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Jonelle Matthews' Harrowing Disappearance at Age 12 Explored on Oxygen's The Girl on the Milk Carton
For 35 years, Jonelle Matthews' disappearance remained one of Colorado’s unrivaled cold cases. In 2019, a grim discovery 20 miles from her home changed everything.
Oxygen, the home of high-quality, true-crime programming, travels back to 1984 when the dairy industry began the somber task of posting missing children on product packaging, which was ubiquitous in homes across America.
In The Girl on the Milk Carton, Oxygen delves into the story of one the first faces to be featured, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews, who vanished and left behind a cold case that would echo through decades until an unlikely hero brought forth evidence crucial to solve it.
What is Oxygen's The Girl on the Milk Carton?
Five days before Christmas in 1984, Jonelle Matthews disappeared from her family home in the small town of Greeley, Colorado. The Oxygen special, focusing on Jonelle, one of the first missing children to be pictured on a milk carton, features exclusive interviews from the victim’s family, local police who investigated for almost 40 years, and the woman whose story became the key to solving the case.
When does The Girl on the Milk Carton premiere?
The two-part series airs Sunday, August 25 at 7 p.m. ET/PT on Oxygen.
With Jonelle's family devastated and the community shaken by fear after she vanished, Greeley police turned to the FBI for help. As leads ran cold, a determined grassroots movement emerged, refusing to let Jonelle be forgotten. Their tireless efforts caught the attention of the White House, prompting President Ronald Reagan to shine a national spotlight on Jonelle’s fate and champion the missing children’s national milk carton campaign in the hope that one day Jonelle would find her way home.
Was Jonelle Matthews ever found?
For 35 years, Jonelle’s disappearance remained one of Colorado’s unrivaled cold cases. In 2019, a grim discovery 20 miles from her home changed everything: Jonelle’s remains were unearthed, transforming a missing person case into a murder investigation. While this development finally offered answers, it also confirmed the heartbreaking truth the family had long feared but never wanted to face.
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Who is Angela Hicks?
Two decades before Jonelle’s remains were found, Angela Hicks was living with a dark suspicion. Her then-husband, a true-crime enthusiast and Idaho gubernatorial candidate, had exhibited behavior that made her believe he was involved in Jonelle’s disappearance. Despite Angela’s efforts to prove her suspicions, her story went unheard for years. It wasn’t until a former classmate of Jonelle’s sister, now a detective, was assigned to the cold case and vowed to solve it that Angela’s secret came to light.
In a reckoning like no other, Angela bravely came forward to share her story, breaking free from 20 years of silence and fear. As the Matthews family’s quest for justice hung in the balance, Angela’s testimony proved crucial in uncovering the long-hidden truth.
Oxygen's The Girl on the Milk Carton will be told in two-parts:
"A DEVASTATING DISAPPEARANCE” (August 25 at 7 p.m. ET/PT)
Days before Christmas 1984, 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews vanishes from her home. As shock grips Greeley, Colorado, local detectives turn to the FBI, President Reagan and a national milk carton campaign for answers. All along, the truth lies closer to home.
“A MONSTER REVEALED” (Supersized 75-minute episode; August 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT)
Nearly 35 years after Jonelle Matthews’ disappearance, a chilling discovery reignites the hunt for her killer, whose secrets are finally unmasked. An unlikely hero comes forward and a historic trial forces a reckoning.
The Girl on the Milk Carton is produced by Wild Dream Films. Stuart Clarke executive produces with Marcus Plowright serving as director and showrunner.
