Steven Stayner Death Obituary: On April 23rd, 2022 Todeath.net received news about the passing of Steven Stayner through a Social Media post. He literally said, I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Accident or not, someone lost their life. "He was very proud of who he was," his wife, Jodi Stayner, said in 1999. According to The Famous People, the couple eventually had two children, named Ashley and Steven, Jr. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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." Parnell was tried for kidnapping Stayner and White, but not for sexual abuse. 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. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. His life with Parnell lacked discipline he'd even been allowed to drink and smoke. and our By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. After convincing the boy his parents did not want him anymore, he changed his name to Dennis Parnell. He was popular for being a Person. 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. He retired in 1995 from working at a canning factory in Atwater, California. He returns to Merced triumphant. 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. A year later, he was sentenced to life, which was, at the time, the harshest sentence handed down under the the "three strikes" law. 0 references. "Steven was a national hero. "Steven didn't understand the rules that he was now expected to live by. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent. Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. molesting an 8-year-old boy in Bakersfield, California in 1952 when he kidnapped Stayner. 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. He was not wearing a helmet because someone had stolen it from him two months prior (via the Los Angeles Times ). 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. Unfortunately, ABC News reports authorities were eventually forced to admit "there was just nothing there." He'd been convicted in 1951 for molesting a 9-year-old boy in. Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. 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. In the years after Steven vanished, Del spent considerable time looking for anything that would lead him to his son. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. Stayner and Parnell moved often, finally settling nearUkiah, California, where Steven Stayner became Dennis Parnell, according to The New York Times. His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. Stayner was taken to Catheys Valley. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Steven's last name is spelt "Staynor" on the cover but is actually spelt "Stayner." The author also states that Steven was missing for 7 years, then later on in the book he says 9 years. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. For more information, please see our By the time Steven was 14, he had been abused and manipulated by Parnell for seven years. They no longer want you,'" investigative journalist Pat LaLama said. Stayner's brother, Cary, is in San. cause of death. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. Fourteen when he was found. In addition to believing his parents no longer wanted him, The Famous People reports Stayner was simply unsure how to get out of the situation he was in. At his funeral, Timmy White was a pallbearer (via Press Democrat). The miniseries was released on May 23, 1989, only about four months before he died in a hit-and-run accident. ", The Tragedy Of Steven Stayner's 1989 Death Explained. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. But on Sept. 16, 1989, Stayner died in a motorcycle crash. Purdy said Cary Stayner always wore a hat. Star Original Captive Audience - A Real American Horror Story aired on Hulu with all 3 episodes available immediately on the release date of April 21, 2022.[18]. Sometimes I blame myself. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! On Sept. 16, 1989, Steven, then 24, was killed in a motorcycle accident while on his way home from work. Raised in the peaceful suburbs of Merced, California, the 7-year-old was shuffling home from . ***WARNING: Captive Audience spoilers ahead***. Cary was convicted in 1999 of the murders of four women and sentenced to death in 2002. 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. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. However, that happiness was short-lived because he had difficulty adjusting back to life with his family. This poor family! Steven was never able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered and get help. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. 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. In fact, the wrong men were custody. Following his brother's death, History reports Cary worked as a handyman at a lodge near Yosemite National Park. 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. Parnell was convicted of two counts of kidnaping and sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison in February, 1982, after an 18-day trial in Hayward. According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. [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. Mr. White was 5 years old when he was kidnapped in 1980 by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. But things changed when the kidnapper brought in another child to live with them when Stayner was 14. Steven died in 1989, aged 24. 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. While Steven was grappling with life after his escape, his brother was out of high school with his own troubles. 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. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. Steven Stayner Death: How Carys Stayners Brother Died, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. 2. 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. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. Flynn said his sexuality was "constantly under attack.". Parnell was sentenced to 20 months in prison for Steven's. 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. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". The Stayners were in the news yet again after Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women, including two teenagers. I guess seven years changed him, too. 