The docuseries . Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. And for a brief moment, a wave of good memories appeared to wash over her face. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The trial was so emotionally charged that Judge Thomas C. Hastings had to leave the room to gather himself, and when he returned, he appeared as if he had cried. "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. During that time, he was physically and mentally abused by Kenneth which deeply affected him as a person. But he received it nevertheless, and he is in prison. Authorities had already interviewed him once before about the other three murders, but at the time he hadnt raised any red flags. The Stayner family, made up of the two brothers, their three sisters and parents Kay and Delbert, lived in the secluded farming town of Merced, California, surrounded by almond groves and peach orchards, in the shadow of Yosemite National Park. The case remains unsolved. Kay and her husband Delbert Stayner testified as character witnesses in the penalty phase of their son's murder trial. On Sept. 20, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle without a helmet in the rain. "I don't think he did it. We were talking about the Kennedy family, and all the bad things that have happened to them," Strength said. Join us for the details!#TrueCrime pic.twitter.com/9NbnXrqoiv, TrueCrimeAllTheTime (@TCAllTheTime) June 16, 2017. My son is very sick right now, the familys patriarch said while sobbing. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". During his interrogation, Stayner shocked the agents when he confessed not only to Armstrong's decapitation but to the murders of Pelosso and the Sunds and the sending of the map for finding Juli Sund's body. "I knew he was kinda weird, but I never knew he would get to that level of actually murdering anyone.". ", "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. The following year, Cary's uncle, Jesse, with whom he was living at the time, was murdered. He had told her then that he left because the police presence was overwhelming. Cary is still on death row and as of now, the court has not set the execution date for him. Stayner is reported to have attempted suicide in 1991,[6] and was arrested in 1997 for possession of marijuana[4] and methamphetamine,[7] although these charges were eventually dropped. They no longer want you,'" investigative journalist Pat LaLama said. While Steven was grappling with life after his escape, his brother was out of high school with his own troubles. But according to court testimony, the girls weren't safe. The other grew up to become a serial killer who terrorized the Yosemite forest. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, was brutally murdered by Cary Stayner, a motel handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, Calif. (The . Meet Kay Stayner, Steven Stayner Mother. To avoid a possible death sentence, he pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder, felony first-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. His mother, Kay, had been late to pick him up at school, and instead of walking . "Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell -- who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist," Rowlands said. His story was turned into a television miniseries. "I wish I could tell you why I did such a thing, but I dont even know myself. He was attractive, and girls would tell his friends that they would like to date him, but Stayner never pursued a relationship and remained alone. A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. He grew up, got married and had two kids. "I was just talking to someone about this. His high school girlfriend said he later told her what happened. Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the other murders in state court. "If his dying would bring these people back, I'd say do it," she said. Only Kay Stayner's father voiced his opinion, she said. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. And I go, "Well, OK,' and so I got in the car. A note was sent to the police with a hand-drawn map indicating the location of the third victim, Sund's daughter Juli. Cary Anthony Stayner, a.k.a. 190.14.37.124 They were staying at Cedar Lodge at the edge of Yosemite National Park. Cary Stayner was Steven's older brother, born on August 13, 1961. The world is a crazy place, full of unknown dangers. Stayner's resolve to rescue White made him a national hero. After Steven's death, his parents sold the house. He taught them how to dive into the water and bought them a new Beanie Baby with every visit. Steven Stayner and his parents reunited after his abduction. Cary Stayner, Steven's older brother, was a handyman at the Cedar Lodge just outside the park where the women were staying, according to the Modesto Bee. She told him to stop, and he left only to reappear nude at the doorway. Their remarkably dark and tragic lives are told in Hulu's recent documentary "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story." Stayner was born on August 13, 1961. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. What happened to Cary Stayner, and where is he now? He often carried a backpack that she later found out contained his murder weapons. However, due to an error, he was released, according to ABC News. Cary Stayner had been sexually abused by his uncle, while his sisters were abused by their father, Delbert Stayner. [4], When Steven escaped Parnell and returned home in 1980, he received massive media attention. The tale of his abduction and escape was adapted into a book and novel, both titled "I Know My Name First Name Is Steven." Stayner's parents fear losing another son. ". When Steven was abducted, Cary had wished upon a star every night that Steven would return, per SFGate. The penalty phase is scheduled to resume today, and closing arguments are planned for Monday. Del Stayner and his family resided on Betty Street, a lower-middle-class suburb in Merced, California, a tranquil farming town nestled in the shadows of Yosemite National Park. He was always nearby and on hand, opening rooms at the Cedar Lodge for investigators to search for evidence. "The Yosemite Park Killer," or simply "The Yosemite Killer," is an ephebophilic serial killer, serial rapist, thrill killer and abductor. "There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. In 1997, Stayner was hired as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge motel in El Portal, California, just outside the Highway 140 entrance to Yosemite National Park. His father, Delbert Stayner, admitted that he became so obsessed about finding Steven at the cost of his relationship with his other children, according to SFGate. Before leaving for the nudist colony and after murdering his last victim Stayner went looking for Lenna and her family, but luckily they were gone visiting their grandmother. Most people now know him as "The Yosemite Park Killer". The 14-year-old was an instant hero, and later the subject of the NBC miniseries "I Know My First Name Is Steven.". Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. Vickie Flores, who grew up with the Stayner children, said Cary Stayner had a strange side. He smoked cigarettes. Investigators went to the location depicted on the map and found the remains of Juli, whose throat had been cut. Few families have seen so much tragedy and horror as the Stayner family. "I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.". Its a story of a happy ending turned rathertwisted. Steven Stayner was 7 years old when he was approached on his way home from school by a Ukiah hotel clerk named Kenneth Parnell. He started chatting with one of the bar's regulars, Janet Damant. As for where Delbert and Kay Stayner are now, the pair had made it evident that they wanted to lead quiet lives after the events of the early 2000s. What happened to the Stayner brothers? However, it took several months for investigators to realize Stayner was behind the killings. Stayner's parents, who apologized to the families of the victims, advocated against the death penalty. Cary Stayner, also known as The Yosemite Killer, was convicted nearly 20 years ago in the deaths of four people in 1999 while he was working as a hotel handyman in California. The contrast between the two brothers is "surreal," Flynn said. The murders occurred in Mariposa County, California near Yosemite National Park. Unlike his brother, Cary Stayner wasn't abducted, but that hardly meant his home was safe. In the shadow of the Yosemite National Park in California, in the secluded farming town of Merced, the Stayner family resided in a lower-middle-class area classified as Betty Street. When Steven didnt make it home from school, his parents sounded the alarm. The Stayners' neighbors told SFGate that Cary felt disregarded by Steven's fame and wanted that same attention and publicity. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent. California Department of CorrectionsCary Stayner's prison record. Powered by. Cary Stayner "was a very, very good cartoonist," and was voted "most creative" at school, according to Purdy. "But executing him is not going to bring them back.". This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. Steven Stayner became a national hero after escaping his kidnapper and rescuing his fellow captive Timmy White in 1980. Watch "20/20's" full story, "The Black Sheep," TONIGHT at 9 p.m. [2] His seven-year-old brother, Steven Stayner, was kidnapped by child molester Kenneth Parnell in 1972, when Cary was 11, and held captive for more than seven years before escaping and being reunited with his family. He was discovered by police and gave this statement: "My . Kay Stayner, left, and her son's attorney, Marcia Morrissey, right, leave the Santa Clara Superior Court during a break in the penalty phase of her son's murder trial Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002. According to Rowlands, "He was wearing a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. Then-7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school on Highway 140 when Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town. Stayner saved White from his captor after he was kidnapped. Kay lost her son Steven in a motorcycle accident, and even though his son was found guilty of murder, she begged the jury to not give her son the death penalty. According to his evaluation, Stayner's murder of a mother, her teen daughter, and her daughter's friend at Yosemite came as a result of these violent thoughts. But adding children to the equation seemed to only make their relationship worse. Cary at 6, watching television from the couch. He skidded trying to avoid a car pulling out of a driveway and fatally struck his head. Steven Stayner: Lost, Found, Freed. Detectives began interviewing employees of the Cedar Lodge motel where the first three victims had been staying just before their deaths. He was held in captivity for seven years. Kenneth told Steven that his parents had given him away and that his new name was Dennis. Nearly 20 years after that, Steven's older brother Cary would murder four women near Yosemite National Park. She started at the Chronicle as a general assignment reporter, covering breaking news, catastrophes, crime, criminal and civil trials. Is Cary Stayner still on death row in California? From one perspective, it seemed Cary Stayner had found his niche among his peers in school. Today, the idea of a 7-year old walking home from school alone is almost unheard of. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek . She appears content to be beside her family and friends. "He knew everyone and talked to everyone, but I can't say anyone was his best friend or not.". "I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk. White, who was a pallbearer at Stayner's funeral, died in 2010 at age 35 due to a pulmonary embolism. Stayner later told investigators that he had bound Armstrong and forced her into his car, and she heroically escaped before he caught up to her, according to ABC News. And now this. Along Bette Street, neighbors searched for clues from Cary Stayner's childhood that he was capable of the gruesome crime. In 2021, it was penalized around $400,000 for safety violations that resulted in a COVID-19 outbreak and 28 inmate deaths, per CNN. Publicity would prove to be the least of their worries. He is still on death row in San Quentin State Prison at the age of 60. He read comics and listened to metal, according to SFGate. "I yelled at him a lot.". Cary Stayner is shown in a 1979 Merced High School yearbook photo. Hulu's 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. Stacy has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle as a reporter since 1997, when she moved to San Francisco after previously working at the Rocky Mountain News, Los Angeles Daily News, San Diego Union-Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Cary later claimed that Jesse molested him around the same time that Steven was kidnapped.