Raised in the peaceful suburbs of Merced, California, the 7-year-old was shuffling home from . At the time, Stayner had been missing for more than seven years. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was driving home from work on a California highway after work one rainy evening and got into a deadly collision with a car that turned in front of him. I told you this was a depressing one guys, hope I didn't ruin your day. In addition to the molestation, Stayner later claimed that Parnell's attitude altered from severe beatings to sometimes "spoiling" him. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Cary Staynar tried to protect his younger brother and looked out for him, according to ABC News. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school in Merced, California, when he was approached by a man passing out religious pamphlets. Her head, which had been removed, was found several feet away in the water. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Storypremiered on Thursday (21 April) and features interviews with Stayners mother and, as he survived the terrible ordeal, his son and daughter. Two men pulled up next to Stayner in a car one day, claiming to be ministers collecting money for their church. He was sentenced to death in 2002 and remains on death row. Cary is 60 and remains in prison. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Stayner had a traumatic childhood involving sexual abuse, the kidnap of his younger brother by a pedophile, and feelings of blame that he could not protect his brother, FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Rinek wrote in his book, In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agents Relentless Pursuit of the Nations Worst Predators. Rinek wrote that even though the abuse likely poured fuel on a fire for Stayner to eventually commit murder, it was one that had already begun to smolder before he was sexually abused and before his brother was kidnapped. ? He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. He had been under hospice care for some time. Steven Stayner cause of death Teddy April 25, 2022 1 min read Steven Gregory Stayner was born in April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989 he was a kidnapped victim from the United States. A family was torn apart. English Wikipedia. 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. Following his brother's death, History reports Cary worked as a handyman at a lodge near Yosemite National Park. To me thats guilt plain and simple. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. Stayner eventually began drinking more heavily, dropped out of high school, and left his parents' home. Marshal from the Fresno County Jail in Fresno, Calif., Aug. 6, 1999 on his way to an arraignment in federal court. He later said, I never stopped looking, every time I saw a crowd on TV or a picture of a lot of people in a magazine. dewiki Steven Stayner; [16] [17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. Steven Stayner biography timelines. On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work when a car suddenly pulled out of a driveway onto the highway. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. "Steven could have grown up normal happy and healthy and Cary still wouldve been a serial killer. When he returned, he told the boy that he called his parents and they said they did not want him anymore. Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, more than seven years after he was kidnapped while walking home from . "I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.". And he wanted the same treatment. As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. 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. Stevens father, Delbert Stayner, struggled in the aftermath of his sons vanishing like everyone else in the family. Five months passed without another killing, and the community surrounding Yosemite was lulled into a sense of calm especially when the FBI announced that those they believed responsible for the murders were in custody. Why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? He'd bought a brand new white and blue Kawasaki EX-500 motorcycle with money from a miniseries based on his childhood kidnapping, called "I Know My First Name Is Steven." Surrounded by TV cameras, Steven Stayner, right foreground, and and his brother Delbert Stayner are shown walking toward their Merced County, Calif., home, March 2, 1980, as Steven was reunited with his family following a 7-year kidnap ordeal. His life with Parnell lacked discipline he'd even been allowed to drink and smoke. Cary Stayner. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. He also conscripted Stayner into aiding him in kidnappings, but Stayner had always failed to grab the targeted child to the point Parnell stopped using Stayner as an accomplice, berating him for being an "incompetent". Parnell died of natural causes on January 21, 2008, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, while serving a sentence of 25 years to life. You have the other brother who's left at home. Like Steven, Timothy also died very young. Surrounded by endless complainers? On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. But they weren't religious leaders Kenneth E. Parnellwas a convicted pedophile. While Parnell was working as a night security guard, the children hitch-hiked to Ukiah, California, Timothys home town. 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. "He was just very well grounded, for a person that had gone through what he had gone through.". Ten years after Stayner's death, the city of Merced . Edward Murphy, Parnell's accomplice from the Stayner kidnapping, was sentenced to five years imprisonment and paroled after two years. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. That's tragic. However, he only served five years of his sentence. When Steven didnt make it home from school, his parents sounded the alarm. 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? Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. After serving in the Army, Del worked at several sawmills and then moved to be employed in the canning industry. Former reporter Ted Rowlands said, "Stayner had a new father figure who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist.". Wikipedia (7 entries) edit. But, at the age of 24, Steven Stayner, by then a husband and father of two, was killed in a motorcycle crash. And they searched. No other details were immediately available, according to the California Highway Patrol. For seven years, as the two moved around Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Stayner was known as Dennis Parnell. The cause was a pulmonary embolism, said his stepfather, Roger Gitlin. "He was kind of a quiet guy. 3. In the time after Stevens disappearance, Del dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts. In an interview with SFGate, Michael Kollman, who was a longtime neighbor of the Stayner family, said, "I think it must have really affected Cary," said Michael Kollman. Find a Grave On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. They no longer want you.. In 1997, Stayner got a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, seven miles from the gate of the national park. 