The kidnapping had a deep impact on Cary Stayner, his childhood friend, Mike Marchese told ABC News in a 1999 interview. Steven returned to Merced to marry and start a family, becoming a champion for the cause ofmissing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. Delbert served as a mechanic at a peach can factory at that point in time, whereas Kay was a wife and mother whom many characterized as cold and distant. The bronze statue depicts young Timmy looking up at a teenage Steven. Their case inspired the much-watched 1989 TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. Stayner died in a motorcycle crash the same year the movie was released. Steven Stayner Children: Ashley Stayner, Steven Stayner Jr. - Vim Buzz But Kay knew that child molestation, something she went through, was out of the question. Edward Murphy, Parnell's accomplice from the Stayner kidnapping, was sentenced to five years imprisonment and paroled after two years. In 2014, she shared the tragic news that her partner had passed away. Here's what Ashley and Steven Jr. Stayner, who appear in 'Captive Audience,' are up to now. A new documentary revisits the stories of Steven Stayner, who escaped from a seven-year captivity aged 14, and of his brother Cary Stayner, who was convicted of four murders years later.. On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. Stayner looked forward to raising his children, Ashley and Steven Jr, with Jody. Parnell was convicted on February 9, 2004, on the charges of attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation, even though no child had been targeted. In the 1970s, they constituted Cary and Steven, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. Stayner waited until Parnell had gone to his night shift job as a clerk at a local motel on March 1, 1980 and, carrying White on his back, hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. Its final this time,he said. He was mocked at school, which caused him to drop out, and after he began drinking more often, he was kicked out of his parental house. If theyre just out on the porch, the door is always open. When Stayner was 14, he ran away with another kidnapped boy, Timmy White, and went to the police, ABC News reported. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Kenneth Parnell is most notoriously known for the kidnapping of Steven Stayner, but he was an active child sex predator long before that 1972 abduction. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to. In 1981, Parnell was tried and convicted of kidnapping both White and Stayner in two separate trials and was sentenced to seven years in jail, even though he was released on parole after five years. He fled on foot along with White, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight once they got to safety. Hulus Captive Audience sheds a light on the Stayner family and how the media can influence the publics perception of a case. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. Prosecutor Tim Wellman had largely argued his case before the jury by showing a slideshow of Stayner marked "1", then of White marked "2", and a blank screen marked "3" to show the nonexistent child that would have been abducted had police not been notified. He also became a sheriffs deputy in Newhall in Los Angeles County in 2005, Mercury News reported in 2010. At the time, the 24-year-old was driving a motorcycle and collided with a car in the front. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. He later moved with his mother, his two half-sisters, and a half-brother to Bakersfield, California, where his mother operated a boarding lodge. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. Thus, sadly, all we know is that Delbert passed away at 79-years-old in his house in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. However, they ran out of time. He loved his family, his career and boating, especially at Lake Pyramid, the obituary states. Stayners parents withdrew emotionally after Steven went missing, Rinek wrote. However, as we all know, that turned when pedophile Kenneth Parnell abducted Steven in 1972, and the Stayners allegedly began to neglect their children. Steven Stayner led a short and tragic life. Naturally, the media began analyzing the connection between abducted child Steven Stayner and his serial killer brother, Cary Stayner. He is married with children (see his son above), and he also appears to have previously served in the U.S. Army like his sister. I Know My First Name Is Steven (TV Mini Series 1989) - IMDb Sandra Hawkins, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay stayed strong during the abduction but was totally crushed after learning of Stevens death. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. Today, Ashley is a mom to a young daughter. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell convinced Murphy that he was an "aspiring minister" who needed to find a young boy, who he planned to "raise in a religious-type deal.". Young Stayner replied that his mother would donate, following which Murphy asked for his address and offered to accompany him to his house, to which he agreed. Steven was quite protective of Ashley and Steven Jr, given what happened to him. