Hours after Steven Stayner reported Parnell's crimes, . Steven Stayner Death - Obituary, Cause Of Death. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. In 2005, Timothy landed a job as a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, according to the New York Times. "I think Cary after high school seemed a little lost, like he didnt know where he was going," Bungart said. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. He was a child who was being abused. Steven Stayner Death: How Carys Stayners Brother Died, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 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). When Steven Stayner returned home, all he really knew about himself was his first name he wasn't even sure how his last name was spelled. Ten years after Stayner's death, the city of Merced . Steven eventually married and had two children. Steven Stayner was born in Merced. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. 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. 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. dewiki Steven Stayner; 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 . The Truth About The Kidnapping Of Steven Stayner, California Department of Corrections/Wikipedia. Stayner was considered a hero for saving White from years of sexual and physical abuse. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous, both tied to the wonder of Yosemite National Park, and both knew unspeakable horror. The kidnappings exacted a heavy toll on the Stayner family. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. 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. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. A year later, he was sentenced to life, which was, at the time, the harshest sentence handed down under the the "three strikes" law. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to pick . Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. "There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. [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. 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? Steven Gregory Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 in Merced, California, to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Have something to tell us about this article? 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. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. 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. [16] [17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. Like Steven, Timothy also died very young. But tragedy would strike Stayner one last time. Then, Del served in the US Army for four years until 1957 as a Staff Sergeant. Stayner and Parnell moved often, finally settling nearUkiah, California, where Steven Stayner became Dennis Parnell, according to The New York Times. Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. The brothers, four years apart in age, shared a room, but didnt get along, according to Rowlands. Steven Stayner (Steven Gregory Stayner) was born on 18 April, 1965 in Merced, CA, is an American child kidnapping victim. Ive been watching the documentary on Hulu and first Steven is kidnapped and molested and by some miracle, returns to his family, only for some guy to do a hit and run on him? Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at theCalifornia Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. 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. According to The Press Democrat, Kay Stayner said she "never did lose [her] hope" of finding her missing son. Their return launched Stayner into the spotlight, and he later became the focus of a 1989 television movie titled, I Know My First Name Is Steven. 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). Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. 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. Nobody can hurt him now. 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.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. Parnell was registered as a sex offender when he lured 7-year-old Stayners into his car as the boy walked home from his elementary school in Merced, California. Is Mayra Rosales Still Alive? A family was torn apart. "[2] He claimed to have been married three times, but only one record of his marriage is known. He was 79 years old, and from what we can tell, the cause of death has not been made public. He'd been convicted in 1951 for molesting a 9-year-old boy in. . Wikipedia (7 entries) edit. I suspect this death is what caused Cary to snap, too, so theres more lives ruined because of the hit and run driver. 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. By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast : Its a good substitute.. Im not sure there is any direct cause and effect," Flynn said. 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. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. 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. Not long after Steven Stayner died, Cary Stayner's uncle was fatally shot in a home . Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24. He briefly attended counseling but instead considered talking to reporters as his form of therapy. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. He loved his brother, his former calssmate, Jack Bungart, told the news outlet. 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. 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. According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. Later, the family also mentioned that the couple would go after any new tip that came by, with their children in tow. The kidnapping had a deep impact on Cary Stayner, his childhood friend, Mike Marchese told ABC News in a 1999 interview. 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. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. "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. He returns to Merced triumphant. The man's name was Ervin Murphy. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He was held by his abductor until he was 14, when he escaped with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. According to The Famous People, Murphy offered to walk Stayner home, as he wanted to ask his mother for a donation. Kenneth Parnell was ultimately convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to steal a child. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021. For seven years, as the two moved around Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Stayner was known as Dennis Parnell. Why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. The boys alerted the police and were finally united with their families. Stayner was buried at a family plot alongside his grandparents, at a funeral attended by 450 people. But Stayner had issues with readjusting to family life, with a tumultuous teenagehood. [8] Parnell denied in that same interview having been sexually abused himself, although Mike Echols' book I Know My First Name Is Steven states that he was indeed molested at the age of 13 by a boarder in a rooming house that his mother owned in Bakersfield. The now 14-year-old Steven decided to escape with White on 2 March 1980 after witnessing the childs suffering. However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. However, that happiness was short-lived because he had difficulty adjusting back to life with his family. 