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Angela Hicks, the former wife of Steve Pankey, explains how her observations became part of the investigation and prosecution featured in Oxygen’s The Girl on the Milk Carton. Pankey was convicted in 2022 in the case of Jonelle Matthews, but the sources cited here do not establish that he was a serial killer with multiple murder victims.
Who was Jonelle Matthews?
Jonelle Matthews was 12 when she disappeared from her family’s home in Greeley, Colorado, in December 1984, five days before Christmas. Her face appeared on milk cartons as people searched for her. Nearly 34 years later, her remains were found about 20 miles from home, according to Oxygen’s series description.
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Oxygen’s series follows the disappearance and murder investigation, drawing on interviews with Matthews’s family and friends, investigating detectives, and Hicks. Its focus is Jonelle’s case; Hicks’s account is one part of that story.
Why did Angela Hicks join the documentary?
In an interview with TV Insider, Hicks said that after Pankey was found guilty, she spoke with Jonelle’s sister, Jenn Mogensen, who encouraged her to participate. Hicks recalled worrying that her own life and experiences might distract from Jonelle. She said Mogensen responded: “Angela, you are Jonelle’s story. I think it is so important for people to understand.”
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Hicks’s participation gives the series a former spouse’s perspective on what she says she observed. It does not make every detail of her account an uncontested fact; some of those details were disputed at trial.
What did Hicks testify to, and what did Pankey dispute?
A CBS report on the 2022 trial says Hicks testified that Pankey announced a trip to California for the following morning shortly after Jonelle disappeared. She also testified that he listened to radio coverage and had her search for news about Jonelle.
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Pankey disputed Hicks’s account. The CBS report says he maintained that the trip had been planned and characterized Hicks’s testimony as a lie motivated by revenge. He also said he had lied about his knowledge of the case. These are competing accounts: Hicks’s statements should be understood as trial testimony, alongside Pankey’s response, rather than as independently established details about every event.
Was Steve Pankey involved in Jonelle Matthews’s disappearance?
A jury convicted Pankey in 2022 of felony murder, second-degree kidnapping, and false reporting in the Matthews case, as reported by CBS/AP. The verdict establishes the legal outcome of the case. It should be distinguished from disputed testimony and from any broader claim about other crimes.
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The title’s description of Pankey as a “serial killer” is not substantiated by the sources cited here. The reported convictions concern the Matthews case; they do not establish multiple murder victims or multiple serial-murder convictions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the series add to the case narrative?
The series brings together the family’s perspective, accounts from friends and detectives, and Hicks’s experience as Pankey’s former wife. That mix helps viewers see how a long-running investigation and a trial included different kinds of evidence and testimony. When assessing the story, keep three things distinct: the jury’s convictions, the testimony each witness gave, and details that remained disputed between witnesses.
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