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. How Did Steven Stayner's Dad Del Stayner Die? - The Cinemaholic Born on April 18, 1965, Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Steven Stayner Missing Childrens Memorial, Saint George and the Dragon Bronze Statue (4ft high by 4ft wide), General Ulysses S. Grant Monument, for West Point, Neil Armstrong Apollo 11 Spacesuit Replicas (15 Life Size Statues). https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/steven-stayner-34446.php. As he was not wearing a helmet, he suffered massive head trauma, which led to his death less than one hour after the accident occurred. But she said it wasnt the brother she remembers. Stayner had a relaxed upbringing as his captor not only allowed him to roam freely wherever he wished to go, but also allowed him to start drinking at a very early age. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. He also felt more directly responsible. Refocus, and listen as we honor the memory of Steven Stayner, a boy kidnapped in his youth, only to tragically die shortly after escaping captivity. Steven Stayner Death: How Carys Stayners Brother Died, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Steven, then nearly 15, bravely managed to escape with Timothy to a local police station, from which both boys were returned home. Cary was the ideal son, Kay Stayner revealed to the jury during her elder sons trial for murder. Copyright 2023 Distractify. In a 2000 interview about his 1951 crime, Parnell said he kidnapped and molested the boy because his wife Patsy Dorton (died 2018) was pregnant and that he "had to find another outlet. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. So, if youre curious about where she might be today, heres what we know. Stayner told another psychiatrist, Park Dietz, who was hired by the prosecution to evaluate whether he was sane at the time he committed the Yosemite murders, that as a child he worried that the obsessive thoughts he had about holding the neighbor girl against her will somehow caused Steven to be kidnapped. Parnell, a former motel clerk, had already been convicted for molesting an 8-year-old boy in Bakersfield, California in 1952 when he kidnapped Stayner, SF Gate reported in 2008. As Steven reached puberty, Purnell preference for younger boys drove him to abduct 5-year-old Timothy. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Steven's brother, Cary Stayner, confessed to the brutal murders which ultimately brought the Stayner family back into the spotlight. ABCs 20/20: Yosemite Serial Killer, as the title suggests, profiles the tale of the male who carried out four murders in six months near the Yosemite National Park in 1999. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. Stayner became known as a hero and inspired a television miniseries, I Know My First Name is Steven.. He died in his home, according to his obituary which features a photo of him in a sheriffs uniform. He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. A new docuseries dives into the unbelievable tale of two brothers, one of whom was a child kidnapping victim-turned-national hero and the other who became a serial killer. Steven refused to reveal the details of his sexual abuse and endured bullying in school for being molested. Parnell had been with a woman named Barbara Mathias for a period of one and half years, during which they reportedly forced Stayner into sexual activities at least nine times. He worked as a sheriff's deputy for five years until his life was cut tragically short in April of 2010 when White died of a pulmonary embolism at age 35, according to the New York Times. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Distractify is a registered trademark. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Cary Staynar tried to protect his younger brother and looked out for him, according to ABC News. Thats unlikely to improve anyones mental health, Opinion: Why my Taiwanese American identity has become more complicated, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Man found guilty of murdering teens who ding-dong-ditched his house. Hawkins said: She was the one who stayed so strong and calm and collected through that seven-year-ordeal. In the time leading up to Stevens sudden death in 1989, the couple had been estranged but were working towards making things better. An archive article published September 18, 1989, two days after Stayners death, in The Spokesman-Review, said a driver hit Stayner on a highway and left him on the ground with severe head injuries. So, of course, we can not help but wonder more about their family, particularly their parents. Steven eventually escaped after Kenneth abducted another boy named Timmy White. Parnell went on to tell Stayner that his parents couldn't afford to keep him any more, that a judge had given Parnell legal custody of him, and that his new name was "Dennis". [10] Unfamiliar with the city, Stayner decided the best option was to seek out the local police, who originally considered him a delinquent, until an exhaustive search of missing child posters and a piecemeal interrogation confirmed he was a missing child as well. In addition to participating in the abuse of Stayner, she attempted to help Parnell kidnap a boy who was a member of the Santa Rosa Boys' Club. Prior to his kidnapping of Stayner, The Famous People reports Parnell had at least two criminal convictions, including armed robbery and the sexual abuse of a young boy. Going home: The story of Steven Stayner - Investigation UK Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had previously been convicted for sodomizing a young boy and for armed robbery in Utah. When bronze statues were completed they were installed upon a 4 high polished concrete base at the entrance to beautiful Applegate Park in Merced, CA. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. He had been abducted in plain sight. He also convinced the little boy that his parents could not afford raising so many children and as such did not want him anymore. In addition to her fathers unwanted advances, one of Stayners sisters said that Cary started peeping on her and inappropriately touching her when she was ten. Both boys had been victims of kidnapping. Murphy, who was instructed to distribute gospel tracts to school boys, approached Steven Stayner, claiming to be a church representative and asked him if his mother would be willing to donate anything to the church. He told The San Jose Mercury News that watching his children play was 'like having another childhood - the childhood I didn't have.' "Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life," JK Miller said. He was in the background always.". Stayner, 41, faces the death penalty for the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16, while they were staying at the motel where he worked as a handyman outside Yosemite National Park in February 1999. Cary Stayner is not just a convicted killer and rapist, but hes also the older brother of kidnapping victim Steven Stayner. Of course Cynthia Sartell knew him; he was her older sibling. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, a Hulu docuseries streaming today, first revisits the 1972 kidnapping of 7-year-old Steven Stayner by convicted child molester Kenneth Parnell. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. The family sent out fliers, Sartell said, and headed off on distant road trips to talk to people who might have any information about the missing child. Cary Stayner was convicted in the 1999 murders of 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, their 16-year-old family friend Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old Yosemite naturalist, according to History. My dad was on a mission trying to find his son, she said. In 1972, a Young Boy Was Kidnapped and Abused for 7 Years Before Escaping Where Is His Torturer Now? While investigators were checking into Parnell's past, the 1951 sodomy conviction came to light, although at the time Stayner insisted that Parnell had not sexually abused him.[11]. Delbert even referred to Steven as his real son and pushed the other away. By that time, Cary Stayner was already having grotesque fantasies, the agent wrote. Its a story of a happy ending turned rathertwisted. Surrounded by endless complainers? When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, . "I Know My Name is Steven." The Heartbreaking Story of Steven Stayner He fell in love. Steven unexpectedly died in a motorcycle crash in 1989 when he was 24 years old. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. Russells monitored life in New Jersey. Steven passed away an hour after the accident at Merced Community Medical Center. When Stayner failed to return home from school, his parents contacted authorities immediately. He married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson in 1985 and together, they had two children, Ashley and Steven, Jr. That evening, Steven was supposed to have dinner with his wife at their favorite restaurant, but it never happened. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,. Steven in order to hopefully save other children from the same tragic fate. Steven Stayner Biography - Facts, Childhood, Life - The Famous People A decade after their father passed, four women were brutally murdered in nearby Yosemite. Many local residents also attended, who never knew theboys but felt moved by the story as it played out in the media across the country. She previously attended a military university and served in the U.S. Air Force from 2007 to 2011. In early 1989, he helped in the production of a miniseries on his life, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', which was initially broadcast on NBC in May that year. JP Miller, the co-screenwriter ofI Know My First Name Is Steven,a mini-series about Stayners abduction and escape, said Steven struck him as a man unafraid of death. However, little did she know that her uncle was the murderer. Despite the extreme trauma he experienced while living with his captor, and Steven went on to marry and have children. On the show, Kay stated that the couple always planned on having a family. We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.. Fortunately, the police spotted him as well and detained both of them, following which he revealed his identity and narrated his own story. Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. Much of the testimony that the defense has tried to introduce, such as the molestation of one of Stayners sisters by their father, has been barred because of objections by the prosecution. Steven died nine years after he returned home. Stayner, 41, faces the death penalty for the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16, while they were staying at the motel where he. The next day, on March 2nd, both the boys were reunited with their respective families and Parnell was arrested. The statue tells the story of Steven Stayner, a Merced youth who was abducted in 1972 and Timothy White, the 5-year-old boy he rescued from suffering the same fate. "[2] He claimed to have been married three times, but only one record of his marriage is known. The abductor abused Steven and planned to use the boy to abduct more victims. Miller toldPeople: He was kind of a reckless kid after he came back home he wrecked a couple of cars and I talked to him about being careful, because he could kill himself. At the time of Stayner's kidnapping, Parnell was employed at the Yosemite Lodge, which according to ABC News, was approximately two hours away from Merced. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to pick . Where is Kidnapping Survivor Timmy White, Steven Stayner, Now? | True In 1985, at the age of 20, Stayner married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson. However, they ran out of time. But adding children to the equation seemed to only make their relationship worse. Steven Gregory Stayner was an American kidnapping victim whose incident occurred on December 4, 1972. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? However, Crime Investigation reports Stayner sabotaged Parnell's efforts, as he did not want another boy to suffer through the abuse he had endured. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. Stayner dropped out of school and started a drinking habit that strained his relationship with his dad. In addition to assisting in the production of a miniseries based on his experience, Stayner became an advocate for preventing child abduction and helping victims of abuse. Steven Stayner captured the heart of a nation when he helped another child escape from a pedophile, after enduring years of abuse and not wanting to see the child experience the same fate. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White, Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnappers trial when he was just 6 years old, the, White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. He was not kept in captivity, and in the following years, was enrolled into a number of schools where Parnell identified himself as his father. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. "Captive Audience": Steven Stayner's Short Life Was Marred by - Yahoo While working at the Yosemite Lodge, Kenneth Parnell befriended his coworker Ervin Murphy. The title of the TV series and the book on Steven Stayner, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', was inspired by a line in his official police statement given after being rescued. [6] He escaped from a state institution in Norwalk, but was recaptured. In 1989, Steven was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind a wife and two young children. Parnell shifted from one place to another for work, often took Stayner with him, but later sometimes left him alone and unguarded. Shortly before his death, Steven had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. This memorial reminds families and friends of other missing children that their loved one may someday return. Dwarfed by his tall andlanky frame, Timmy takes his hand to set out on the dark road from the remote home where thechildren were being held. Parnell created a new identity for Stayner, giving him the new name, Dennis Gregory Parnell, but retained his original middle name and his original date of birth. Mike Echols, who wrote the manuscript for the series, later published a book with the same title in 1991. Steven Stayner's Kidnapping, Cary Stayner's Horrific Crimes and One But in 1980, the Stayners' prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. Losing perspective? Two kidnapped boys, a hero's return, then a tragic twist: The Stayner was taken to Catheys Valley. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Steven Stayner's parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. After all, the latter helped a 5-year-old child escape a pedophile as a teenager after enduring years of abuse. Steven Stayner - Wikipedia After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. The Truth About The Kidnapping Of Steven Stayner, California Department of Corrections/Wikipedia. He was convicted of both kidnappings and served five years of his seven-year prison sentence. At the time, Steven was 20 years old, and Jody was 17. Both Kay and her husband confessed that they were not the best parents even when Steven returned feelings were still never discussed. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! They wanted to truthfully relate what had happened to Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. [9] Weeks afterward, Stayner escaped Parnell's house with White; he later said he did not want the boy to suffer the abuse that he had endured. Offers may be subject to change without notice. But this time hes the one who is staying strong for Kay., Delbert mourned the tragedy but expressed relief in the certainty of death. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. Not only was it a miracle, but during his escape, he had also rescued another 5-year-old boy who had been kidnapped. Returning home, Steven Stayner felt that his parents were still treating him as their seven-year-old child, and had trouble adjusting as he no more had the freedom to smoke, drink, or do whatever he wanted. The prosecution successfully argued that sexual aids and pornography found in the apartment, along with Stevens' own testimony, were enough to prove that Parnell's intentions were criminal in nature. Steven Stayners incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime dramaCaptive Audience. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror and heroism But at the same time, they dealt with a lot of disagreements. ABC News reports it was a "sleety, wintery day," and Stayner willingly followed Murphy into Parnell's car, as he expected the man to take him home.
