The Girl on the Milk Carton, a new true-crime series, revisits the chilling 1984 disappearance of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, one of the first missing children featured on milk cartons. The two-part series is available on Sky Crime and NOW from Sunday, March 23rd.
Here’s the Lowdown: Jonelle Matthews vanished from her Colorado home just before Christmas in 1984. Despite national publicity, she remained missing for nearly 35 years until her remains were discovered. The case took a strange turn when Steve Pankey, a true-crime enthusiast and political candidate obsessed with the case, became the prime suspect.
What This Means Now: The series features an exclusive interview with Pankey’s ex-wife, a key witness who provides crucial evidence that led to his prosecution. She shares her experience living with Pankey, describing him as a “deluded fantasist and sadistic murderer.” This first-hand account offers a chilling perspective on the man accused of Jonelle’s murder.
The Bigger Picture: The Jonelle Matthews case was a landmark in the use of milk cartons to raise awareness of missing children. The series explores how a seemingly helpful, politically aspiring individual, obsessed with true crime, became entangled in the investigation, eventually becoming the main suspect. The show highlights the dark side of true-crime fascination and the lengths someone might go to for attention, even involving themselves in a decades-old tragedy. All episodes are available from Sunday, March 23rd, on Sky Crime and NOW.
