5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. Then on March 25, Juli Sunds body was discovered near Lake Pedro in Tuolumme County. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. During the session, an unexpected event occurred. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". Cary was the ideal son, Kay Stayner revealed to the jury during her elder sons trial for murder. Stevens death, along with the death of his uncle soon afterward, reportedly had a serious impact on Cary Stayners mental health and well-being. An FBI Agent Recounts a Repulsive Request by Serial Killer Cary The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at the age of 24. When Cary Stayner was questioned by FBI agents, he immediately confessed to the four Yosemite Park murders and provided a detailed accounting of his crimes. "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. Sandy Cox, whose husband owned the window company where Stayner worked for in Atwater, says, "We've known Cary since he was a little boyIt just doesn't match up. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. Stayner Stayner's father, Delbert, admitted that he thinks son Cary may have suffered a trauma at age 11, when younger brother Steven, then seven, was abducted in 1972, disappearing for eight years. Cedar Lodge, 9966 CA-140, El Portal, CA 95318. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" He remains on A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. He also struggled in high school where he was bullied for the abuse he had endured. By the end of that evening, the FBI felt it had gathered enough evidence to arrest Cary Stayner for murder, Sunday morning, they rushed him to Fresno to officially lodge a complaint, then to Sacramento on Monday where he was put before the courts. They no longer want you.. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. IMDb Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? | Heavy.com Because of the discovery of Sund's wallet in suburban Modesto, police, and FBI searched "the logical routes in and out of that spot, interviewing homeowners and business owners and others who may have seen them." Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. You have the other brother who's left at home. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. The hire car company confirmed that Carole had never returned the rented Pontiac, nor told them that they were extending their agreement. But, to no avail. Cary Stayner, also known as The Yosemite Killer, was convicted nearly 20 years ago in the murders of four people in 1999 while he was working as a hotel I got put on the back burner, you might say," Cary told J.P. Miller, a filmmaker who wrote a screenplay about Steven's abduction. Cary Stayner was sentenced Thursday to die for committing three murders near Yosemite National Park in 1999. He did feel, however, that the FBI spared nothing to investigate the earlier killings. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's Captive Audience Now? Im so proud of the way Carole and Juli lived, and Im so ashamed of Stayner.. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. Unfortunately, less than a decade after his incredible escape, Steven Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24, leaving behind a wife and two children. Over the next few weeks, a task force including FBI agents and law enforcers from four surrounding counties, arrested several known sex offenders, drug users, and ex-convicts with a record of violence from within a 75-square-mile area between Modesto and Sonoma. But seven years later in February 1980, Steven miraculously reappeared. Cary didnt emerge as a suspect during the initial investigation, and the FBI actually believed they had the people responsible for the killings in custody. "I remember going out one night after Steve disappeared and wishing on a star that my brother would come back home," Cary reportedly told Mike Echols, author of the book I Know My First Name Is Steven. The Cedar Lodge hired him as a handyman in 1997 and gave him the use of a small apartment on the top floor. | In order to prevent Steven from escaping, Parnell was constantly moving the two of them from town to town in California. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin Although most of the stains were likely to include Armstrong's blood, Stayner was observed to have a laceration on his hand during his interrogation, and therefore may have been cut and bled during the attack. 51K views 3 years ago 20/20 Extra: For the first time, 20 years after the Yosemite murders, Lenna speaks out exclusively on what she learned about Cary They finally caught up with him at the Laguna Del Sol nudist colony, which he frequently visited. It was dark when they arrived and Timmy could remember where he lived so they went to the police station. And he wanted the same treatment. In 1972, Stayners He demanded that his parents be given the reward money, that he be incarcerated at a prison near his parents home, and, to Stayners detriment, that he be given a large cache of child pornography. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. Hastings rejected new defense claims that juror misconduct prevented a fair trial. The 1999 murders of four women near Yosemite National Park were already a big story before Cary Stayner confessed in an FBI interview. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. I never recognized either one of them.". Timothy White, the kidnap victim, was only 35 when he died. The other Sund children believed their mother and sister Juli would be returned. