle's home. Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. She was pronounced dead at 10:59 p.m. Police found Vallejos backpack in the front seat of the car. Pankey told the newspaper that he did not know Jonelle or the Matthews family and had only heard about them following the disappearance. RELATED: 'She was always smiling': Family remembers woman killed at Greeley smoothie shop. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The worker contacted another person to go check out the business. Murders A-Z is a collection of true crime stories that take an in-depth look at both little-known and infamous murders throughout history. "The incident remains under investigation by the Greeley Police Department, which will provide further information as it becomes available," Chief Deputy Coroner Joey Weiner said. Lets delve into the details surrounding the crime and find out more, shall we? [5] Gabriel Faudoa, 34, is facing charges of first-degree murder after deliberation, first-degree felony murder, aggravated robbery with a weapon and aggravated vehicle theft. When detectives examined the surveillance video, they learned Vallejos entered the business at 5:36 p.m. while other customers were inside. The usually peaceful city of Greeley, Colorado, was forced to witness a horrifying homicide when Heather Garraus was murdered in cold blood as she left her place of work. Vallejos retrieved the piece of paper he left at the table earlier, folded it and placed it at the end of the counter. 2A 23-year-old will spend 60 years behind bars for shooting and killing a Greeley man in October 2020. [28] His earliest possible release date is in 2042, at which point he will be 91 years old. On Monday, Weld Judge Vincente Vigil imposed the maximum sentence of 60 years in the . She said that on their return trip, Pankey "uncharacteristically listened to the radio, searching for news of the girl's disappearance". [13] Steven Pankey was 69 years old at the time of his indictment. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and left millions of Americans out of work. Upon arrival, officers found the victim on the floor of the garage while two witnesses were providing help to the severely injured man. Moreover, officers also found a Grim Reaper mask in the truck the accused was driving, further strengthening their case. A customer also told her someone broke into the business and there was blood on the floor. NBC News Dateline: Internal Affairs chronicles the brutal murder and shows how through efficient police investigation, law enforcement officers were to bring the perpetrator to justice. Jonelle's shoes and shawl were near a heater in the family room, a place she often sat. "We're here for you. He has his first court appearance 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Meet the news team or contact us. [13] Hicks said they returned to Greeley on December 26 and that Pankey took an unusual interest in the disappearance. Greeley Police said they were called just before 8 p.m. Friday to a report of suspicious activity at Noco. He cut a cover off a couch inside the shop, wrapped her body in the cover, put her in the backseat of her own vehicle and drove away, the affidavit states. He shuffled papers in and out of his black backpack and wrote on them for an hour. Pankey pleaded not guilty for those crimes . [13], A few months following Jonelle's disappearance, Pankey attended a church service where a minister claimed that Jonelle would be found safe. That's about a mile from where the attack happened. The victim had a deep laceration from behind his left ear extending to the base of his skull. Her family said at work, she wrote a message on every cup to cheer up customers. Ketia Daniel, founder of BHM Cleaning Co., is BestReviews cleaning expert. Upon retrial, Pankey was found guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Jonelle by a Weld County jury on October 31, 2022. If you need anything, we're here," Bowie said. [14] She was mentioned in the Congressional Record for the United States House of Representatives on April 2, 1985, page 7224. On Thursday, the coroner's office identified them as Richard Kraus, 83, Patricia Karus, 80, and Alan Kraus, 61, all of Greeley. There were no signs of a struggle or of forced entry. A young woman found dead in the back of her vehicle Friday night in Greeley has been identified, and a suspect is in custody. In 1997, Gloria Matthews received a letter from Vierra requesting permission to visit Jonelle. President Ronald Reagan mentioned Jonelle Matthews in a speech on March 7, 1985, from Room 450 of the Old Executive Office Building. An initial examination determined that she was dead, while an autopsy later confirmed that the Colorado State Employees Credit Union employee had died of multiple bullet wounds. Vega and her vehicle were both missing. About 5:30 p.m. Nov. 27, 1979, two of Kay Day's coworkers on their way home found her red 1977 Datsun station wagon parked on the eastbound shoulder in the 5700 block of 20th Street, just southwest of the college campus. Randy Baker was killed in 2017. Video surveillance obtained by police showed a 24-year-old murder suspect waiting for customers to leave a business before brutally killing a 22-year-old worker with a hatchet. The criminal indictment said that he "intentionally inserted himself in the investigation many times over the years claiming to have knowledge of the crime which grew inconsistent and incriminating over time". Vega was seen on security cameras cleaning and preparing to close the