As Steven got older and entered puberty, Parnell's sexual interest in Stayner waned and Parnell sought a new boy to "build his family". At that point Stayner decided to save White from the abuse he had enduredand the two escaped. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to. In the shadow of the Yosemite National Park in California, in the secluded farming town of Merced, the Stayner family resided in a lower-middle-class area classified as Betty Street. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. A Fictionalized Telling of 'The Staircase' Is Coming to HBO Max With More Than One Big Name Attached, The Sound of Pam Hupp Slurping a Soft Drink Is Actually in the Score of 'The Thing About Pam'. "When Steven came home, Cary was kind of put on the back shelf. Stayner waited until Parnell had gone to his night shift job as a clerk at a local motel on March 1, 1980 and, carrying White on his back, hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. While Jody said her husband did blame himself in some ways but ultimately seemed at peace with everything. 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. Stayner and Timmy hiked to a police station 40 miles away from Kenneths cabin. And while Captive Audience focuses mostly on the Stayner family and how Stevens brother Cary grew up to be a serial killer, Whites life and story was changed forever by his ordeal. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. Delbert served as a mechanic at a peach can factory at that point in time, whereas Kay was a wife and mother whom many characterized as cold and distant. Steven Stayner became a household name in 1980 when he returned home after being kidnapped about seven years earlier. 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. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. In the 1970s, they constituted Cary and Steven, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. Stayner became known as a hero and inspired a television miniseries, I Know My First Name is Steven.. He later moved with his mother, his two half-sisters, and a half-brother to Bakersfield, California, where his mother operated a boarding lodge. Shortly before his death, Steven had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Steven passed away an hour after the accident at Merced Community Medical Center. By that time, Cary Stayner was already having grotesque fantasies, the agent wrote. 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. The racers relationship with Sarah Lavin, Where is Katherine Russell today? He fled on foot along with White, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight once they got to safety. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, Plaschke: Lakers live up to their legacy with a close-out win for the ages, L.A. Affairs: I had my reasons for not dating white men. He grew up alongside his siblings named; Cynthia Sartell, Cory Stayner, and Cary Stayner. He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up,Stevens sister said in 2007. In 1972, 7 year old Steven Stayner was kidnapped on his way home from school. On February 14, 1980, Parnell employed Randall Sean Poorman, a teenage friend of Stayner, to abduct a five-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White in Ukiah, California. Over the next few years, he had some trouble adjustingto living with his family. Of course Cynthia Sartell knew him; he was her older sibling. Cary was the ideal son, Kay Stayner revealed to the jury during her elder sons trial for murder. A decade after their father passed, four women were brutally murdered in nearby Yosemite. Steven Stayner led a short and tragic life. 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. After convincing the boy his parents did not want him anymore, he changed his name to Dennis Parnell. Thats unlikely to improve anyones mental health, Opinion: Why my Taiwanese American identity has become more complicated, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Man found guilty of murdering teens who ding-dong-ditched his house. In 1989, Steven was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind a wife and two young children. He didnt whine about lousy breaks. Steven Stayner with his parents In their four years together, they welcomed daughter Ashley, followed by son Steven Jr. However, as we all know, that turned when pedophile Kenneth Parnell abducted Steven in 1972, and the Stayners allegedly began to neglect their children. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. Barbara Mathias, Parnell's girlfriend who lived with him and Stayner for some time, was never charged with any violation and cooperated with authorities in Parnell's trials. He is married with children (see his son above), and he also appears to have previously served in the U.S. Army like his sister. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White, Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnappers trial when he was just 6 years old, the, White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. Stevens was aware of Parnell's past and cooperated with police in setting up a sting operation that would lead to his arrest. Steven died nine years after he returned home. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. Miller toldPeople: He was kind of a reckless kid after he came back home he wrecked a couple of cars and I talked to him about being careful, because he could kill himself. Steven Jr. was his son, and Ashley was his daughter. 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. 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. Young Stayner replied that his mother would donate, following which Murphy asked for his address and offered to accompany him to his house, to which he agreed. The family sent out fliers, Sartell said, and headed off on distant road trips to talk to people who might have any information about the missing child. 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. Born on April 18, 1965, in Merced, California, Steven Gregory Stayner had an older brother named Cary and three sisters. In the time leading up to Stevens sudden death in 1989, the couple had been estranged but were working towards making things better. Stayner died in 1989 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.[12]. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Here's what Ashley and Steven Jr. Stayner, who appear in 'Captive Audience,' are up to now. Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. But the children in the family kept their feelings to themselves and didnt discuss their emotions. As per her testimony during Carys 2002 trial, she was raised to keep her emotions to herself by her father, who insisted that she would otherwise seem crazy like her mother. But before we get into that, lets get to know Stevens two kids: Ashley and Steven Stayner Jr., who are both featured in the documentary. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. ABC News reports it was a "sleety, wintery day," and Stayner willingly followed Murphy into Parnell's car, as he expected the man to take him home. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. Surrounded by endless complainers? The Famous People reports Parnell then took the boy to a remote cabin near Catheys Valley, California. In their four years together, they welcomed daughter Ashley, followed by son Steven Jr. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. According to The Press Democrat, Kay Stayner said she "never did lose [her] hope" of finding her missing son. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! At the time, Steven was 20 years old, and Jody was 17. His story is told in the movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. While he still blamed himself for his abduction, starting a family helped him cope with his past, and he began interacting with child abduction groups and provided advice to children on the topic. Steven Stayner Death: How Carys Stayners Brother Died, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. She appears content to be beside her family and friends. I feel divinely guided when Im inspired by a project and I really felt a presence on this onesaid Hidden Valley Lake sculptor Paula Slater of the statue she was commissioned to create forthe Steven Stayner and Missing Childrens Memorial in Merced. 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. 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. [18], 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=1152184607, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 18:34. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. The media framed Steven as a hero. Seven-year-old, Steven Stayner lived with his parents, Kay and Delbert and his three sisters and an older brother in the small Californian city of Merced. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. If its the last thing I do, Ill nail him if I possibly can. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had previously been convicted for sodomizing a young boy and for armed robbery in Utah. Losing perspective? Their case inspired the much-watched 1989 TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. Stayner died in a motorcycle crash the same year the movie was released. I feel bad for him,White said. Kay and Delbert had already lost Steven to a motorcycle accident in 1989, so they dreaded losing their other son. One of the most curious cases Steven Stayner was kidnapped and held captive for man years under child predator Kenneth Parnell; he would get away, get married and have children only to face another tragedy; his older brother Cary, would go onto a whole other path.an extremely violent one. He fell in love. Refocus, and listen as we honor the memory of Steven Stayner, a boy kidnapped in his youth, only to tragically die shortly after escaping captivity. On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. He also had a small, speechless role in the TV series as one of two policemen who escort his 14-year-old self to his onscreen parents. As Parnell was working the night shift, Stayner fled the home with White in the middle of the night. 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. His family was happy to have him back, but things were different. Kenneth Eugene Parnell (September 26, 1931 - January 21, 2008) was an American convicted sex offender, child rapist, and kidnapper infamously known for perpetrating the abductions of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and 5-year-old Timothy White in Merced, California. As reported by The Famous People, the man, who was later identified as Ervin Edward Murphy, said he was a representative of a local church and was seeking donations for his parish. He was a good student, a good artist, and he was very loving. She let go of all the values instilled in her as a child and cried while begging them to spare Carys life. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. But at the same time, they dealt with a lot of disagreements. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Jody expressed her frustration with the hit-and-run, saying, Im very, very, very angry. Many local residents also attended, who never knew theboys but felt moved by the story as it played out in the media across the country. Steven devoted much of his time upon returning home to telling his story, teaching parents, children and a whole nation how to protect themselves from what had happened to him. Judge Thomas Hastings has said that the evidence is becoming repetitive, and he has ordered Stayners defense to tighten up testimony so the case can go to the jury early next week. He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. Despite the extreme trauma he experienced while living with his captor, and Steven went on to marry and have children. In 1980, the same man kidnapped another child, 5 year old Timothy White. Thankfully, they were unable to follow through with the kidnapping attempt. The sudden death of Steven meant Jody was widowed at 20 years old and had to take care of Ashley and Steven Jr. Steven in order to hopefully save other children from the same tragic fate. "[2] He claimed to have been married three times, but only one record of his marriage is known. However, she has preferred to stay away from public attention. It was a sad end to a tragic life,Allen Maxfield, CHP traffic safety officer, said. The couple became estranged albeit, they were actively trying to fix things. He spent more than seven years in captivity, routinely abused byPurnell. Parnell shifted from one place to another for work, often took Stayner with him, but later sometimes left him alone and unguarded. He had been under hospice care for some time.[10]. The statue tells the story of Steven Stayner, a Merced youth who was abducted in 1972 andTimothy White, the 5-year-old boy he rescued from suffering the same fate. After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. Under the belief that Parnell has been given legal custody of him, and that his family has moved away, he stays with Parnell for seven years, enduring repetitive sexual abuse the entire time. Steven's brother, Cary Stayner, confessed to the brutal murders which ultimately brought the Stayner family back into the spotlight. He also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was just very well-grounded, for a person that had gone through what he had gone through. In the years after Stevens death, it was mentioned on the show that Jody remarried. This memorial reminds families and friends of other missing children that their loved one may someday return. However, little did she know that her uncle was the murderer. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! In Captive Audience, Ashley, who was a teen at the time, recalls following this news story very closely. That evening, Steven was supposed to have dinner with his wife at their favorite restaurant, but it never happened. The next day, on March 2nd, both the boys were reunited with their respective families and Parnell was arrested. The couple became estranged albeit, they were actively trying to fix things. He told The San Jose Mercury News that watching his children play was 'like having another childhood - the childhood I didn't have.' "Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life," JK Miller said. Kenneth Eugene Parnell (September 26, 1931 January 21, 2008) was an American convicted sex offender, child rapist, and kidnapper infamously known for perpetrating the abductions of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and 5-year-old Timothy White in Merced, California. She previously attended a military university and served in the U.S. Air Force from 2007 to 2011. While they were lovingly raised among almond groves and peach orchards by Delbert and Kay Stayner, their lives in the farming town of Merced were unfortunately in dangerous proximity of a monster. Timothy White became a Los Angeles Sheriffs deputy, and in 2010 died of a pulmonary embolism, also leaving behind a wife and two young children. When Stayner was 14, he ran away with another kidnapped boy, Timmy White, and went to the police, ABC News reported. He was in the background always.". 