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. Read More: Where is Kay Stayner Now? In 1981, he was convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. Stayner died in 1989 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.[12]. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. Stayner had been driving his new Kawaksaki motorcycle when the driver pulled out in front of him on a rain-soaked highway. In 2005, Timothy landed a job as a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, according to the New York Times. Del was born in New Mexico in May 1933 and moved to Merced County, California, in 1951. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. In addition to the molestation, Stayner later claimed that Parnell's attitude altered from severe beatings to sometimes "spoiling" him. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He should have at least gotten involuntary manslaughter. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. Age at Death: 24. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. Jan. 23, 2008. He was arrested again in 2004 for attempting to buy a child, and died in a state prison hospital in California in 2008.). However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. In February 1980, Parnell brought home a 5-year-old White, who, like Stayner, had been walking home from school. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, Stayner "ended up taking refuge" in Yosemite, Rowlands said. Wikipedia (7 entries) edit. In 1989, he tragically died in a motorcycle accident. 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. Then, Del served in the US Army for four years until 1957 as a Staff Sergeant. And there was just nothing there," said Pat Lunney, an investigator assigned to Steven Stayners case. 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. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. Their new captive, Timmy White, was just 5 years old, and Stayner was heartbroken that White was always sad and crying. He died behind bars in 2008 from natural causes. 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 kidnapping had a deep impact on Cary Stayner, his childhood friend, Mike Marchese told ABC News in a 1999 interview. "Cary, as the older brother, had a very strange relationship now with his younger brother, Steven, who was getting all of this attention and who was a different person," Rowlands said. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Steven Stayner was born in Merced. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. (Parnell's cabin was, unbeknownst to Stayner, located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence.) "I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.". SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime On April 18th, 1965, he was welcomed into the world by his parents, Delbert Stayner and Kay Stayner, in Merced, California, in the United States of America. "Steven could have grown up normal happy and healthy and Cary still wouldve been a serial killer. Parnell began sexually abusing Stayner almost immediately. In addition to assisting in the production of a miniseries based on his experience, Stayner became an advocate for preventing child abduction and helping victims of abuse. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. Stayner and his wife were high school sweethearts, the article said. Stayner eventually began drinking more heavily, dropped out of high school, and left his parents' home. 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 . Timothy White died of a pulmonary embolism in 2010 at the age of 35. He was not wearing a helmet, and. When Parnell kidnapped 5-year-old Timothy White that year, Stayner fled on foot along with the kindergartner and then hitchhiked to safety, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight. Stayner championed the cause of missing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. 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. Kenneth Parnell is most notoriously known for the kidnapping of, Parnell, a former motel clerk, had already been convicted for. "He literally said, 'I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Privacy Policy. 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. To begin with the first one is on the cover of the book. A new Hulu miniseries thoughtfully explores a family's surreal life in the true crime spotlight. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. In February 1999, Carole Sund, 42, was on vacation with her daughter Juli, 15, and Silvina Pelosso, a 16-year-old Argentinian exchange student. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." He got on with his life, his sister Cory Stayner told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Nobody can hurt him now. Delbert Stayner Age At The Time Of His Death At the time of Delbert Stayner's death, he was 79 years old. "He and Ervin Murphy got into Ken's big, white Buick and drove into Merced.". 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. Stayner recently talked candidly with reporters of his life with Parnell, who alternately molested him and passed him off as his son. [14] He paid $100 for a birth certificate and had $400 on his person for the completion of the transaction when he was to receive the child on January 3, 2003. Steven Stayner, Who Escaped 7-Year Captivity, Dead In Crash September 17, 1989 MERCED, Calif. (AP) _ Steven Stayner, kidnapped at the age of 7 and forced to live as the sexually abused foster son of his abductor until he escaped seven years later, has been killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident. Stayner suffered years of abuse and claims that his parents didnt want him anymore, per the Seattle Times. (Stayners helmet had been stolen two months prior, and he hadnt replaced it.) Now I had to compete with a brother and three sisters. Here is all you want to know, and more! "Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. "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. Where is Cary Stayner now? Although Parnell was a convicted child predator, Murphy was described as "simple-minded," and somewhat naive. One relative described child sexual abuse as like a family sickness because it had been going on for so many generations. #truecrime #PodernFamily #perspective #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/IItIDruGTI, It Could Always Be Worse (@alwaysbeworse) March 21, 2018, Steven Stayner was only 7 years old when he was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and Ervin Murphy, according to ABC News. On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. 