He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Delbert Stayner Bio, Cause Of Death, Steven Stayner Father Within days, he's on 'Good Morning America,'" Flynn said. Stayner was taken to Catheys Valley. Witnesses later recognized the alleged driver of the automobile. He was convicted of the murders of four women between February and July 1999: Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and their teenage traveling companion Silvina Pelosso; and Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong. Stayner, who was held captive by Parnell for seven years, died in a 1989 motorcycle crash. Steven Stayner Death Obituary: On April 23rd, 2022 Todeath.net received news about the passing of Steven Stayner through a Social Media post. For more information, please see our Like Steven, Timothy also died very young. 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. On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. Unfortunately, less than a decade after his incredible escape, Steven Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24, leaving behind a wife and two children. His life with Parnell lacked discipline he'd even been allowed to drink and smoke. In 1972, Parnell kidnapped 7-year-old Steven Stayner of. But they weren't religious leaders Kenneth E. Parnellwas a convicted pedophile. The incident was declared a hit-and-run after the car sped away, leaving Stayner on the highway with severe injuries (via The Spokesman-Review). He was a child who was being abused. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. The officers soon realized that both of the boys had actually been kidnapped, and the one identifying himself as Dennis Parnell was actually Steven Stayner. Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. 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. Steven Stayner - Wikipedia At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. He had been under hospice care for some time. In February 1999, Carole Sund, 42, was on vacation with her daughter Juli, 15, and Silvina Pelosso, a 16-year-old Argentinian exchange student. imported from Wikimedia project. Timothy White, Victim of a Notorious 1980 Kidnapping, Dies at 35 If you havent got three hours to spare, heres everything you need to know about the horrific story of Steven Stayner. 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. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. And he wanted the same treatment. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. 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. 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. At his funeral, Timmy White was a pallbearer (via Press Democrat). Delbert Stayner passed away in 2013. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund and friend Silvina Pelosso were missing for a month before their bodies were found. The Stayners suggested that one park could be called Stayner Park, in memory of Steven. . Stayner and Parnell pretended to be a son and father (via the Lodi News-Sentinel). Steven Stayner - Wikidata Steven Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 and died on September 16, 1989. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. What Happened To Kenneth Parnell? Steven Stayner Kidnapper Facts convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. "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. 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. His high school girlfriend said he later told her what happened. But he was pretty messed up and he never got any counseling. In 2004, 72-year-old Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life after an informant told police he expressed interest in buying a four-year-old boy for $500. [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. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He sustained fatal head injuries after his motorcycle struck a car that suddenly pulled out in front of him as he drove home from his Pizza Hut shift, according to People. "For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. English Wikipedia. The boys were still in elementary school when a man named Kenneth Parnell entered the picture. On December 4, 1972, Parnell abducted seven-year-old Merced resident Steven Stayner with the help of Edward Ervin Murphy, a co-worker at the Yosemite Lodge, where Parnell worked as a night auditor. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Police first arrested convicted pedophile, Kenneth E. Parnel immediately and went to work tracking down Ervin Murphy according to Lodi News-Sentinel, who had only been involved in the kidnapping before going his own way. He should have at least gotten involuntary manslaughter. Stayner and his wife were high school sweethearts, the article said. Steven Stayner's Childhood Abduction Made Him A Household Name. Then Steven was never able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered and get help. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.. However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. I Know My First Name Is Steven: With Cindy Pickett, John Ashton, Corin Nemec, Luke Edwards. Steven Stayner biography timelines. 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. Kenneth Parnell kidnapped Steven Stayner and Timothy White, abductions that later inspired the 1989 TV movie "I Know My First Name is Steven.". I was surprised that the doc didn't talk much about the Stayner's family own history of abuse (the mitigation specialist talked about it a bit in the Cary episode) but apparently there was an uncle in the family who allegedly molested Cary and was later murdered (idk anything about it) and the Stayner family wouldn't allow Steven to get therapy after he came home to properly deal with his trauma. 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. As Steven got older and entered puberty, Parnell's sexual interest in Stayner waned and Parnell sought a new boy to "build his family". I told you this was a depressing one guys, hope I didn't ruin your day. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". He was convicted of kidnapping 7-year-old Steven Stayner as the boy walked . Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. He'd been convicted in 1951 for molesting a 9-year-old boy in. Three weeks before Christmas 1972, the course of Steven Stayner's life would change forever. While they never gave up hope, the ordeal took a toll on the whole family. Steven Gregory Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 in Merced, California, to Delbert and Kay Stayner. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". Steven Stayner testifies about his abduction in 1972 by Kenneth Parnell and his seven years in captivity in this 1981 photo. Its a good substitute.. 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. Two kidnapped boys, a hero's return, then a tragic twist: The But for the Stayners, this seemingly closed hellish chapter of their lives turned out to be . There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. Steven Stayner's Death Is 1 Of Many Tragedies In 'Captive - Bustle Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. After White had been with Stayner and his captors for 16 days, Stayner realized he needed to save White from the same abuse he had endured (via the Los Angeles Times). Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. He wanted the world to take note. In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. 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. 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. He was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison. 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. You know what I mean? 12 Leading Causes of Death in the United States - Healthline Raised in the peaceful suburbs of Merced, California, the 7-year-old was shuffling home from . He was held by his abductor 38 miles away in Mariposa County, California, and later in Mendocino County, California, until he was aged 14, when he managed to escape with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. The miniseries was released on May 23, 1989, only about four months before he died in a hit-and-run accident. The Famous People reports Stayner had a difficult time adjusting to returning to his parents' home.