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. Its a story of a happy ending turned rathertwisted. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. 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. In 1985, at the age of 20, Stayner married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson. The bronze statue depicts young Timmy looking up at a teenage Steven. Powered by, In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agents Relentless Pursuit of the Nations Worst Predators. While investigators were checking into Parnell's past, the 1951 sodomy conviction came to light, although at the time Stayner insisted that Parnell had not sexually abused him.[11]. Steven, wearing no helmet and riding with an invalid license, suffered severe head injuries. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. However, his brother Cary also suffered throughout the entire ordeal. 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. Naturally, the media began analyzing the connection between abducted child Steven Stayner and his serial killer brother, Cary Stayner. At the time, the 24-year-old was driving a motorcycle and collided with a car in the front. [3] Kidnapping [ edit] The driver, Antonio Loera, drove off, leaving Stayner helpless on the rain-soaked highway. Steven unexpectedly died in a motorcycle crash in 1989 when he was 24 years old. He worked with child abduction groups and talked about childrens safety. A new documentary revisits the stories of Steven Stayner, who escaped from a seven-year captivity aged 14, and of his brother Cary Stayner, who was convicted of four murders years later.. Although Parnell was a convicted child predator, Murphy was described as "simple-minded," and somewhat naive. But her strength is waning now. But seven years later, he returned home to his family. Steven refused to reveal the details of his sexual abuse and endured bullying in school for being molested. Parnell died in 2008 while incarcerated. Del is devastated too. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Everything we know about Halseys parents, Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Cissy Houston still alive? One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. According to The Famous People, the couple eventually had two children, named Ashley and Steven, Jr. He was not kept in captivity, and in the following years, was enrolled into a number of schools where Parnell identified himself as his father. However, the young boy could not take advantage of those opportunities as he was reportedly unaware how to summon help. [9] Weeks afterward, Stayner escaped Parnell's house with White; he later said he did not want the boy to suffer the abuse that he had endured. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.. A few years later, Steven got married and had two childrenbut at 24, having already been robbed of his childhood, Steven was robbed of his life when a hit-and-run driver killed him while he was riding his motorcycle home. 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. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. Ive never been this angry. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Hulus Captive Audience delves into the circumstances surrounding Steven being taken and how he finally escaped, saving a 5-year-old in the process. Wellman said Parnell "was looking for one last hurrah. 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. It also features his wife, Jody, who talks about her life with him. But things began to change when he met Jody Edmondson. After he failed to find Timmy's parents, he decided to lead the young boy into the police station to get help, as he was not attempting an escape for himself. Staynerwhose young brother Steven was abducted as a child and later received nationwide attention through the TV miniseries, "I Know My First Name is Steven"murdered two women and two teenage girls near Yosemite National Park in 1999: Joie Armstrong, Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. In 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner went to school and never came home. Find a Grave We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.. 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. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. Stevens parents, Kay and Delbert, were on a camping trip when they learned of the passing. [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. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, . Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. 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. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. But she said it wasnt the brother she remembers. [6] He escaped from a state institution in Norwalk, but was recaptured. For eight years, he abused Stayer while posing as his legal guardian and moving around California with him. [2] In 2002, Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of four women. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. He told TheSan Jose Mercury Newsthat watching his children play was like having another childhood the childhood I didnt have., Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life,JK Miller said. Stayner had a relaxed upbringing as his captor not only allowed him to roam freely wherever he wished to go, but also allowed him to start drinking at a very early age. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. The statue tells the story of Steven Stayner, a Merced youth who was abducted in 1972 and Timothy White, the 5-year-old boy he rescued from suffering the same fate. Very seldom did he get into trouble. He was raising hell at school and causing trouble with the law but things started to change when he met Jody Edmondson. 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. Steven Stayner Missing Childrens Memorial, Saint George and the Dragon Bronze Statue (4ft high by 4ft wide), General Ulysses S. Grant Monument, for West Point, Neil Armstrong Apollo 11 Spacesuit Replicas (15 Life Size Statues). Sadly, Stayners triumphant return didnt last long, as he died several years after the daring escape. Sadly, even though she kept her father away from her daughters while he stayed with them, they were still unsafe as Delbert reportedly carried on the cycle of parental molestation. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. 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. Being a mother, we assume Kay continues to miss her sons, but likes to keep it private, as made clear on her Facebook account. 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. [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 dated for a year and got married in June 1985. In late 1989, Steven was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle home from his job as a pizza delivery man when a car pulled out of the driveway just ahead of him. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. tika sumpter on the jeffersons, coles sustainability report 2020,
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