[5]. When Steven Stayner made his heroic return home, he became famous and his story engrossed the nation. So, of course, we can not help but wonder more about their family, particularly their parents. The Stayners' family history of pedophilia had long been a problem, one that may have lasted for three generations, according to SFGate. Jeff Rinek, at the time an FBI agent handling Cary Stayners case, said the search for the women was the "largest ever mounted in Yosemite at any time." Stayner's case was granted additional attention because of his brother, Steven Stayner, who had been kidnapped and was missing for seven years. Now we only had four children to clothe," she told the court. He thought he heard voices and other mysterious noises, like messages emanating from the television. On the day of those murders, Stayner spent most of his time with his girlfriend and her family, per ABC News. A child abductee's journey back. Inside was Kenneth Parnell and his friend Ervin Murphy. 42-year-old Carole Sund, 15-year-old Juli Sund, 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso, and 26-year-old Joie Ruth . Hang out with friends or skateboard," Purdy told ABC News. He had begun working as a handyman at a motel in El Portal in the 1990s. "Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, 'Your parents, I just spoke to them. But there isnt. Last year, he became famous for the bad things that happened to four women in Yosemite National Park. Stayner's attorneys request that the location of his trial be moved away from the area surrounding Yosemite in order to guarantee him a fair trial was granted, per The Los Angeles Times. Cary's mother, Kay Stayner, had also been molested by her own father, per SFGate. Your IP: In 2002 Cary Stayner was convicted of first degree murder on four counts. By the time Steven was 14, he had been abused and manipulated by Parnell for seven years. But he received it nevertheless, and he is in prison. In December 1990, Jesse "Jerry" Stayner, 42, Cary and Steven's uncle, was shot to death in his Merced home. [12] Dr. Jose Arturo Silva testified that Stayner had obsessive-compulsive disorder, mild autism, and paraphilia. Stayner was lured into the vehicle and abducted. "Everything they did and everything they had, it was about Steven," she said. After several weeks, the bodies of all three women were discovered. What happened to Steven Stayner? [14], After being sentenced to death for the brutal killings, Stayner has been housed at the Adjustment Center on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California since 2002. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Parnell convinced 7-year-old Steven that his parents no longer wanted him by pretending to speak to them on a payphone. Its senseless." His family came to national attention in the early 1970s when his younger brother, Steven, became the center of a nationally followed child abduction case after being kidnapped at age 7 and held captive for seven years. One of those employees was Stayner, but he was not considered a suspect at that point because he had no criminal history and remained calm during the police interview.[8]. He had been a young patrol officer in 1972 when Cary Stayner's younger brother, Steven Stayner, was snatched off a Merced street in the county's most infamous kidnapping. 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. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? That year Parnell recently kidnapped another young boy to replace the aging Stayner, 5-year-old Timothy White. In California, 900 people were sentenced to death between the years 1978 and 2019. "Steven was a national hero. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He was sentenced to death in 2002 and remains on death row. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. He was held captive by his abductor, Kenneth Parnell, for over seven years, during which time Parnell sexually abused him and forced him to live as his son. Steven died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. Here are some untold facts about Cary Stayner's grim past and his monstrous crimes. With the palm of his hands, Cary Stayner wiped away his own tears. The driver was taken aback by his strange behavior but did nothing about it since the FBI had publicly announced that the killer was likely in custody, according to ABC News. She and her family have been the subject of more news stories and profiled in more books than some politicians and celebrities. Assistant Sheriff Strength said Stayner was on the waiting list for a job as a county jail guard. Then he took matters into his own hands. Stayner was sentenced to death for the four murders, and is still on death row at San Quentin Penitentiary in California. He found someone else to help him find another boy, only this time he was caught and he was sent to prison again -- where he died in 2008.". When Cary Stayner was questioned by FBI agents, he immediately confessed to the four Yosemite Park murders and provided a detailed accounting of his crimes. The boy was asked if he wanted to donate something to a church. Neighbors who remember Steven Stayner's return to his family's home on quiet Bette Street in Merced were astonished that his brother was now a suspect in one, or more, grisly killings. Parnell changed Stayner's name to Dennis Parnell and enrolled him in a new school, 300 miles away from where his real siblings attended. Still, Stayner wanted to help. After Steven's death, his parents sold the house. Being a mother, we assume Kay continues to miss her sons, but likes to keep it private, as made clear on her Facebook account. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. "For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. His abductor kept and sexually abused Steven for seven years. "He said, "OK,' and gave me these booklets and he asked me if I wanted a ride home. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". "He was just very well grounded, for a person that had gone through what he had gone through.". "At some point, Parnell and Steven together realized that Steven was growing up and that he was no longer going to be controlled by Parnell," Lunney said. It was common for the couple to load the kids in the car and take off in search of a new tip that could lead them to Steven. "As far as I know, hes never talked to anyone about the effect Steven might have had on his crimes. 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