Alex Phillips explains why she is against true crime dramas The chilling true-crime documentary The Girl on the Milk Carton, soon to be released on Hayu, delves into the case of convicted murderer Steven Pankey. His victim, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, vanished in the week leading up to Christmas 1984 and her face became one of the first to feature in America's dairy industry's missing child campaign. However, the police investigation went cold and the case unsolved for 35 years.
Pankey's ex-wife Angela Hicks played a crucial role in his eventual capture, although it took her two decades to come forward with her detailed suspicions. In late 2022, the 71-year-old Colorado native was finally brought to justice for his crimes and sentenced to 20 years to life behind bars. He was charged with kidnapping and murder a year earlier, but the jury couldn't reach a consensus and a mistrial was declared.
Prosecutors highlighted Pankey's expulsion from the Sunny View Church of the Nazarene, which the Matthews' also attended, and previous criminal offences involving a fellow congregant. Pankey lost his job at the church in 1977, where he'd worked as the janitor, reports the Daily Star . Don't miss.
.. Harrowing real-life events that inspired new BBC kidnap drama [TRUE CRIME] Netflix documentary to explore heartbreaking murder of pregnant Laci Peterson [TRUE CRIME] Hicks testified in court about her ex-husband's odd behaviour after Jonelle's story made headlines.
A report from The Greeley .