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. Convicted in 1978 for rape and robbery, he was jailed on March 14 for failing to register as a sex offender. In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. Although the Merced police department launched a full-fledged investigation at the time of Stevens disappearance, they werent able to find any significant leads. Stayner said he thought he had gotten away with the earlier crimes, but could not resist the urge to kill Armstrong after he struck up a chance conversation with her. He denied any role in the Yosemite slayings. Im just horrified when I think of what happened in that room, what my daughter felt when she realized she was in serious trouble, said Carole Carrington as she asked the judge to sentence Stayner to death. Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. Cory gets emotional as she describes how he fell through the cracks of familial or institutional care. Silvina Pelossos mother, Raquel, said, I just cannot understand how so many peopledidn't realize that maybe (Stayner) was the man since I heard that he was interviewed some time ago. Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. He then carried Juli to a vista point near Lake Don Pedro, pledged his love, and then cut her throat as the sun rose. But, as the Hulu doc frames it, the media attention that Steven got after escaping his abductor and also saving Timothy White had a dark side both for Steven and for the rest of his family. In his interview, Stayner claimed that hair from his body was left on the bedspread in their motel room, but he returned later and changed the bed. Very seldom did he get into trouble. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. But it took less than six months for another murder in the area to show them that the killer was still at large this time, the victim was 26-year-old naturalist Joie Armstrong. Soundtracks. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. FBI agent Nick Rossi said on February 26, "At this point, we have not yet uncovered evidence to allow us to determine conclusively whether this was a tragic accident or a criminal act. Two weeks later, FBI agent James Maddock, now placed in charge of the investigation, told the press, "We feel almost certain that the women were victims of a violent crime.". The American Court TV (now TruTV) television series Mugshots released an episode on the Stayner case titled "Cary Stayner The Cedar Lodge Killings". [29] In 2018, the Reelz channel aired an hour-long documentary about the murders titled Yosemite Park Killer. She was seen that day at the Institute offices and was planning to visit a friend in Sausalito, California, that day but never made it. Part of TV News Archive. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. Steven Stayner was just seven-years-old when he was abducted a few blocks from his home in Merced, So while Parnell was at work, Steven ran away with Timothy, and the two hitchhiked to a police station in Ukiah, California. I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. Against the odds, he flourished there. On the way to his police interview he confessed to a detective in the car 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. At that time, the Bureau stated that, while no one had yet been charged, it felt that those responsible for killing the three women at Yosemite were already behind bars. By the end of June, the FBI had reviewed the testimonies and the evidence linked to the suspects in custody. Cary looked out for Steven, according to Cary Stayner's former classmate Jack Bungart. Stayner Raped 2 Teenagers, Affidavit Says Real Crime 1.23M subscribers Join Subscribe 6.7K 562K views 1 year ago Also known as the Yosemite Park Killer, Cary Stayner murdered four women in 1999 Stayner On July 23, when Cary Stayner was released from custody for his marijuana charge, he quickly packed up and left for Laguna del Sol, a nudist colony, according to He wanted the world to take note.. The car was hidden off a spur road where locals dump old refrigerators, cars, and washing machines. On Dec. 4, 1972, Steven, 7, was walking alone to his familys home in Merced, California, when he was coaxed into the car of convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell, who was posing as a minister. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. Cary and Steven Stayners Parents Now: Where Are - The Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. Something was clearly very, very wrong. In 2002, Cary Stayner was convicted of first-degree murder on four counts and sentenced to death. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. However, when they found Cary at a nudist colony nearby and brought him in for questioning, he quickly confessed to Armstrongs murder, and soon after admitted he was also responsible for the first three killings. How frightened the girls must have been when he cut their clothes off.. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. Agents had interviewed Stayner, a handyman at the Cedar Lodge where the tourists had stayed, and later dismissed him as a suspect. Chief James Maddock said he himself questioned whether the Bureau could have done anything to prevent Armstrong's killing. He said, I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. It was the last time the women were seen alive. There was a lot of torment: the family who endured two true Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. I guess I was jealous. The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. Rachel Lou Campbell, 36, of Modesto, was charged in April with stealing checks and credit cards, and converting them into cash and merchandise worth $365,000. On December 4, 1972, at the age of seven, Steven was approached after school by Edward Ervin Murphy, who claimed he was collecting money for the church. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. Cary Stayner confesses to killing four innocent women in 1999: Those sources say it is difficult for some investigators to believe Stayner could have gotten the jump on all three women without any help, let alone dispose of their bodies.". Items included in the Television News search service. WebCary Stayner was convicted of the 1999 Cedar Lodge Killings near Yosemite National Park. Stayner, clad in a red jail jumpsuit, bowed his head but showed no emotion as Judge Hastings sentenced him to death three times, once for each murder, after returning to the courtroom. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. He was charged with attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation in 2004, that he was sentenced to 25 years to life. "Her mother, sisters, and a family friend had been missing for a month by the time Gina Sund read her poem in front of a thousand or so people who gathered in Modesto," writes Time. WebCary Stayner, the handyman at their hotel, confessed after being arrested for beheading another victim, female nature guide Joie Armstrong. The boys were still in elementary school when on December 4, 1972, a man named Kenneth Parnell took seven-year-old Stephen, whilst walking home from school on Highway 140. What followed turned out to be one of the most shocking crimes in both National Park and American history, involving a man whose family had already been involved in a notorious crime, literally the two faces of evil. In his capacity, Stayner performed technical and housekeeping duties, everything from fixing electrical and mechanical breakdowns to delivering extra towels and bedding to guests. Specifically, the media scrutiny seemed to affect his older brother Cary, who clashed with his brother after his return. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. After first flying to San Francisco, where Carole rented a red 1999 Pontiac Gran Prix, they stopped in Stockton, where Juli took part in a cheerleading contest at the University of the Pacific. He was arrested on March 5 when he allegedly reported to his parole officer with liquor on his breath. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. Her mother had been dating him and he had decided to kill them on Valentines Day. It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. I guess seven years changed him, too. Steven was a national hero. Four hikers visiting Yosemite National Park had been brutally murdered, and Cary Stayner had confessed to the crimes. Stayner, 38, has been charged with murder in the July 21 death of naturalist Joie Armstrong. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. You know what I mean? Timothy Lee White, 5, gets a piggyback ride from 14-year-old Steven Stayner at a news conference in Ukiah, California, in 1980, Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, Your parents, I just spoke to them. In a jailhouse interview with a television reporter, he said he did not rape any of the women. Quotes Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. He was buried Thursday in the town of Newhall, where he had worked as a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy. In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. He was a good student, a On February 12, 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli 15, and Silvina Pelosso 16, left their home in Eureka, California to go on vacation in the area near Yosemite National Park in the same state in the United States. Cary Stayner confesses to killing four innocent women in 1999: Part 9 Two FBI agents were eating pizza with Stayner when he suddenly admitted he murdered Joie Among other things, the FBI Laboratory has found hairs in vacuum sweepings taken from Room 509 and possibly body fluid stains on a blanket (and) a latent palm print from the window sill. But when Parnell kidnapped another young boy, this time 5-year-old Timothy White, Steven knew he couldnt let another child be subjected to the abuse and torment he had faced for years. Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. ", The FBI was reluctant to finger Stayner because, they, and many others, did not believe that Stayner acted by himself, given the brazen killing of the three women in the Cedar Lodge Motel and the disposal of the bodies. Ive never seen anything thats so close to black and white and evil and good as Stayner and our children, said Francis Carrington, the father of Carole Sund and grandfather of Juli. William Mapother is a cousin of, The unsub bears some similarities with Cary Stayner, older brother of infamous kidnapping victim Steven Stayner (. The trio stayed at the lodge in February 1999, during which time Cary talked his way into their room, where he sexually assaulted and murdered all of them. From the Archives: Friends surprised by Cary Stayner's arrest Alternate Versions I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story. There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. The interview was conducted off camera and reported Monday on the late news. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. Then there was another murder. Billy Joe Strange, 39, an El Portal parolee who worked at the Cedar Lodge lounge and restaurant, where the murdered women were last seen. She was working for the Yosemite Institute for the past year and had worked on education programs through a partnership with the National Park Service. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled the house with Timothy. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. I was the oldest and all that. Many local residents were convinced that no one person could have created so much horror, "'The logistics of it say it had to involve more than one person, said Letty Carolyn Barry, owner of the Yosemite Rosebud Lodge, west of Cedar Lodge. A large search turned up nothing. Cary, the motel handyman and champion underachiever who was arrested at a nudist colony, said in a jailhouse interview that voices told him to kill Carole and Juli He usually ate lunch and dinner at the motel restaurant. Yosemite Park Killer: When A Victim Turns Into A Murderer The case of a lifetime / For Cary Stayner, there was something He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. He remains on death row at San Quentin Penitentiary. Latent fingerprints were also been lifted from the interior of Joie Armstrong's truck, which Stayner admits to touching during his encounter with her. For four weeks, police, family, and volunteers searched the area in and near Yosemite National Park by helicopter, foot, and skis. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows | One brother was subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances, he was a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. Steven Stayner helped another child escape from a pedophile, after enduring years of abuse and not wanting to see the child experience the same fate. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. "He stated that he felt like jumping in a truck, driving it through the shop and killing the boss and killing everybody in the office, and then torching the place," friend Mark Marchese said in 1999. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal. At the time of the murders, Cary was working as a mechanic at the Cedar Lodge, which is where he met his first three victims Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund, and her friend Silvina Pelosso. Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. After graduation from Merced (California) High School, Stayner worked as a window installer at a glass company. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous - one experienced horror in the hands of a child molester, Steven, and the other, Cary, the serial killer in Yosemite. In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. It then came out that Steven had been kidnapped by Parnell, who had been sexually abusing Steven while also posing as his father and forcing him to go by the name Dennis Parnell. Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. In this, he calmly reviewed how he strangled 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the motel bathtub and how he sexually assaulted Juli Sund for hours before brutally cutting her throat. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. "He was spunky. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. He was convicted of four brutal murders in 2002. The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. Cary was off anybody and everybody who met him will tell All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. The initial suspicion was that they may have wandered off the main hiking paths and got lost in the park. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. The revelation came in a six Stayner FBI Accused Of Botching Yosemite Case / Agency Caroles parents, Francis and Carole Carrington, appeared on the Good Morning, America TV show, to ask for the prayers of Americans and their help in locating their daughter and the children. They had been hosting Silvina, who was a foreign exchange student from Argentina and a friend of Juli's, She was spending three months with the family. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. The new three-part Hulu docuseries Captive Audience explores the tragic story of the Stayner family specifically the fraught lives of their two sons, Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. He had a long criminal record and had been questioned extensively by the FBI. Cary Stayner On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. CNN.com A Shade Of His Brother - TIME Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 The issue was no longer who committed the murders but whether Stayner was insane at the time and whether the confession to the FBI agents was coerced. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. He abandoned the group's rental car with the bodies of Carole and Silvina inside, returning two days later to burn the evidence and retrieve the wallet, which he dumped in Modesto to confuse authorities. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. The FBI task force investigating Yosemite issued a federal warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear in Stanislaus County drug court in June. I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk, reporter Ted Rowlands said. Stayner The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. He had talked his way into the room under the guise of fixing a leak, and then sexually assaulted both girls and brutally murdered Carole Lund and Silvina Pelosso in the room. However, given Californias statewide moratorium on capital punishment, it doesnt appear that hell be executed anytime soon the states last execution was held in 2006. In (the) interview, Stayner said he had fantasized about killing women for the last 30 years and described in detail how he murdered all the women, He had strangled Pelosso and Carole Sund in their rented cabin in the Cedar Lodge motel, then took Juli Sund to a lake, where he killed her early the next morning.