A Weld County judge has set a $5 million cash-only bond for the man accused of murdering 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews in Greeley 36 years ago.  

Steve Pankey, 69, who ran for governor in Idaho twice and also ran for Twin Falls County Sheriff in the last election, faces five charges in the killing of Matthews, who disappeared after singing in a Christmas concert on Dec. 20, 1984. 

Pankey is facing two murder charges, two violent crime charges and one kidnapping charge in connection with Matthews’ disappearance. The girl’s remains were found in a shallow grave in a rural area east of Greeley in the summer of 2019.  

Pankey appeared in an orange jail outfit in handcuffs and a white coronavirus face mask. 

Jonelle’s sister, Jennifer Mogensen and her parents, Jim and Gloria Matthews, watched the hearing virtually from their home in Washington state. 

Pankey was arrested at his home in Meridian, Idaho, on Oct. 12 and extradited to Colorado. 

Pankey lived near the Matthews home at the time of the girl’s disappearance, but moved shortly afterward. He has said that he briefly worked as a youth pastor at the Matthews’ church, but he says he left the church shortly before the family joined.

Assistant District Attorney Bob Miller originally asked for a cash-only bond of $10 million, describing Pankey’s strange behavior through the years including at least 2,000 pages that the defendant has written about the case. 

Referring to a three-day grand jury investigation, Miller brought up a witness who testified that in 1999, Pankey discussed knowledge of a rake which was used to erase footprints outside of a window in the Matthews’ home that night. 

Miller also discussed Pankey’s history of intimidating witnesses, including his obsession over a 1977 rape victim. “He was still calling her; he was calling her father; he was calling her husband; he found out where they were in Oklahoma and continued harassing them even after the case was dismissed,” Miller told District Judge Tim Kerns. 

In asking to reduce the bond amount, Pankey’s attorney Tony Viorst told Kerns that Pankey is not a danger to the community and is not a flight risk. 

“He’s almost 70 years old, your honor. He’s not going anywhere,” Viorst said.  “Ten million dollars is just ridiculous.” 

Viorst admitted Pankey’s behavior has been bizarre through the years, but, he told The Gazette, his client is not a murderer. 

“We believe that Mr. Pankey did not commit this crime and he will be pleading not guilty because he is not guilty,” he said.

Kerns set a status hearing for 2 p.m. Dec. 30.