store. Pankey and his former wife lived about three miles from the Matthews home and he had been a youth pastor at the church the Matthews family attended. On September 13, 2019, the Greeley Police Department announced that Steven Dana Pankey, a former Greeley resident who ran for governor in Idaho in 2014 and 2018 and for lieutenant governor in 2010, was a person of interest in Jonelle Matthews' abduction and death. According to the arrest affidavit, Vega's mother told police that the business looked like a mess from the surveillance footage and she had also received a call from a customer that the business had experienced a break-in and that there was blood on the floor. Greeley Police Department arrested 26-year-old Andrew Sweatt, who police say admitted to the shooting at a home in the 900 block of 4th Avenue on Thursday night. The case is the subject of a new Dateline episode that aired Monday night at 9 p.m. GREELEY, Colo. Randy Baker was 59 when his wife Kelly found him dead inside . Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. Officers searched for him in the area and saw him walking a few blocks away. He was wearing a white shirt, dark pants and had a black backpack. She said theyre pushing for better safety in this area. [15] As recently as 2018, Greeley Police had been re-contacting witnesses and applying the latest forensic advances in their investigation. The victim eventually stopped breathing and his pulse could not be detected, according to Evans police. Deputies arrested him about an hour after finding his mother, 66-year-old June Martinez Faudoa, killed in her home just outside Eaton. International Center for Unidentified and Missing Persons', "Jonelle Matthews investigation: Chronicling the 34-year search for missing Greeley 12-year-oldThe vivacious 12-year-old disappeared in 1984. Steve Pankey, who twice ran for governor of Idaho, is charged in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews. Vega's family posted a statement on Facebook that read in part: "Angelica Vega was a Daughter a grand daughter a sister a niece a cousin a friend. By Bryan Pietsch Oct. 13, 2020 DENVER For more than three decades, the disappearance of Jonelle Matthews hung over the city of Greeley, Colo., where the 12-year-old was taken from her family's. All other forms of violent crime also increased in Greeley last year, contributing to a near-nation leading 50% surge in the violent crime rate nearly 10 times the nationwide increase. She found it on the job, working as a 911 dispatcher, and falling in love with Sheriff's deputy Ken Nelson. If youre an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Affidavit: Video footage captures vicious, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Affidavit: Video footage captures vicious murder of 22-year-old, Campbell wins Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year for record-breaking times, Big Sky Tournament: UNC mens, womens basketball have tough road in Boise, Smileys former JuCo player confident in coach, UNC basketball future, Aims CC offers free science, tech summer camp for high school students, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Weld judge sentences Greeley man to 60 years for October 2020 murder, In-N-Out closes on property for Loveland restaurant in Centerra, Johnstown fisherman reels in the catch of a lifetime while traveling to Texas for son's junior hockey tournament, Sentencing date set for former Greeley Central teacher who pleaded guilty to child exploitation, Weld County commissioners approve new commissioner districts in what some say is violation of state law, Windsor girls switch to rarely used 2-3 zone en route to win over Mead in quarterfinals of 5A playoffs, Fusco Pizza is a love letter to all things Greeley, One call handles it all: TruBlue Total House Care opening in Greeley, Weld and Larimer counties retail food inspection reports, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Jan 18, 2022 Updated Jan 18, 2022. He said he and his wife were home on the night of Jonelle's disappearance. The 2019 Greeley crime rate fell by 9% compared to 2018. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Greeley, Colorado (CO): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. Pankey's trial began on Thursday, October 14, 2021, ultimately ending in a mistrial on November 4, 2021, due to a hung jury. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [5], Jonelle Matthews was born at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California, on February 9, 1972, to 13-year-old Terri Vierra. He was last booked into the Weld County Jail on July 6, on suspicion of first-degree assault. Footage of the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer rattled confidence in American law enforcement and sparked nationwide protests. On April 14, 2009, the two-week trial for the murder of Angie Zapataan 18-year-old transgender womanis scheduled to begin in Greeley, Colo. Due to this landmark case's complexities and its significance for LGBT people, it is of utmost importance that media coverage of the tragic death of Angie Zapata be inclusive, accurate, and respectful of a community that is too often . Homicide is Soaring in the Greeley, CO Metro Area Samuel Stebbins Homicides are rising at a record pace in the United States. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. The incident angered Shawna greatly, and authorities discovered that she had been sending threatening messages to Ignacio and Heather for quite some time.
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