Before the Stayners became one of the most recognizable names in the true crime genre, they were a modest family based out of Merced, Calif. At the helm were Delbert and Kay Stayner, with three daughters and two sons in tow. PEOPLE got a first look at Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, which highlights the opposing legacies of kidnapping survivor Steven Stayner and his serial killer brother, Cary Stayner. From that point on, Cary lived Steven's shadow. The pair then hitchhiked to the Ukiah police station. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Lenna said that at the time, Cary Stayner, in his 30s and handsome, appeared "safe" to her, her mother and younger sister. Much like Steven's, their disappearance shocked the nation and dominated headlines as investigators frantically searched for them. "We had news people up on our roof, shooting pictures through the windows, and it was mayhem. "My sister and I both wanted to be the best at it. Parnell re-named Steven Dennis Gregory Parnell, and they moved around California, from Santa Rosa to Willits to Fort Bragg. Follow her on twitter and instagram. They shouldn't bother. On the trip, alumni hike out in the night with foot baths, salts, salves, and nail polish to care for each other halfway through the trek. The separate stories of Steven and Cary Stayner made national headlines, first in 1980 and then nearly 20 years later. Part way through reading this and I want to flag that you describe the person who Parnell marries at 18 as a 15-year-old woman which is not great phrasing! After bouncing around to different places, he finally settled down in Yosemite. She was packing her car as she prepared for a trip. Linda Shertz, stepmother of Lynnea, said Cary Stayner was traumatized by his brother's abduction. "Knowing that he had this kit inside of his backpack when he was around us every time is terrifying to me, and it's almost like a slap in the face to [know] how close it came for us. "As I walked, there was a red car in the 500 building all by itself. what a great post ive found. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? (AP Photo/The Modesto Bee, Al Golub), Yosemite murder suspect Cary Stayner is escorted following a hearing at the Mariposa County Courthouse Monday, July 16, 2001, in Mariposa, Calif. (AP Photo/The Fresno Bee, Craig Kohlruss), FBI agent Jeff Rinek cracked the Yosemite murder case. During this time, Parnell kidnapped a 5-year-old child in Ukiah, California and held him captive for two weeks before Steven Stayner escaped and took the child to the police. "He was a good dad, he was a good family man," Jody remembers. He was held by his abductor until he was 14,. Steven Stayner's miraculous story of escape from his kidnapper in 1980 garnered national headlines at the time. I leave my blog address below. Murphy was actually nabbing Steven for Parnell, his co-worker at the Yosemite Lodge, whod told Murphy he wanted to raise an underprivileged child. His sexual abuse of Steven began shortly thereafter and continued throughout Stevens time living with Parnell. Jeff Rinek, a former FBI agent, is the author of "In the Name of the Children," a true-crime account of the cases he has investigated during his career with the FBI, including the Cary Stayner case. In 2010, Timothy White died at the age of 35 from a pulmonary embolism. Click here to make sure you get the news. Cary Stayner became a lost soul. He was a cartoonist for The Statesman, the school newspaper. In 1981, Parnell was tried for the kidnappings. His parents taught him to trust adults. "The only good part about him being missing," Kay says, "is there was always hope that he would be found.". Two brothers, one hero and one serial killer, in Hulu doc - SFGATE Strength said Cary Stayner's arrest has stunned the community. Steven Stayner with wife, Jody, and kids, Ashley and Steven Jr. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's 'Captive Audience' Now? Kenneth Parnell is shown in a June, 1981 file photo testifying at his trial for the kidnapping of a 5-year boy. Lenna told "20/20" she had kept this story hidden for 20 years, never sharing it with anyone. Cary Stayner Now - The Story Behind Cary and Steven Stayner One rainy night in September 1989, Steven jumped on his motorcycle and rode off without a helmet after finishing his shift at a Merced pizza shop. MORE: Low-key Cary Stayner took back seat to kidnapped brother. Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. That's So F*cked Up: Episode 139- Serial Killer: Cary Stayner aka "The I wanted to share the happiness we had, the good outcome, but then that had a bad side too.". Cary spent the '90s bouncing from one handyman job to another. "He's a nice guy. Captive Audience: What Happened to Steven Stayner? - POPSUGAR When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. Eventually, he found work doing odd jobs at the Cedar Lodge outside of Yosemite. Heroism, tragedy and cold-blooded murder: The Stayner brothers - SFGATE "You can't make a movie about something like this happening," Kay says in the first episode. After Cary Stayner's arrest, Lenna said FBI agents contacted her mother. Months later, a fourth woman was murdered and decapitated in the park, leading authorities to believe they had a serial killer on their hands. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Lynnea Shertz, who grew up two doors down from the Stayners, remembered Cary Stayner as a scrawny teenager who liked to draw figures. The 1972 abduction of Steven Staynersubject of the miniseries I Know My First Name Is Stevenwas just the beginning of a family nightmare.The three-part Captive . Steven Stayner - Wikipedia She wrote in letters so often how much she deeply loved her life and calling. Her job was leading children in nature hikes. Whereas the film presented conflicts between Steven and his parents, Steven said his actual problems returning home were with his siblings hed lived alone and lawlessly for so long, it was difficult to share and follow family rules. Steven added that relations with his brother are still strained.. Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnapper's trial when he was just 6 years old, the New York Times reported in 2010. Please keep in mind that comments are moderated by the guidelines laid out in our comment policy. The movie does an excellent job of portraying the complex emotional journey of Steven and the devastating effects of child abduction. Neighbors who remember Steven Stayner's return to his family's home on quiet Bette Street in Merced were astonished that his brother was now a suspect in one, or more, grisly killings. That dream ended for Lenna in 1999, when she learned from authorities that Cary Stayner was not only responsible for the brutal slayings of four women in and near Yosemite that terrified residents and tourists, but that he'd also tried three separate times to kill her and her family. During that time, Delbert and Kay struggled to move on without answers about what happened to their son. "Then finally, things were getting to be normal and things were getting good, that's when Steven gets killed," she said. It took me so long to move past that and see that these were pretty extraordinary happenings that were mostly coincidentally connected to each other. Steven made friends, had a girlfriend, and briefly played football. Friends, they did not give him a ride home! Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? This rage is starting to bubble up. The total worth of goods stolen from that Salt Lake City store was $50. Cary then spent the next few hours sexually assaulting Juli. The acting in the film is top-notch, with impressive performances by Corin Nemec and Luke Edwards, who play Steven Stayner at different stages of his life. For seven years, Steven Stayner lived with Parnell, moving from one city to another, as the man sexually abused him. Captive Audience - Steven Stayner's kidnap - Digital Spy The 80s were such a time of paranoia about child kidnappings by strangers and I had internalized a lot of that. Because I hated the person who did that," Ashley says. And uh, such a happy part that turned into such a dark part of our life," she said. Rape and molestation victims were seen as damaged goods, Horowitz recalled. Is the Stanley Quencher tumbler worth its TikTok hype? In 1999, three tourists vanished in Yosemite National Park. The California True Crime podcast did TWELVE episodes on this topic and their website also features show notes with links for all their episodes. Inside the Hunt for San Francisco's Notorious Doodler Serial Killer: 'His Victims Deserve Justice', The True Story Behind Hulu's 'Boston Strangler', The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now, All About Kara Robinson, Whose Daring Escape from Captivity Led to Her Predator's Capture, Cold Cases Heat Up: How Advances in DNA Technology Are Helping to Bring Justice for Victims, Sam Elliott Calls SAG Awards 2023 Win 'the Most Meaningful Acknowledgement of My 55-Year Career', San Francisco Police Release Age Progression Drawing of Doodler Serial Killer, Golden Globe Winner Paul Walter Hauser Leads Rousing Tribute to Late 'Black Bird' Costar Ray Liotta, The Best TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video to Stream Now, How a Serial Killer Was Caught While 'Literally Trying to Clean His Van of Evidence', The True Story Behind the Broadway Musical 'Parade', Starring Ben Platt, The True Story Behind Hulu's 'Welcome to Chippendales'. Sisters in Survival: How Women Who Escaped Kidnappers Have Helped Each Other Heal, In 'Captive Audience', the Stayner Family Opens Up About Navigating an Impossible Reality in the Spotlight, Woman Adopted as Infant Learns that Biological Mom Was Allegedly Murdered by Serial Killers. Parnell, whose kidnapping of Steven Stayner was turned into a television movie, was convicted in the 1972 kidnapping of Stayner, who was then 7, and the 1980 kidnapping of a 5-year-old boy. He was given a new identity . He finally escaped with another boy that Parnell had abducted a 5-year-old named Timmy White. "I think every actor that was worth their salt wanted to be that character.". "It came natural to him.". "I was just talking to someone about this. "I knew he was kinda weird, but I never knew he would get to that level of actually murdering anyone.". "He was off. After Armstrong was reported missing, authorities went to her cabin and found debris -- broken sunglasses as well as a red mechanics hat -- and tire tracks. He bound and duct-taped the trio, then herded Juli and Silvina into a bathroom while he choked Carole to death. Lenna was just 10 or 11 years old when her mother began a relationship with Cary Stayner, a maintenance worker at the Cedar Lodge right outside of Yosemite National Park. Steven Stayner's Kids: Where Are Ashley and Steven Jr. Now? - Distractify Neighbors, well-wishers, gawkers and the media crowded the street to witness the . He was constantly hounded by reporters and classmates were irked by the attention he was receiving. SF tourists go in droves to In-N-Out. If you haven't listened to episode 138 yet, make sure you do that before you jump Courts, lawyers, and investigators seemed especially sensitive to the shame that seemed to surround such crimes.. "I'm just shocked that he would be involved in something like this.". Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation and thanks for stopping by! Bafflingly, she was given a reunion with Steven, apparently became friends with Stevens Mom, testified against Parnell and claimed she had no idea he wasnt Stevens own kid. Artist's sketch of Cary Stayner breaking down Wednesday, June 13, 2001, during the prelimniary hearing at the Mariposa County Courthouse in Mariposa California . Joie Armstrong, the last of Cary Stayner's victims, was beheaded. And while "Captive Audience" focuses mostly on the Stayner family and how Steven's brother Cary grew up to be a serial killer, White's life and story was changed forever by his ordeal. (AP Photo/The Modesto Bee, Al Golub). "Cary still didn't talk to anyone about Steven. "He became a husband and a father and then he had to knuckle down and decide what he was going to do with his life," Kay says. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Delbert, she says, would drive through the hills looking for makeshift graves and follow suspicious vehicles with hopes of locating Steven. Anybody and everybody who met him will tell you that.". He was also convinced that he'd seen Bigfoot while out in the woods. On Dec. 4, 1972, the Stayner family's low profile permanently changed when 7-year-old Steven Stayner, the middle child, was abducted walking home from school. Lori, his wife, poses with him at their Sierra foothill home in East Sacramento town of Rescue. The boy was asked if he wanted to donate something to a church. 'Captive Audience' Summary: Hulu Revisits the Stayner Family - People Stayner confessed immediately, to sexually assaulting and murdering the women, but later pled not guilty by reason of insanity. I don't blame my mom at all. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. Silvina was strangled next. "I could not believe what Id just heard," the FBI's Rinek said. Lenna said she could remember one occasion in which Cary Stayner had made her feel uncomfortable. Carole Sund, 42, was Cary Stayner's first victim at the Cedar Lodge. "Captive Audience" Revisits Steven And Cary Stayner's Stories "This was supposed to be easy for Cary. Silvina Pelosso, a friend of the Lunds from Argentina, was Cary Stayner's second victim at the Cedar Lodge. Ive endured a lot of true crime docuseries in my lifetime, but this story which begins with the kidnapping of seven-year-old Steven Stayner by a pedophile in Merced, California in 1973 and ends with the brutal murder of four women in Yosemite National Park in 1999 is one of the wildest Ive ever seen. Kay reveals that she thought her son needed therapy so he would have a place to privately process his traumatic experiences, but the idea was shut down by her husband. Now Steven Stayner's brother, Cary, 37, was the prime suspect in the decapitation killing of a young naturalist, and the FBI suggested he had a role in the murder of three Yosemite tourists in February - Carole Sund, her daughter, Juli, and family friend Silvina Pelosso. Im a Lesbian and I Want to Hate-Fuck These 9 Men So Hard Their Kindergarten Teachers Forget Their Own Names, FRIDAY OPEN THREAD: Lets Warm This House Up, Autism Is Not a Trend, but There Are Problems With How Its Discussed Online, The Sounds of Gen-Z: Five Queer R&B Artists That Blend Sultry with Sweet, Its Time To Face Facts: Ill Never Be a Lipstick Femme. Parnells appeals lawyer explains it like this: There was at the time a strong sense of what they called protecting the victim, he said, though he pointed out that, to his mind, protecting the victim was really a smokescreen for blaming the victim. "Dad" and saying his parents no longer wanted him. He remains on death row at San Quentin Penitentiary in California. But adding children to the equation seemed to only make their relationship worse. Decades after the Stayner family dominated the news cycle, they are back in headlines once more following the release of Hulu's newest true crime docuseries. "Steven's dead. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2009 - 2023 The Excitant Group, LLC. In well-crafted Hulu true-crime docuseries, the family of Steven Stayner looks back on his abduction, his escape and the strange twists of fate that followed. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. And then she told me that it was my uncle Cary. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Cary eventually developed acute paranoia after years of consistent marijuana use, but kept on smoking regardless. (Heres an interview of Steven Stayner from ABC News in March 1980, one of many conducted around that time.). Because last week Ash and new co-host Ali talked about the story of Steven Stayner, who was just 7 years old when he was kidnapped by 2 men while he was walking home from school. Inside the Monster by Katy St. Clair for The East Bay Express (2003) The author discovers Parnell lives in Berkeley and sets up an interview with him after the author of I Know My Name is Steven assures her hes only a threat if youre a child, and they go out for dinner and my lord, Parnell is a real piece of work! Captive America reveals that nearly 40 million people tuned in live to watch the movie's premiere on TV, and the film was later nominated for a Golden Globe and four Emmys. Stayner slashed her throat and left her to die. That's fantastic. It is a poignant reminder of the importance of protecting children and supporting victims of abuse and trauma. Vickie Flores, who grew up with the Stayner children, said Cary Stayner had a strange side. But this was something, totally different," says Jody. I always look forward to a movie or series in this genre! A San Francisco Gate article from 2003 also digs in to why Parnell was not charged with sex crimes, quoting former Mendocino County district attorney Joe Allen. And my recollection is that, at the time, the sex crimes would have only tacked on two to three years more. (AP Photo by The Modesto Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Steven Stayner reunited with his parents In the early '80s, the story of Steven Stayner's childhood abduction and rescue riveted the nation. [2] In 2002, Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of four women. Her beheaded body was found near her cabin on July 22. He was killed in a hit-and-run crash, at the age of 24. But when authorities went to Cedar Lodge to conduct interviews and spoke to handyman Cary Stayner, they were unaware he was the killer. At the time when I was up there I had just graduated from high school, I had no idea at that time that something had happened to his brother prior. In March of 1973, the local paper called the search for Steven one of the longest and widest missing persons investigations ever made by the local police department. They had no leads, but his family never stopped holding out hope. Murder & More: 5 Hulu True-Crime Docs to Diversify Your Next Binge Ted Lassos Jane Austen Catastrophe Unites Queers in Outrage! "They said they wanted to get away and wash away some bad memories.". Before he'd driven to the nudist colony, Lenna said, Cary Stayner had gone looking for them but Lenna and her sister were at their grandmother's house. Hulu's latest true-crime documentary, "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story ," traces the nearly unbelievable tale of the Stayner family. But in 1985, when he was 20, he married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson, and they had two children, Ashley and Steven Jr. Fatherhood seemed to rejuvenate him, and Steven started speaking out as a. The obvious question is whether what happened to Steven caused Cary to do what he did," Flynn said. The Stayner family Delbert and Kay and their two sons and three daughters lived in a small farming town of Merced, California, known as the gateway to Yosemite Park. Steven, knowing Timmy would soon suffer the same abuse hed suffered, decided it was time to plot his escape. However, they ran out of time. "It always seems like when something happens in our family, the media is there.". One brother, Steven, was the victim of a . "They did mention about finally getting a chance to get out of here," said Ennis Mayberry, 36, who bought the house from the Stayners 10 years ago. (AP Photo/Fresno Bee), Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home. The photographs were released by family members before a jury began deliberations in the murder trial of Cary Stayner. He crashed into a parked car and was thrown from the bike, his head slamming the pavement. By 1981, Mathaiss son, Lloyd (whod allegedly also been abused by Parnell), had been murdered by his stepfather. She told journalists that Steven was always a nice boy and he called me Mother like my own kids did.. Nearly 40 million viewers tuned in, making it NBCs highest rated miniseries in five years. < Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, 'Horrible': Oakland rapper dumps on Chase Center Warriors fans, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis. They reported him missing to the police, and his face was all over the news. He was in the background always.". When she was murdered, her family and the park created the Yosemite Armstrong Scholars to keep Joies dreams and actions alive. Police tracked down Barbara Mathais, whod been listed as Stevens mother while they lived together, but she was never charged for her participation in Stevens abuse (although neither was Parnell, so!). Murphy, his accomplice, got five years and was paroled after two. I knew a lot about this case because I know about Joie Armstrong. This letter from the editor was also just what I needed it pretty much sums up my April and, Hurrah! He didnt want to talk about it, he was ashamed and he feared itd be framed as his fault. One night, he and Timmy snuck out while their abductor was working and they hitchhiked to Ukiah. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. After Steven's death, his parents sold the house. She also recalled that he always carried a backpack, which authorities described as his "murder kit." The Stayner family home in Merced, Calif. Child kidnap victim Steven Stayner, 23, is seen smoking a cigarette inside a car about a year before his death. "There's a big part of me that still wonders if he still thinks of those two little girls that adored him so much because we think about him all the time, and I wonder if he still thinks about us.". Amid the mayhem, Steven learned to live with the publicity, for better or worse. To be clear, Im not an advocate for incarceration as a solution or as a measure of justice in general, but! Speaking to the FBI, Cary Stayner admitted to killing Armstrong and the three women at Cedar Lodge but he also caught agents unaware, telling them about Lenna and her sister and mother. When Steven Stayner returned home, the whole family's focus was on him, she said. The laws at the time established that because the sex crimes had occurred in a different jurisdiction than the kidnapping, doing so would require a second trial: I wanted to charge Parnell with the sex crimes. A longtime next-door neighbor told the San Francisco Chronicle that the kidnapping scarred Cary, who was often described as a loner and introvert. Parnell died in prison in 2008. Steven was hailed as a hero for rescuing the youngster. On Monday, Cary Stayner was to be arraigned in U.S. District Court in Sacramento for the murder of Joie Armstrong, a Yosemite Institute naturalist. He joined the publication in 2021 on the crime beat. His father also refused to send him to therapy, because he scorned psychiatry in general and saw therapy as a tool for weak people. Bee), Juli Sund, the teenage daughter of Carole Sund, was sexually assaulted and then driven by Cary Stayner along with the bodies of her mother and friend to a wooded area near the Don Pedro Reservoir. That's when our lives were flipped upside-down. But the night before the Emmys, Steven's life was tragically cut short on his way home from work, on the motorcycle that he used his Hollywood money to buy. I believe he was supposed to have been with his brother. She said he taught her and her sister how to dive, brought them illustrations and bought them toys. ", "To realize that the monster that did that was your own family, like, that's crazy. It's really important,'" Ashley remembers. "Cary was unwell since he was a toddler, as far as I know," Cory says. Judge Julie Conger gave Parnell the maximum sentence in Oakland's Alameda County Superior Court. Despite Stayner being outed as a victim of sexual abuse, Parnell wasnt, ultimately, charged with any sex crimes, as under the laws of the time, they apparently wouldnt have added any significant jail time. He was perverted," Flores, 35, said. "One time Cindy (Stayner) and I were outside at night and he exposed himself to us. Mike Echolss book about the kidnapping of Steven Stayner, I Know My First Name is Steven, was considered by the Parnell family to be pornographic, dwelling in lurid details. At that age shes a girl/child. "How could we have missed someone we felt was part of our family?" He was reportedly troubled by Timmy's distress and unwilling to watch an innocent young boy undergo the same abuse he suffered. 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. Ten years after Steven died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24, something inside of Cary snapped. Parnell offered him a ride, but instead taking the boy home, he kidnapped him. Sleet was falling when an old Buick pulled up next to him as he walked home from school. "Now it's tainted, [he's] not the pure hero," Ashley says. This was, you know, his fantasy was to, that nobody's supposed to fight back. As he was driving, he said, she fell through the window of the vehicle and started running. For the first two or three years of his absence, she refused to leave the house unattended in case Steven called. Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. Stars Todd Eric Andrews Ashley Stayner Kay Stayner See production, box office & company info Watch on Hulu S1 on Hulu.com and the Hulu app Add to Watchlist Added by 4.4K users She said meeting with Rinek, the former FBI agent and author, had helped her discuss her feelings of survivor's guilt. Every summer for the past twenty years, a group of 15-18 year old women and non-binary femmes go to Yosemite for twelve days. Juli Sund was found later that month after Cary Stayner anonymously sent a map and note to authorities, telling them where to find her body. "My mom was extremely shocked. 27 of 38 28 of 38 The Stayner family home in Merced, Calif. SUSAN RAGAN Show More Show Less 29 of 38 Child kidnap victim Steven Stayner, 23, is seen smoking a cigarette inside a car about a year . But in 1972, the family would begin a traumatizing and highly publicized journey that spanned 30 years. Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, On an island of resorts, this Hawaii hotel is the budget option, Why every Californian needs an air quality monitor. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Kyler Alvord leads PEOPLE's politics coverage as a news editor for the brand. He smoked cigarettes. Steven Stayner was 7 years old when he was approached on his way home from school by a Ukiah hotel clerk named Kenneth Parnell. He brought the girls illustrations he'd drawn himself and bought them a new Beanie Baby, a popular toy in the '90s, each time he'd see them, she said. (I dont want to hide that it was really super white for many years, but it seems like theyre concretely changing that now.).

Raymundo Bobby Bones Show Net Worth, Baldwin Elementary School Calendar, Articles S