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. 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. However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. Accidental deaths are also on the rise. American crime victim who was kidnapped at age seven and held captive by sex offender Kenneth Parnell for seven years. Three weeks before Christmas 1972, the course of Steven Stayner's life would change forever. He wanted the world to take note. By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. 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. Steven went on to marry Jody Edmondson in 1985 aged 20 and they welcomed two children, Ashley and Steven Jr, who Stayner was naturally very protective over. READ MORE: Tales Of Demons And Gods Chapter 377: The Audience Awaited The New Chapter! In February 1980, Parnell decided to capture a new, younger boy. A plaque bearing the names of other missing children in Merced County will later be added.. He was in the background always.". 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. . "He was very proud of who he was," his wife, Jodi Stayner, said in 1999. Steven. Steven died in 1989, aged 24. This is the story of a seven-year-old boy named Steven Stayner. On Sept. 16, 1989, Steven, then 24, was killed in a motorcycle accident while on his way home from work. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. 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. The brother of convicted murderer Cary Stayner was kidnapped as a young child and was missing for seven years. The boy agreed and gave the man his address. He was seven when he was abducted. 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. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. 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. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. English Wikipedia. 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. Read More: Where is Kay Stayner Now? 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. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, "everyone was smiling, there was a lot of jubilation, but if you look in the background, there's something worth noting, and it's Cary in his baseball cap, and he's not smiling at all," according to Flynn. However, he was convicted in Utah and was not known as a criminal in California. 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. This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. They had two kids, Ashley and Steven Jr., who both appear in Captive Audience. In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. He retired in 1995 from working at a canning factory in Atwater, California. Stayner, the subject of an NBC miniseries in May, lived as the son of his abductor, Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, Steven was walking home from school in Merced, a city in California, when a man handing out religious pamphlets approached him. 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. Accident or not, someone lost their life. Starcasm Staff July 2, 2021 20/20, True Crime. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. Stayner was stolen on December 4, 1972, in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Parnell died in 2008 while incarcerated. Stayner was lured into the vehicle and abducted. Their new captive, Timmy White, was just 5 years old, and Stayner was heartbroken that White was always sad and crying. I guess seven years changed him, too. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? "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. 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. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. From 2010 to 2014, the number of accident-related . By that time, Cary Stayner was already having grotesque fantasies, the agent wrote. Powered by. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. At time of Cary Stayner's trial, stories regularly noted the high-profile abduction . At one point, Steven mentioned in an interview, Ive been talking to reporters for nine years. Steven was 24 years old at the time of death. Release Date! In a motorcycle accident that occurred on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, the United States of America, Steven Gregory Stayner was killed. Over the next four years, he worked at Pizza Hut while lecturing about personal safety at schools. In 1981, he was. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. Cookie Notice As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. He was sentenced to death in 2002 and remains on death row. When he didnt return home, Stevens parents Delbert and Kay Stayner alerted the authorities but there were no leads. In 1999 a proposition was put forward to rename several local parks in the Merced area to honour outstanding citizens of the city. 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. Her head, which had been removed, was found several feet away in the water. 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 led a short and tragic life. "It seemed as though he had a compulsion with trying to get close to women or be sexual with them," Rowlands said. And it wasn't that he was just a loner, he was a bit of a creepy loner," Flynn said. However, he only served five years of his sentence. ", "The first year was kinda hectic," Steven said on GMA in 1983. After her friends reported her missing, police found signs of a struggle at her cabin and half a mile away, they found her body. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. "Still trying to get a real investigation for the death of my son Aaron Carter," she wrote. "As far as I know, hes never talked to anyone about the effect Steven might have had on his crimes. As he gets older, he realizes that he needs to try to make an escape and get back home. 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. He sustained fatal head injuries while on his way home from work when his motorcycle collided with a car in a hit-and-run accident. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse,'" Duke said. The driver was later caught (per LA Times). Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. Would I have been better off if I didnt?. in 2004. Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. As Parnell was working the night shift, Stayner fled the home with White in the middle of the night. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. Stayner later escaped, taking Timmy with him. Our days would be-- just get on our bikes in the morning and go to the park. Unfortunately, ABC News reports authorities were eventually forced to admit "there was just nothing there." 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. According to Diane Stevens' testimony, Parnell requested that the child have a "clean" rectum, indicating sexual intentions. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. Mr. White was 5 years old when he was kidnapped in 1980 by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". "Hes ready to kill again. I was disappointed however on some of the inconsistencies, misspellings, and grammatical errors. 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. However, he always enrolled the boy in school and often allowed Stayner freedoms that a kidnapper would not traditionally grant a captor. 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. 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.