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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. President Ronald Reagan mentioned Jonelle Matthews in a speech on March 7, 1985, from Room 450 of the Old Executive Office Building. 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. Her father arrived home at 9:30 PM and found the garage door open, but no one was in the house. Some experts speculate that each of these factors likely played a role in rising homicide rates nationwide. Based on DNA evidence, the Weld County Coroner's Office positively identified the remains as being those of Jonelle Matthews. Vallejos shuffled papers in and out of his backpack, drawing and writing on them, for nearly an hour. "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. During this time, Vega put things away and cleaned up the counter. A Greeley detective accessed the interior video surveillance from NOCO Nutrition. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. She is being held in Weld County Jail without bond on charges of . Upon arrival, officers found the victim on the floor of the garage while two witnesses were providing help to the severely injured man. [7][8][9] Her father was at his other daughter's basketball game[9] and her mother had traveled out of state to be with Jonelle's ill grandfather. The person reported seeing a body covered in the backseat. He laid the weapon on the couch and placed Vega on the cover. It adjusts for the number of visitors and daily workers commuting into cities. Family members identified the woman killed as 22-year-old Angelica "Angie" Vega. Vallejos failed to show up for a court date in March. The worker contacted another person to go check out the business. The suspect is Jessica Reeves-Burrola, according to jail records. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. On Monday, Weld Judge Vincente Vigil imposed the maximum sentence of 60 years in the . When officers arrived at the business, they found Vega's glasses and a lot of blood, along with her finger. [13] She also said that after their return, Pankey forced her to read to him newspaper articles concerning the case. The tree died after a few years and a plaque inscribed with Jonelle's name disappeared. Besides, she was highly dedicated to her husband and their relationship meant the world to Heather. He left in and out of the frame several times and moved the hatchet back to the counter before placing the folded paper into his backpack. 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] In 2008, Pankey's son was murdered. [2], Years after Jonelle's disappearance, her parents moved to the Philippines. The 2019 crime rate in Greeley, CO is 233 (City-Data.com crime index), which is comparable to the U.S. average. The victim eventually stopped breathing and his pulse could not be detected, according to Evans police. Officers found three people dead inside the home. Shortly after 8:30 PM, Jonelle answered a phone call and took a message for her father. With snow on the ground, Jonelle's father thought it unlikely that she would go far without shoes. Jennifer McRae is a digital media producer. She was beautiful smart loving and caring young lady filled with so much joy! 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. Twenty-four-year-old Marcos Vallejos was arrested shortly after and charged with sexual assault and first-degree murder. DU loses to North Dakota in Summit tourney opener, Makar cleared to return 2nd time from concussion protocol, 77 inches of snow fall at Colorado ski area in 9 days, 'She was always smiling': Family remembers woman killed at Greeley smoothie shop. She was found dead in. Steve Pankey, who twice ran for governor of Idaho, is charged in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Jonelle Matthews. Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. The 2019 Greeley crime rate fell by 9% compared to 2018. During his interview with a detective, Vallejos made statements about Jesus Christ, Sophia, Mexicans, Mormons, magnets and politics, records said. 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. He interacted with Vega briefly at the shop's counter and then sat a table. 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. At this point, Vega was draped in a blanket. Her family said at work, she wrote a message on every cup to cheer up customers. [26] The video shows Vallejos sexually assaulting Vega. People from the community came by all day Saturday to pay their respects. Officers responded to the convenience store and found Vegas body. The number of homicides stood at 2. Jonelle's shoes and shawl were near a heater in the family room, a place she often sat. His campaign website said that Pankey has studied criminal justice. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The affidavit says that as officers approached, Vallejos said something to the effect of "Yeah, I'm your guy.". [27] He received a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Vega was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed. She was very unique and had a heart of gold! At the time of her disappearance, Jonelle's father was the principal of Platte Valley Elementary School in Kersey, Colorado.