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. 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.. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. As he was not wearing a helmet, he suffered massive head trauma, which led to his death less than one hour after the accident occurred. Cary Stayner is now 57 years old. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. Years later in interviews, Stayner admitted to intentionally sabotaging the kidnappings. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. He had three sisters and an older brother, Cary. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. Ten years after Stayner's death, the city of Merced . Steven Gregory Stayner was an American kidnapping victim. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. Hulus Captive Audience delves into a story that is fascinating and horrifying in equal parts. Everything has changed. "Still trying to get a real investigation for the death of my son Aaron Carter," she wrote. Am I wrong? At one point, Steven mentioned in an interview, Ive been talking to reporters for nine years. However, his brother Cary also suffered throughout the entire ordeal. number of children. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. He had reportedly suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts but the cause of his death remains unclear. In February 1980, Parnell kidnapped his next victim, five-year-old Timothy White. Steven. Although he was. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. Captive Audience tells Steven Stayner's story after he was kidnapped and abused for seven years. Shortly after Steven's death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. 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. "He was kind of a quiet guy. Then he took matters into his own hands. 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. He also began manipulating the boy into believing his parents did not want him anymore, as they could not afford to financially support him. Within days, he's on 'Good Morning America,'" Flynn said. But, at the age of 24, Steven Stayner, by then a husband and father of two, was killed in a motorcycle crash. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. 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. Authorities had already interviewed him once before about the other three murders, but at the time he hadnt raised any red flags. However, he was convicted in Utah and was not known as a criminal in California. Steven Stayner died in 1989. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. Stayner became known as a hero and inspired a television miniseries, I Know My First Name is Steven.. in 2004. "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 was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. 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. According to a psychiatrist who would later evaluate Stayner for his defense team, the Stayner family tree was riven with mental illness and sexual abuse going back five generations. If Steven was my family I would not be satisfied with that joke of a sentence. Stayner was walking home from school December 4, 1972, when the men lured him into their vehicle, saying they had just talked to his parents and they no longer wanted him, ABC reported. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. "It was a sleety, wintery day," Sean Flynn, a journalist who wrote about both Stayner brothers for Esquire, said. And so Steven made it home, Timmy was returned to his parents, and two families could breathe again. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In 1972, Parnell kidnapped 7-year-old Steven Stayner of. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was accused of sexually abusing his daughters, and Rinek wrote sexual abuse went back at least five generations in the family. 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. "Hes ready to kill again. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven. On the show, Kay mentioned that Del would often drive around looking for freshly dug ground because he thought Steven was dead. 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. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. He was convicted of kidnapping 7-year-old Steven Stayner as the boy walked . After her friends reported her missing, police found signs of a struggle at her cabin and half a mile away, they found her body. 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. 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. Parnell died in 2008 whilst in prison, of natural causes. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. 1 reference. The Famous People reports Parnell then took the boy to a remote cabin near Catheys Valley, California. On July 21, 1999, when Stayner saw Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old naturalist at Yosemite who taught children about nature in the park, "something instantly" changed with him, Rowlands said. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. He also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". 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. 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. About eight years later, Steven escapeda story that drew significant media attention and was turned into a popular television miniseries, "I Know My First Name Is Steven." But in 1989, Steven died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24. The prosecution successfully argued that sexual aids and pornography found in the apartment, along with Stevens' own testimony, were enough to prove that Parnell's intentions were criminal in nature. After two weeks of watching White cry for his family, the then-14-year-old Stayner decided that was enough. Would love your thoughts, please comment. The story of steven stayner and timothy white Birth and family Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/eW5ce2QtEm
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