Naman Shrestha
Oxygen’s ‘The Girl on the Milk Carton’ is a two-episode docuseries that puts the spotlight on the disappearance case of 12-year-old Jonelle Matthews from her Greeley residence in December 1984. While most of the focus is on the victim, her family members, and the perpetrator, the episodes also provide details about Jonelle’s best friend’s father, Russell Ross, who talks about his account of the fateful night in the interview. Since he dropped Jonelle off at her house, the police also questioned him.
Russell Ross Was the Last Adult to See Jonelle Matthews Alive
On the night of December 20, 1984, Jonelle Matthews had a concert with her school’s choir group while her sister Jennifer had an important basketball game to play. Given his interest in sports, their father, Jim Matthews, decided to attend the latter’s game. So, when Jonelle Matthews finished performing at the concert, her father was not there to pick her up. Her best friend, Deanna Ross, was also a part of the choir, so when her father, Russell Ross, came by to pick her up, they offered Jonelle a ride back home too.
As per Russell’s account of the night, he dropped Jonelle off right outside her Greeley residence and even waited for her to flicker the porch light indicating that she had made it inside safe and sound. However, he did notice that the garage was open when they reached the property, which he told Jonelle’s father when he called him to ask about his daughter. Little did he know that he would end up being the last adult to see him alive. When he heard the news of the 12-year-old girl’s disappearance, Russell kept going back to the night, wondering if he missed something and failed to notice.
At one point, even he was a suspect and a person of interest in the eyes of the authorities. Finally, several decades later, when Steven Pankey was accused of kidnapping and murdering Jonelle Matthews, Russell testified in his October 2021 trial. He said that nothing seemed out of the ordinary on the fateful night. He also told the court that he was Steve Pankey’s supervisor at Greeley’s 7UP factory in the early 1980s.
Russell Ross is a Now-Retired Ambassador of a Colorado-based Chamber of Commerce
After his stint as a sales manager at a Greeley 7UP, Russell Ross worked with Westview Printing and Graphics around the early 1990s. Meanwhile, in 1993, he became a member of the Evans Area Chamber of Commerce. After being a member for almost two decades, he was promoted to the position of ambassador in 2012. A few years later, he moved up the ranks again and began serving as a membership director of the chamber in 2017. As an integral part of the EACC, he attends many events associated with the chamber. For instance, on February 16, 2017, he attended the Evans Area Chamber of Commerce business after-hours event at the Homewood Suites by Hilton. As a token of acknowledgment and recognition of his services over the decades, Russell received the Ambassador of the Year award for the year 2021.
As of today, Russell is reportedly retired but that doesn’t mean he has cut all ties with the chamber. He still oversees a few operations of the Evans Area Chamber of Commerce and rejoices upon witnessing small business owners emerge victorious in their endeavors. While he seems to still be a resident of Greeley, Colorado, his daughter, Deanna Ross, lives in Englewood and regularly donates to fundraisers. In 2023, the Ross family suffered a huge loss when Russell’s brother, Thomas Ross, passed away. Now that he is retired, Russell seemingly gets time to focus on himself as well as spend more time with his family, friends and loved ones.
Read More: Jonelle Matthews: How Did She Die? Who Killed Her?
