Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. In a motorcycle accident that occurred on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, the United States of America, Steven Gregory Stayner was killed. . Instead, he tried to make the best of it. 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. But on Sept. 16, 1989, Stayner died in a motorcycle crash. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. Steven Gregory Stayner was an American kidnapping victim. 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. Prior to publication, the manuscript served as the basis for the 1989 TV miniseries I Know My First Name Is Steven (also known as The Missing Years), with Arliss Howard as Parnell. Stayner was stolen on December 4, 1972, in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. The boy agreed and gave the man his address. The fact that Stayners brother was kidnapped by a pedophile and abused for seven years adds an almost unfathomable dimension to the tragedy that enveloped this family. He also began manipulating the boy into believing his parents did not want him anymore, as they could not afford to financially support him. But Stayner had issues with readjusting to family life, with a tumultuous teenagehood. Unable to avoid the collision, Steven hit the driver's side of the vehicle. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. 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). But on Sept. 16, 1989, Stayner died in a motorcycle crash. 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." He was convicted of both kidnappings and served five years of his seven-year prison sentence. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent. Steven Stayner's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Apr 18, 1965 Death Date September 16, 1989 Age of Death 24 years Cause of Death Traffic Collision The Steven Stayner died at the age of 24. Cookie Notice Tragically, the Stayner family would be in for another shock a decade later. Powered by. I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. 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. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, Stayner "ended up taking refuge" in Yosemite, Rowlands said. 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. 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. After two weeks of watching White cry for his family, the then-14-year-old Stayner decided that was enough. Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. Sentenced to eight years, he served only five before being released, as reported by CNN. ", "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. Parnell was tried for kidnapping Stayner and White, but not for sexual abuse. 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. 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. But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. ET on ABC, Cary looked out for Steven, according to Cary Stayner's former classmate Jack Bungart. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. "Hes ready to kill again. Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund and friend Silvina Pelosso were missing for a month before their bodies were found. I was disappointed however on some of the inconsistencies, misspellings, and grammatical errors. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. As 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.. While Steven was a freshman at Mendocino High School, some 300 miles to the south, his older brother Cary was an upperclassman at Merced High School. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. The contrast between the two brothers is "surreal," Flynn said. He had been under hospice care for some time. Stayner, the subject of an NBC miniseries in May, lived as the son of his abductor, Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. Steven Stayner, who as a child was kidnaped from his Merced home and held captive until he escaped seven years later, died Saturday in a motorcycle accident, a coroners spokesman said. imported from Wikimedia project. Cary is 60 and remains in prison. Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at theCalifornia Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. Stayner grew up in Merced, California, near Yosemite National Park. "He was spunky. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. For seven years, as the two moved around Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Stayner was known as Dennis Parnell. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. The now 14-year-old Steven decided to escape with White on 2 March 1980 after witnessing the childs suffering. The docuseries kicks off with Stevens 1972 kidnapping, and follows his abuse at the hands of Yosemite Lodge worker Kenneth Parnell. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell.He was held by his abductor 38 miles (61 km) away in Mariposa County, California, and later in Mendocino County, California, until he was aged 14, when he managed to escape with . While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. "You have one brother who's been subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances he's a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. At that point Stayner decided to save White from the abuse he had endured and the two escaped. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agents Relentless Pursuit of the Nations Worst Predators. 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. 0 references. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. Her head, which had been removed, was found several feet away in the water. Overnight, Steven Stayner became a national hero, especially as Kenneth Parnell was arrested the very next day March 2, 1980. 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. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". And it wasn't that he was just a loner, he was a bit of a creepy loner," Flynn said. He had been under hospice care for some time.[10]. 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. Parnell forced Stayner to take on the name Dennis Parnell, and shuttled him from remote towns to isolated cabins all around Northern California, according to the Los Angeles Times. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. White became a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. Steven Stayner, who as a child was kidnaped from his Merced home and held captive until he escaped seven years later, died Saturday in a motorcycle accident, a coroner's spokesman . 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 was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in a vile act that would shake the family forever. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." 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. Stayner and White were not Parnell's only victims. He was held by his abductor until he was 14, when he escaped with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. "[14], Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008[15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. If youre wondering what happened to him since then, heres what we know. A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. Sometimes I blame myself. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'". On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. A new Hulu miniseries thoughtfully explores a family's surreal life in the true crime spotlight. He was 35. Steven and Timmy. Parnell died in 2008 whilst in prison, of natural causes. Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. Currently, Cary, 60, is being held in San Quentin State Prison on death row. And there was just nothing there," said Pat Lunney, an investigator assigned to Steven Stayners case. When he returned, he told the boy that he called his parents and they said they did not want him anymore. Stayner championed the cause of missing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. 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. 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. However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. In 1981, he was convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. "Still trying to get a real investigation for the death of my son Aaron Carter," she wrote. Then-7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school on Highway 140 when Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town. The harrowing true account of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped by a perverted pseudo-priest and his lackey during the 1970s. and our ***WARNING: Captive Audience spoilers ahead***. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law.