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. 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. In the years after Steven vanished, Del spent considerable time looking for anything that would lead him to his son. The two brothers are both famous and both knew unspeakable horror. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. Although he was. The brothers, four years apart in age, shared a room, but didnt get along, according to Rowlands. If Steven was my family I would not be satisfied with that joke of a sentence. Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." Convicted sex offender Kenneth Parnell, known for the 1972 kidnapping and seven-year-long confinement of Steven Stayner, died Monday in the state prison hospital at Vacaville . She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. In February 1980, Parnell kidnapped his next victim, five-year-old Timothy White. According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. 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. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. He was arrested again in 2004 for attempting to buy a child, and died in a state prison hospital in California in 2008.). Witnesses later recognized the alleged driver of the automobile. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. When he returned, Stayner was constantly in the public eye, and he struggled with returning to his normal life after being kept captive for seven years. The Stayners suggested that one park could be called Stayner Park, in memory of Steven. Date Of Death: September 16, 1989 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Steven Stayner was born on the 18th of April, 1965. Over the next four years, he worked at Pizza Hut while lecturing about personal safety at schools. In January 2003, Parnell was arrested again after trying to coerce his caregiver's sister, Diane Stevens, into buying him a four-year-old boy for $500. But tragedy would strike Stayner one last time. "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. According to Rowlands, "He was wearing a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. 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 far as I know, hes never talked to anyone about the effect Steven might have had on his crimes. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Many researchers suspect cancer may overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death in coming years. Both men were convicted. The harrowing true account of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped by a perverted pseudo-priest and his lackey during the 1970s. My dad said he didnt need any. The press also hounded him constantly, and during Parnells trial he was bullied at school over questions of his sexuality. He retired in 1995 from working at a canning factory in Atwater, California. 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. This is the story of a seven-year-old boy named Steven Stayner. In 1999 a proposition was put forward to rename several local parks in the Merced area to honour outstanding citizens of the city. Steven Stayner was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was 24 years old FBI/Wikipedia On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work when a car suddenly pulled out of a driveway onto the highway. Stayner was seven years old at the time. SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). 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. 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. Not long after Steven Stayner died, Cary Stayner's uncle was fatally shot in a home . Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. 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.". Currently, Cary, 60, is being held in San Quentin State Prison on death row. 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. During the penalty phase, Del admitted to having neglected his children after Steven went missing and said regarding Cary, I didnt socialize with him. Flynn said his sexuality was "constantly under attack.". Cary Stayner, shown in this March 2, 1980 photo, is hugged by his mother Kay Stayner outside the Stayner home in Merced County, Calif., on the day Stayner's brother Steven was reunited with his family after being kidnapped for 7 years. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Steven disappeared while returning from school, Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women. Parnell claimed to have married a third and final time in 1968,[8] but no records were ever found to substantiate this. The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. Steven Stayner died in 1989. Watch: The Truth Behind Our Obsession With True Crime Stories. Jan. 23, 2008. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. But they. 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. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. Its a good substitute.. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Purdy said Cary Stayner always wore a hat. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. After several weeks, the bodies of all three women were discovered. "There wasnt really much time for us to speculate on whether this was related, I mean it quickly became related," said Des Kidd, former medical director at Yosemite who participated in search and rescue. Stayner would not reemerge until 1980, when he fled from Parnell to save another kidnapped boy, Timothy White. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. And there was just nothing there," said Pat Lunney, an investigator assigned to Steven Stayners case. 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. The brother of convicted murderer Cary Stayner was kidnapped as a young child and was missing for seven years. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? Barbara Mathias, Parnell's girlfriend who lived with him and Stayner for some time, was never charged with any violation and cooperated with authorities in Parnell's trials. He had been under hospice care for some time.[10]. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent.