Name: Pro-life Republican charged in cold-case murder
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Pro-life Republican charged in cold-case murder

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RED BARBLUE BARA failed Idaho gubernatorial candidate was charged in the 1984 murder of a 12-year-old girl.Steve Pankey, a 2014 Constitution Party candidate for governor who also ran in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, was taken into custody Monday on two first-degree murder charges, two violent crime charges and one second-degree kidnapping charge, .ADVERTISEMENTThe perennial candidate became a suspect last year in the disappearance of Jonelle Matthews after her body was discovered at an oil and gas site home in Weld County, Colorado.The girl disappeared after returning home from performing a church school choir concert on Dec. 20, 1984, and prosecutors said Pankey had taken Jonelle against her will from her family’s house a short time later and then shot her through the forehead during the kidnapping.The 69-year-old Pankey, who during his 2018 campaign to “defund abortion” from the state budget and “return Idaho to the God of the Bible and Constitutional principles,” lived about two miles from the Matthews home and had as them around 1978.He had claimed during a newspaper interview last year that he was home with his then-wife and son, getting ready to drive to California for Christmas, and said he did not learn of the girl’s disappearance until returning home six days later.But his ex-wife told investigators that the family trip came two days later and was unexpected, and she said Pankey uncharacteristically listened to the radio for news of her disappearance and forced her to read newspaper stories about Jonelle.ADVERTISEMENTWeld County Colorado District Attorney Michael Rourke said Pankey had become a central suspect in the long-cold case in the past two years, mostly because he knew so much about it, including the non-publicized use of a rake to cover up footprints in the snow.Pankey also repeatedly inserted himself into the investigation, such as making court filings related to the case and suggesting terms for a deal in exchange for information about the case.His ex-wife also recalled an odd statement Pankey made in 2008, at the funeral for his son, who had been murdered.ADVERTISEMENT“I hope God didn’t allow this to happen because of Jonelle Matthews,” Pankey said, according to the indictment.… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire and uncovered White House efforts to . We’ve revealed , and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by . And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. , or… then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has cut advertising rates in half, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire and uncovered White House efforts to . We’ve revealed , and efforts to harm workers exploited by . We need your support to do what we do.Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. , orReport typos and corrections to: .At President Donald Trump's Tuesday evening rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, a sound problem resulted in the president's microphone being unexpectedly cut in the middle of his speech."I think we have every endorsement including New York's Finest, New York City's Finest, we love our—" Trump was saying. At that point, the microphone cut out, and the president continued talking inaudibly.It took several moments for technicians to restore the audio, at which point the president walked toward a row of sign-toting fans standing behind him.Watch below:The President’s mic gets muted at his own rally Fox News correspondent Ed Henry was accused Tuesday night of “slut-shaming” his alleged rape victim with 15 salacious and explicit photos that were attached to a court filing in order to seek dismissal of aimed at himself and his employer.“That Defendant Henry would double down on his abusive conduct by engaging in this kind of blatant victim shaming is simply abhorrent,” said Michael J. Willemin, attorney for Henry’s accuser, former Fox News reporter/producer Jennifer Eckhart, wrote in a letter Tuesday to U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams, who is overseeing the case. “[I]t is obvious that Defendant Henry chose to publicly file such personal and intimate images of Eckhart to humiliate and retaliate against her for her decision to speak out against his sexual abuse.”&nbsp; On Tuesday, President Donald Trump reportedly stormed out of an interview with CBS News' Lesley Stahl for "60 Minutes." It is currently unclear what set him off.However, at his rally in Erie, Pennsylvania later that night, the president tried to spin the whole thing as entertainment, telling his supporters he couldn't wait for them to see the interview and that "You're gonna get a kick out of it. Lesley Stahl is not gonna be happy."Watch below:"You have to watch what we do to 60 Minutes. You'll get such a kick of it. You're gonna get a kick out of it. Lesley Stahl is not gonna be happy." -- Trump&nbsp;&nbsp;Comments:

RED BARBLUE BARA failed Idaho gubernatorial candidate was charged in the 1984 murder of a 12-year-old girl.Steve Pankey, a 2014 Constitution Party candidate for governor who also ran in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary in 2018, was taken into custody Monday on two first-degree murder charges, two violent crime charges and one second-degree kidnapping charge, .ADVERTISEMENTThe perennial candidate became a suspect last year in the disappearance of Jonelle Matthews after her body was discovered at an oil and gas site home in Weld County, Colorado.The girl disappeared after...

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Pro-life Republican charged in cold-case murder

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