[6]. Suspect Marcos Vallejos, 24, has been arrested and booked. A few moments later, he left his table and walked around the counter to the restroom out of the cameras view. In metropolitan areas across the country, the increase in homicides last year eclipsed the national surge in some cases, many times over. According to our research of Colorado and other state lists, there were 381 registered sex offenders living in Greeley, Colorado as of March 03, 2023. Hicks claimed to have heard Pankey muttering in response, accusing the minister of being a false prophet. At the time of her murder, Heather Garraus was 37-years-old and happily married to Ignacio Garraus, a police officer in the Greeley Police Department. Jonelle Matthews was a 12-year-old American girl who disappeared near Greeley, Colorado, on December 20, 1984. At about that time, a car stored on their property caught fire and the burned car "was disposed of at a salvage yard". Pankey repeatedly claimed to have knowledge of the crime and had asked "for immunity in exchange for information". Police have arrested a suspect and charged him with murder. On Wednesday, September 4, 2019, police in Twin Falls, Idaho, searched Pankey's condo under a warrant that stated investigators had probable cause to believe that Pankey abducted and murdered Jonelle. A witness told police they saw a lot of blood and a hatchet at the business before police arrived. Interestingly, Shawna was arrested on the same day as Heathers murder, and the police found her driving her husbands truck. 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Mar. 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. Officers helped tend to the victim's injuries until Evans fire personnel arrived. Just after 6:15 p.m., the last customer left the store, leaving Vega alone inside with Vallejos, the affidavit says. He also claimed to have watched students walking home from the middle school which Jonelle attended. Greeley Police Commander Roy Smith stated that Pankey "had made repeated efforts to speak with detectives" about the Matthews case, but refused to answer questions when detectives traveled to Twin Falls on August 15, 2019. Lets delve into the details surrounding the crime and find out more, shall we? After, Vallejos removed a dark-colored cover from a nearby couch using the hatchet. [13] Decades later, Pankey provided investigators with documents concerning this trip, which police said contained "false statements and superfluous details". [13] Hicks said they returned to Greeley on December 26 and that Pankey took an unusual interest in the disappearance. She said theyre pushing for better safety in this area. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Vega was allegedly sexually assaulted and killed. Firearms sales soared, and tens of millions of new guns proliferated across communities nationwide. About 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Greeley police responded to a home in the 4900 block of 23rd Street Road, where they found three people shot dead: Richard Kraus, 83, Patricia Kraus, 80, and Alan Kraus, 61, all of Greeley. Afterward, Vallejos took Vega's car keys and pulled her car closer to the business's front door. We want safety, so the powers that be put more lights up here. Big Sky Tournament: UNC men's, women's basketball have tough road in Boise. According to a recent FBI report, there were a total of 21,570. Every picture of Vega at the memorials shows her smile. Mogensen's father was reportedly "especially excited to see justice". The police arrived at 10:15 PM and found footprints in the snow, indicating that someone had been looking in the windows. A news release from the coroners office notes they were family. Moreover, officers also found a Grim Reaper mask in the truck the accused was driving, further strengthening their case. Vega is seen cleaning up at the counter, likely anticipating closing at 7 p.m. At 6:36 p.m. the video shows Vallejos on the video following the victim behind the counter and attacking her. "[13], Jennifer Mogensen, Jonelle's older sister, said her family experienced "some closure" when they learned that Jonelle was murdered and she considers Pankey's arrest "another gift to our family". In 1997, Gloria Matthews received a letter from Vierra requesting permission to visit Jonelle. Greeley Police said officers were searching the area near where Vega's car was found and spotted Vallejos nearby. Shawna Louise Buntz Nelson (pictured, left) was always looking for love. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Police arrested a suspect, identified as Marco Vallejos. If you need anything, we're here," Bowie said. GREELEY, Colo. Content Warning: This article includes topics that may be sensitive for some readers, including sexual assault. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. . Moreover, the people who saw the murder also claimed that the killer showed no compassion, and it seemed like a personal attack. He shuffled papers in and out of his black backpack and wrote on them for an hour. Vallejos returned to the cameras view to retrieve the hatchet and take it back to the office area.