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Ex-Idaho Governor Candidate’s Murder Trial Ends With Hung Jury

Steven Pankey was charged with two counts of murder and one of kidnapping in the disappearance of a 12-year-old. He was convicted of false reporting.

The murder trial of an Idaho man who ran unsuccessfully for governor twice has ended in a mistrial. Steven Pankey, 69, was convicted of false reporting, but the hung jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on two charges of murder and one of kidnapping. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, when the prosecution will have the opportunity to re-file the case. Pankey was charged with kidnapping and killing Jonelle Matthews in 1984. The night before 12-year-old Matthews vanished from her home in Colorado, she had performed at a Christmas concert. Her remains were only found in 2019 by a crew working on an oil and gas pipeline. Pankey previously claimed he had been framed.