Wellman said Parnell "was looking for one last hurrah. Like Steven, Timothy also died very young. Yes, they're related because Cary is Steven's older brother; they're also related because Steven's bumpy return to the Stayner family, as well as his untimely death in 1989, could have . By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. In 2003, he was once again arrested in connection with a kidnapping, when an elderly and sickly Parnell tried to get his caretaker to buy a 4-year-old boy for him in Berkeley, California, the. On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. The driver of the car, an employee of the nearby tomato-packing company, fled the scene and was later found in Tijuana. I was disappointed however on some of the inconsistencies, misspellings, and grammatical errors. Ten years after Stayner's death, the city of Merced . I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old, he told Newsweek in 1984. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. Hulus Captive Audience delves into a story that is fascinating and horrifying in equal parts. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. Kenneth Eugene Parnell (September 26, 1931 January 21, 2008) was an American convicted sex offender, child rapist, and kidnapper infamously known for perpetrating the abductions of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and 5-year-old Timothy White in Merced, California. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. "He was kind of a quiet guy. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous, both tied to the wonder of Yosemite National Park, and both knew unspeakable horror. According to People Magazine, on September 16, 1989, Steven was heading home on his motorcycle from his job delivering pizza when a "car pulled out of the driveway of a migrant-labor camp along the highway." Steven was only 24 but was married with two children: Ashley (3) and Steven Jr. (2). And it wasn't that he was just a loner, he was a bit of a creepy loner," Flynn said. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. Director Jessica Dimmock also brought in Corin Nemec and Todd Andrews, who portrayed Stayner and his brother Cary respectively in TV mini-series I Know My First Name Is Steven, to read interview transcripts. The Seattle Times reports missing-person fliers were actually sent to schools he attended but no one recognised Steven from the picture. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021. . "Cary, as the older brother, had a very strange relationship now with his younger brother, Steven, who was getting all of this attention and who was a different person," Rowlands said. He was spunky. Steven Gregory Stayner died in a motorcycle accident on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, United States. In addition to believing his parents no longer wanted him, The Famous People reports Stayner was simply unsure how to get out of the situation he was in. According to SFGate, his friends and coworkers described him as being impulsive and prone to seemingly abrupt and violent fits of rage. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. You know what I mean? Overnight, Steven Stayner became a national hero, especially as Kenneth Parnell was arrested the very next day March 2, 1980. He was in the background always.". This poor family! Stayner grew up in Merced, California, near Yosemite National Park. But he was pretty messed up and he never got any counseling. Leave a Comment / Death-Obituary / By Elon. In 1972, seven-year-old Steven Stayner was kidnapped by a pedophile named Kenneth Parnell in Merced, California and held captive for the next seven years. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. Shulze, of Oak Park, California, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the 2020 and 2021 cross country seasons, as well as 2021 for track. Currently, Cary, 60, is being held in San Quentin State Prison on death row. He was sentenced to death in 2002 and remains on death row. He was not wearing a helmet because someone had stolen it from him two months prior (via the Los Angeles Times ). Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. [16] [17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. A year later, he was sentenced to life, which was, at the time, the harshest sentence handed down under the the "three strikes" law. He was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. Authorities had already interviewed him once before about the other three murders, but at the time he hadnt raised any red flags. To me thats guilt plain and simple. ", "He stated that he felt like jumping in a truck, driving it through the shop and killing the boss and killing everybody in the office, and then torching the place," friend Mark Marchese said in 1999. 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. He was not wearing a helmet, and. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". Mr. White was 5 years old when he was kidnapped in 1980 by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. At one point, Steven mentioned in an interview, Ive been talking to reporters for nine years. Star Original Captive Audience - A Real American Horror Story aired on Hulu with all 3 episodes available immediately on the release date of April 21, 2022.