Sadly, Stayners triumphant return didnt last long, as he died several years after the daring escape. So much tragedy surrounding this case. Steven died nine years after he returned home. Although he was sentenced to seven years, he only served five. Steven with his wife and two children in 1988. who claimed he was collecting money for church, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, The compelling story of the Stayner brothers is at the center of. of revisiting thatunfathomable part ofhis childhood. [22] Stayner's kidnapping and its aftermath prompted California lawmakers to change state laws "to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases. But for the Stayners, this seemingly closed hellish chapter of their lives turned out to beonly the first of the worst-nightmare scenarios that they faced. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Parnell then drove a confused Stayner to his cabin in nearby Catheys Valley instead. ), "I'm very, very, very angry,"his wife Jody, then 21, told a reporter for Knight Ridder that night. He named the dog, a Manchester Terrier, Queenie. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. But despite an extensive search, young Steven was never to be found. For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. On March 1, 1980, two weeks after Timothy White was abducted, as Parnell went on duty at his night security job, Steven Stayner left the house with Timmy and hitchhiked a ride to Ukiah. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. Would I have been better off if I didn't? Steven Stayners incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime dramaCaptive Audience. Originally published January 20, 2007 at 12:00 am. She said back then, This is really so phenomenal, for a child to be gone seven years and to be found alive. He had askedhis home health care worker if she could help him procure a 4-year-old boy, offering to pay $500 to have him delivered to his house in Berkeley. Steven Stayner (April 18, 1965 - Sept 16, 1989) was a kidnapping victim. Steven Stayner got married to Jody Edmondson in 1985. Talking remotely toGood Morning Americaon March 14, 1980, Steven,his mom and dad on either side of him, said it was "great" to be back, but his siblings had "changed a lot. But in 1980, the Stayners' prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. Stevens drivers license had been suspended, and didnt want to risk an accident in the company truck, so he declined the offer. Sometimes I blame myself. While at school, Steven never revealed to anyone that he had been kidnapped. "It was my do-or-die chanceand I also would be coming home for doing something positive.". He was sentenced to seven years, but was paroled after serving five.[19][20]. After performing a background check, they discovered this wasnt his first offense he had been convicted in 1951 for sodomy. For Steven though, the adjustment was a little more difficult. He was held by his abductor until he was 14,. But this time hes the one who is staying strong for Kay., Delbert mourned the tragedy but expressed relief in the certainty of death. Steven Stayner's incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime drama Captive Audience . Boy that was one looooong article! Proudly powered by WordPress Sister Cynthia Sartelltestified that their dad was "on a mission" after Steven disappeared, and looking for their brother consumed his time and energy, to the detriment of his other kids. [17][18], By daybreak on March 2, 1980, Parnell had been arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. But executing him is not going to bring them back.". Once more details emerged about his ordeal, some kids teased him about being molested. Stayner, 41, faces the death penalty for the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16, while they were staying at the motel where he worked as a handyman outside Yosemite National Park in February 1999. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". But why doesn't my dad hug me anymore? Barbara Mathias was never arrested. [8], Parnell molested Stayner the first night at the cabin. He had problems adjusting because, with Kenneth, there were no rules; he was used to drinking and smoking. Before leaving for the nudist colony . I never recognized either one of them.". He had been a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy for five years, according to thePress Democrat, and was survived by his wife and two children. On December 4, 1972, he was walking home from school when he was spotted by Kenneth Parnell and his friend Ervin Murphy. Also Known As: Steven Gregory Stayner Died At Age: 24 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Jody Edmondson (m. 1985-1989) father: Delbert Stayner mother: Kay Stayner siblings: Cary Stayner, Cory Stayner children: Ashley Stayner, Steven Stayner Jr. American Men Aries Men Died on: September 17, 1989 Cause of Death: Accident U.S. State: California The driver, Antonio Loera, drove off, leaving Stayner helpless on the rain-soaked highway. April 20, 2022 Steven Stayner became a household name in 1980 when he returned home after being kidnapped about seven years earlier. [40], White later became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy. In 1981, Parnell was tried in two separate trials, one for each boy. My dad said he didn't need any. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. Adjusting to post-abduction life was no easy task for Steven. "We thought we were prepared and, of course, we weren't," Carole's father, Francis Carrington, told theLA Times after his granddaughter was found. Shortly before his death, Steven had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But in July 1999, the name Stayner made headlines once againwhen Steven's older brother Carywas arrested for murdering a woman in Yosemite, Calif. Steven was able to explain what had happened to him and to Timothy. Parnell created a new identity for Stayner, giving him the new name, Dennis Gregory Parnell, but retained his original middle name and his original date of birth. Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. Sandra Hawkins, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay stayed strong during the abduction but was totally crushed after learning of Stevens death. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell dated a woman named Barbara Mathias for a period of time. In the world they try to build, Steven found happiness after his return at age 14 from seven years as the sex slave of a pedophile, and there is no connection between that made-for-TV drama and. What a case! Timmy White and Steven Stayner during a press conference. For two weeks Steven watched Timothy suffer. After Timothy White, who had become a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy, died from pulmonary embolism in 2010, a statue of Stayner and White was built in Applegate Park in Merced, California. "It's a lot to imagine that any one family could undergo,"Jessica Dimmock, director of the three-part docuseries Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, now streaming on Hulu, told E! It would have been a lot different if this man who hit him stayed. But it wasn't until the age of 37 that he would become a murderer. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. The title of the film and book are taken from the first paragraph of Steven's written police statement, given during the early hours of March 2, 1980 in Ukiah. That would havemade Cary 7 when he first had such a fantasy, when Stevenwas 3 and still several years away from being kidnapped,a trauma that couldn't help butaffect the whole familyand which certainly was invoked when it came time to mount a defense. Together they had two children, and he moved to work with child abduction groups, making appearances for various groups who search for missing children. One December afternoon in 1972, 7-year-old Steven had been walking home in Merced, California, when he was coaxed into a stranger's car with the promise of a ride home. He had sustained a fracture at the back of his skull. Steven Stayner's parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. He said, Whats dying? like so much had already happened to him, what was dying compared to that?. ", Rowlandsreported that the then-37-year-old also said he had dreamed of killing women for 30 years and these four were "at the wrong place at the wrong time.''. Jody was last seen in Montana, accordin Steven refused to reveal the details of his sexual abuse and endured bullying in school for being molested. He also refused to disclose all the details of sexual abuse he endured from Parnell. Steven was beaten and allowed to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. And we had a rough time getting used to having him home. So, on December 4, 1972, Kay was supposed to pick him up from school but had stopped to pick something up from Delbert. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. He was held by his abductor 38 miles (61km) 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. In 1989, he tragically died in a motorcycle accident. According to reports, Cary Stayner and Cory Stayner are Steven Stayner's two siblings. Looking beyond the good vs. bad brother trope, the directorreflected onrevisiting the divergent branches of the Stayner storyin a way that doesn't allow for the audience to tidily point fingers. [7] Unbeknownst to Stayner, Parnell's cabin was located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence. [44] Fundraisers for the statue have stated that it is meant to honor Steven Stayner and give families of missing and kidnapped children hope that they are still alive.[44]. However, police officers spotted both of them, and that's when Steven's real identity was revealed. And we had a rough time getting used to having him home.. She reported him topolice and he got the maximum sentence due to California's three-strikes law. [15] Mathias later claimed to have been completely unaware that "Dennis" had been kidnapped. This dog had been given to Parnell by his mother, who was not aware of Stayner's existence during the period when he was being held by Parnell. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Where is he now spends much his! Both Del and Kay Stayner testified during the penalty phase of the trial that October that they neglected Cary to a degree when Steven went missing. [38] Timmy White, then a grown man, was subpoenaed to testify in Parnell's criminal trial. In April 2022, Hulu released a limited true-crime docuseries "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story" following the life of Stayner and his family and how the kidnapping impacted their lives. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. "He got on with his life," his sister Cory Staynertold the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His mysterious death. Theres so much hate right now.. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. Things were pretty rough for a while, bouncing from one job to another, some would say wandering aimlessly. Then he met Jody Edmondson, and in 1985, when he was 20 and she 17, they married. Steven told him she would probably want to, and the men offered him a ride home. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. Great article, as always! He was 35 years old. All rights reserved. In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. They were last seen alive Feb. 15 eating dinner at the hotel restaurant. Murphy, who was instructed to distribute gospel tracts to school boys, approached Steven Stayner, claiming to be a church representative and asked him if his mother would be willing to donate anything to the church. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. in journalism and creative writing. As he was walking home from school on December 4th 1972, he was approached by a man named Ervin Murphy claiming to be a representative of the church who was looking for donations. Since then, Kay has preferred to keep her life private and hasnt spoken out apart from the interview on Captive Audience. She lost Delbert in April 2013. "My older brother . Needless to say, nothing is so black and white, especially when there isn't a handy scenario to explain away any of it at all. [10] After Stayner told Parnell many times during that first week that he wanted to go home, Parnell told Stayner that he had been granted legal custody of the boy because his parents could not afford so many children and that they did not want him anymore. Even though missing fliers circulatedall over the place, including some of the schools Steven attended, no one evercame forward to say they recognized him. "I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. He was mocked at school, which caused him to drop out, and after he began drinking more often, he was kicked out of his parental house. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Mourners holding banner which reads VIGIL OF HOPE for Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and Julis friend Silvina Pelosso. According to a TIMEmagazinereport from March 17, 1980, Steven hadn't yet fully divulged what really happened to him. Spouse. The nurse reported him to the local police and he was once again convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Why Trust Us? [16], As Stayner entered puberty, Parnell began to look for a younger child to kidnap. [30] ", Kay told the jury of her surviving son,"Very seldom did he get into trouble. I guess seven years changed him, too. Kay also talked about the effect Stevens return had on the family, He came back different, very different. The title of the TV series and the book on Steven Stayner, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', was inspired by a line in his official police statement given after being rescued. The teen, by then 5-foot-10 and barely resembling the little boy who disappeared, haddecided he had to escape inorder to save his abductor's latest victim, 5-year-old Timothy White, who was taken not far from his elementary school inUkiah, Calif.about 200 miles away from Mercedon Feb. 14, 1980. Those sorts of comparisons have been used a lot in these two brothers and I started to think, is it more complicated?". Jurors in August found him guilty of the murders. Within a week, Steven was calling him dad. Cary was convicted and sentenced to death in 2002 for the murders of four women in 1999. In 2002, Kay testified during the penalty phase of her son Carys trial for a triple murder. AP Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Steven, taking a leave of absence from his job, acted as an advisor for Lorimar-Telepictures and had a non-speaking part, playing one of the two policemen who escort 14-year-old Steven (played by Corin Nemec) through the crowds to his waiting family, on his return to his Merced home. As long as I can see them and hear their voices, I'm OK.", I Know My First Name Is Stevenwas nominated fora Golden Globe and four Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for then 17-year-oldCorin Nemec,thanks to his heart-wrenching turn asSteven. Cary was convicted with four counts of first-degree murder. When he didnt make it home a few hours later, the family went to the police. Steven Stayner escaped Kenneth Parnell when he was 14 years old. For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. More than 450 peopleturned out for Steven's funeral and Timothy White, the boy he saved, wasa pallbearer. But the family has since dealt with several tragedies along the way, including Steven's death and his older brother's incarceration for murder. On February 14, 1980, in Ukiah, California, they were successful when Poorman found 5-year old Timothy White walking home from school. I know my first name is Steven, he said, ditching the name Parnell had given him. Timothy, back home with his family, adjusted well, and things returned to normal. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. My dad was on a mission trying to find his son, she said. . Insisting to police that he "wasn't mistreated the boy clearly has conflicting thoughts about his captor," the article notes. All about his family, Was Dave Hollis Sick? Cary Stayner, Steven's older brother, was behind the Yosemite murders that rocked the small farming town of Merced, California in 1999. When he didnt return home from school that day his parents went to the police. Steven Stayners incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime dramaCaptive Audience 2022 Stayner. And things returned to steven stayner sisters. `` TV shows would become a murderer of Saints... Louis Post-Dispatch named the dog, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay strong... 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