[18]. Steven. He eventually got a job as a trainee manager at Pizza Hut in Merced, and spent the rest of the time lecturing about stranger danger at local schools. He was convicted of both kidnappings and served five years of his seven-year prison sentence. According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. Over the next four years, he worked at Pizza Hut while lecturing about personal safety at schools. I told you this was a depressing one guys, hope I didn't ruin your day. And he was 38 when he brutally tortured and murdered 4 females in Yosemite National Parka dream he wanted to fulfill since the age of 7. Steven Stayner (April 18, 1965 - Sept 16, 1989) was a kidnapping victim. "His idea of serenity was to maybe smoke a little pot and to sunbathe naked.". They had a daughter, Ashley, who was 3 at the time of her fathers death, and a son, Steven Jr., who was 2. have yall heard of Steven and Cary Stayner? The brother of convicted murderer Cary Stayner was kidnapped as a young child and was missing for seven years. Stayner died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident while driving home from work. Stayner had been driving his new Kawaksaki motorcycle when the driver pulled out in front of him on a rain-soaked highway. Stevens father, Delbert Stayner, struggled in the aftermath of his sons vanishing like everyone else in the family. Captive Audience tells Steven Stayner's story after he was kidnapped and abused for seven years. Although Stayner told the younger boy to go inside by himself and tell the officers he had been kidnapped, White refused to leave Stayner's side. 0 references. Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. He loved his brother. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." 3. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. But Stayner had issues with readjusting to family life, with a tumultuous teenagehood. On April 18th, 1965, he was welcomed into the world by his parents, Delbert Stayner and Kay Stayner, in Merced, California, in the United States of America. Stayner, 24, was pronounced dead at Merced Community Medical Center shortly after the 5:30 p.m. accident outside a meat company on Santa Fe Avenue between Merced and Atwater, a coroners spokesman said. Then, Del served in the US Army for four years until 1957 as a Staff Sergeant. Nobody can hurt him now. Steven's death, along. He also quarreled with his parents at home and drank consistently. In February 1980, Parnell brought home a 5-year-old White, who, like Stayner, had been walking home from school. However, none of them panned out. This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. Read More: Where is Kay Stayner Now? When Stayner was 14, Parnell kidnaped another boy, 5-year-old Timmy White. 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. Per the Spokesman-Review, Parnell told Stayner that his parents didn't want him anymore; he was beaten so viciously that he was afraid to run away. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. Steven Stayner was just 7 years old when he was kidnapped in California in 1972 (via theLos Angeles Times). Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. In 2003, he was once again arrested in connection with a kidnapping, when an elderly and sickly Parnell tried to get his caretaker to buy a 4-year-old boy for him in Berkeley, California, the Associated Press reported in 2004. He had been under hospice care for some time. Although he was. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. 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. He married Kay about three years later, and the couple went on to have three daughters and two sons. Steven returned to Merced to marry and start a family, becoming a champion for the cause of missing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. Kenneth Eugene Parnell was born in Amarillo, Texas[1][2] to Cecil Frederick and Mary Olive (ne Pollard) Parnell, during the region's dust bowl era during the Great Depression. At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. On September 16, 1989, Stayner was riding his motorcycle on his way home from his job, when he collided with a driver coming out of a nearby migrant labor camp. As Steven got older and entered puberty, Parnell's sexual interest in Stayner waned and Parnell sought a new boy to "build his family". Stayners parents withdrew emotionally after Steven went missing, Rinek wrote. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. No other details were immediately available, according to the California Highway Patrol. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, Lori Duke, Stayners high school girlfriend, told ABC News. 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. 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. Stayner went to the police station and told them what happened to him, which included the line that later became the title of his movie: I know my first name is Steven. (Parnell was later convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, but only served five years. Cary was 11. One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White." [14] Death [ edit] Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008 [15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. There was a "pall over" Cary, because he was "the kid who had his brother kidnapped," said Bungart. ", "The first year was kinda hectic," Steven said on GMA in 1983. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. Parnell worked at a nearby lodge, and on Dec. 4, 1972, he convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to accompany him into Merced, per ABC News. On December 4, 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school in Merced, California when he was abducted by two men who worked at . SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime Maybe if he hadnt fled the scene then Steven could have gotten help sooner and might still be alive. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The boys were still in elementary school when a man named Kenneth Parnell entered the picture. ET on ABC, Cary looked out for Steven, according to Cary Stayner's former classmate Jack Bungart. In a 2000 interview about his 1951 crime, Parnell said he kidnapped and molested the boy because his wife was pregnant and that he "had to find another outlet. After he was brought in for questioning, he confessed to murdering Joie Armstrong, describing the brutal killing "as if he was reading a soup label," said John Boles, another FBI agent on the case. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Unfortunately, Parnell eventually convinced another teenage boy, named Randall Sean Poorman, to help him kidnap 5-year-old Timothy White. [3] Parnell was raised mostly without his father, who abandoned the family when Parnell was six. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. "They call [Merced] the gateway to Yosemite," said Ted Rowlands, a former reporter who covered Cary Stayners story at KNTV for the San Francisco Bay area. His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. Stayner had been at Cedar Lodge for two years when Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and her friend Silvina Pelosso came to stay one night in February 1999. The Stayners were in the news yet again after Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women, including two teenagers. [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. Telling police, "I know my first name is Steven" became the most iconic moment in Stevens remarkable story later becoming the title of the book and a television movie. As reported by ABC News, Kenneth Parnell treated Steven Stayner like a son. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell eventually convinced Stayner that his parents relinquished their rights and that he was granted full legal custody. Age at Death: 24. Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. According to The Famous People, Murphy offered to walk Stayner home, as he wanted to ask his mother for a donation. He was quoted after his "rescue" saying he blames himself and doesn't understand why his dad doesn't hug him anymore. Our days would be-- just get on our bikes in the morning and go to the park. Steven was never able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered and get help. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. Accident or not, someone lost their life. A year later, he was sentenced to life, which was, at the time, the harshest sentence handed down under the the "three strikes" law. Although Parnell was a convicted child predator, Murphy was described as "simple-minded," and somewhat naive. Stayner's wife, Jodi, who The Spokesman-Review reported married Steven when she was 16, said he was her first love and the couple met in high school. [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 1972, at the age of 7, Stayner was kidnaped while walking home from school. Stayner later escaped, taking Timmy with him. number of children. The men kidnapped Stayner, and he endured sexual and physical abuse for the next seven years at the hands of Parnell. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. Stevens high-school girlfriend, who knew him as Dennis, told ABC News he told her he wasnt going to let that child go through what I had already been through, adding if he didnt take care of it now, it will just get worse. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. Stayners captor, Kenneth Parnell, convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to lure seven-year-old Steven into their van on 4 December 1972, telling the boy: Your parents, I just spoke to them. Cary Staynar tried to protect his younger brother and looked out for him, according to ABC News. The miniseries was released on May 23, 1989, only about four months before he died in a hit-and-run accident. Cary Stayner was just 11 when his 7-year-old brother, Steven, was abducted by a pedophile. But for the Stayners, this seemingly closed hellish chapter of their lives turned out to be . He has been a danger to children his entire life, prosecutor Tim Wellman said in 2004. When he didnt return home, Stevens parents Delbert and Kay Stayner alerted the authorities but there were no leads. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in a vile act that would shake the family forever. There, they pretended to be ministers and lured the 7-year-old Stayner into the van by telling him, Your parents no longer want you.. Stayner died at the Merced Community Medical Center at just 24 years old, in what was sadly one of multiple tragedies for him and his family. Steven Stayner testifies about his abduction in 1972 by Kenneth Parnell and his seven years in captivity in this 1981 photo. Have something to tell us about this article? Tragically, Stayner was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in September 1989 while returning from a Pizza Hut shift. Stayner left a substantial amount of evidence in and around Armstrongs cottage, but police initially started searching for him because his vehicle had been seen near her place and they thought he would be a "natural witness to interview," Rinek said. According to Rowlands, "He was wearing a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. He died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville in 2008 at the age of 76. At time of Cary Stayner's trial, stories regularly noted the high-profile abduction . I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. Hulus Captive Audience tells the tragic story of two Stayner brothers: Steven, who was kidnapped by a pedophile as a child, and Cary, who later became a serial killer. When Parnell kidnapped 5-year-old Timothy White that year, Stayner fled on foot along with the kindergartner and then hitchhiked to safety, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight. Stayner had a pet dog named Queenie, with whom he formed a close bond, and was permitted to begin drinking and smoking at a young age. Everything has changed. Stayner suffered years of abuse and claims that his parents didnt want him anymore, per the Seattle Times. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven. On the show, Kay mentioned that Del would often drive around looking for freshly dug ground because he thought Steven was dead. Sure, Ive seen the excuse about alleged car troubles but it sure didnt stop the guy from fleeing the scene. Stayner would not reemerge until 1980, when he fled from Parnell to save another kidnapped boy, Timothy White. 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. FBI agents caught up with Stayner at a nudist colony, where he had fled to after Armstrongs murder. Parnell, 76, died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville on Monday night, corrections officials said Tuesday. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Steven Gregory Stayner Sr (18 Apr 1965 - 16 Sep 1989) 0 references . While they never gave up hope, the ordeal took a toll on the whole family. While Steven was grappling with life after his escape, his brother was out of high school with his own troubles. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 14-year-old and 5-year-old boys hitchhiked their way to a police station 40 miles away and told officers what had happened. American sex offender, child rapist and kidnapper (19312008), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Youth Abducted Seven Years Ago Goes Home Again", "Alleged attempt to buy child leads to arrest of kidnapper", "Sex Offender Kenneth Parnell Dies in Vacaville", "Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror and heroism", "Kenneth Parnell, kidnapper of Steven Stayner, dies at 76", "Kenneth Eugene Parnell, A Notorious Child Molester Dies In Prison", abducted man posing pastor launched-daring-escape, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Parnell&oldid=1133639900, American people convicted of child sexual abuse, American people who died in prison custody, Prisoners who died in California detention, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2022, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 20:40. But in 1980, the Stayners prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. A cousin said that Stayner spied on her and his sisters and a neighbor girl, hiding under their beds and secretly videotaping them in the bathroom and bedroom. There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. "Cary was very upset," childhood friend Mike Marchese told ABC News in a 1999 interview. He worked odd jobs delivering food, doing security, and packing meat in a factory until he met Jody Edmondson, whom he married in 1985 when he was 20. Not only was Steven able to explain to police what happened to him and Timothy, he was also able to tell them his real name was Steven, not Dennis. ***WARNING: Captive Audience spoilers ahead***. A new Hulu miniseries thoughtfully explores a family's surreal life in the true crime spotlight. [13] Parnell was, by this time, 71 years old and suffering from diabetes and emphysema, as well as other ailments brought on by an earlier stroke, requiring near 24-hour-a-day nursing care in his cluttered apartment in the 2600 block of Mathews Street in Berkeley. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. Stayner was terribly concerned about White's welfare and immediately began planning to get the 5-year-old away from Parnell and return him home to his parents. Witnesses later recognized the alleged driver of the automobile. Steven and Timmy. He was convicted of kidnapping 7-year-old Steven Stayner as the boy walked . He was kidnapped. However, that happiness was short-lived because he had difficulty adjusting back to life with his family. Kenneth Parnell was ultimately convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to steal a child. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. English Wikipedia. However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. "[14], Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008[15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. As Parnell was working the night shift, Stayner fled the home with White in the middle of the night. He was a child who was being abused. Parnell died in 2008 whilst in prison, of natural causes. 1 reference.