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's Death - Cause and Date - The Celebrity Deaths Steven Stayner died due to head injuries caused by a motorcycle accident 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. Stayner was considered a hero for saving White from years of sexual and physical abuse. A family was torn apart. 0 references. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. He had been under hospice care for some time. He married Kay about three years later, and the couple went on to have three daughters and two sons. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Storypremiered on Thursday (21 April) and features interviews with Stayners mother and, as he survived the terrible ordeal, his son and daughter. Steven was beaten and plied with drugs and liquor while his captors constantly moved around California. Steven Stayner Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Two men pulled up next to Stayner in a car one day, claiming to be ministers collecting money for their church. Stayner would not reemerge until 1980, when he fled from Parnell to save another kidnapped boy, Timothy White. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Jan. 23, 2008. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. Why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at theCalifornia Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. 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]. Star Original Captive Audience - A Real American Horror Story aired on Hulu with all 3 episodes available immediately on the release date of April 21, 2022.[18]. The fact that Stayners brother was kidnapped by a pedophile and abused for seven years adds an almost unfathomable dimension to the tragedy that enveloped this family. He was arrested again in 2004 for attempting to buy a child, and died in a state prison hospital in California in 2008.). However, he only served five years of his sentence. By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast : Is Cary Stayner's Brother Dead or Alive? How Did Steven Stayner Die? I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" Rowlands said. "As far as I know, hes never talked to anyone about the effect Steven might have had on his crimes. In February 1980, Parnell brought home a 5-year-old White, who, like Stayner, had been walking home from school. After White had been with Stayner and his captors for 16 days, Stayner realized he needed to save White from the same abuse he had endured (via the Los Angeles Times). Like Kay, he urged the jury at Carys trial not to sentence him to death. And they searched. Authorities had already interviewed him once before about the other three murders, but at the time he hadnt raised any red flags. Cary Stayner was just 11 when his 7-year-old brother, Steven, was abducted by a pedophile. Steven disappeared while returning from school, Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women. Steven returned to Merced to marry and start a family, becoming a champion for the cause of missing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. The Famous People reports Parnell then took the boy to a remote cabin near Catheys Valley, California. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. Steven Stayner's Death Is 1 Of Many Tragedies In 'Captive - Bustle In addition to his fraught life at home and at school, Steven, still just a teenager by this point, also had to face Parnell in court. Parnell began sexually abusing Stayner almost immediately. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. Stayner and Parnell pretended to be a son and father (via the Lodi News-Sentinel). When Parnell kidnapped 5-year-old Timothy White that year, Stayner fled on foot along with the kindergartner and then hitchhiked to safety, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Parnell worked at a nearby lodge, and on Dec. 4, 1972, he convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to accompany him into Merced, per ABC News. Privacy Policy. Stayner and White were not Parnell's only victims. Steven Stayner, who as a child was kidnaped from his Merced home and held captive until he escaped seven years later, died Saturday in a motorcycle accident, a coroners spokesman said. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. Sure, Ive seen the excuse about alleged car troubles but it sure didnt stop the guy from fleeing the scene. At his funeral, Timmy White was a pallbearer (via Press Democrat). dewiki Steven Stayner; Steven Stayner (Steven Gregory Stayner) was born on 18 April, 1965 in Merced, CA, is an American child kidnapping victim. [13] Parnell was, by this time, 71 years old and suffering from diabetes and emphysema, as well as other ailments brought on by an earlier stroke, requiring near 24-hour-a-day nursing care in his cluttered apartment in the 2600 block of Mathews Street in Berkeley. What was his cause of death? [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. Ive been watching the documentary on Hulu and first Steven is kidnapped and molested and by some miracle, returns to his family, only for some guy to do a hit and run on him? Sentenced to eight years, he served only five before being released, as reported by CNN. Stayner was stolen on December 4, 1972, in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. He also felt more directly responsible. The Most Depressing Follow-up to a Happy Ending Ever: The Steven Steven Stayner was born in Merced. Steven Stayner's kidnapper dies in prison | Modesto Bee American sex offender, child rapist and kidnapper (19312008), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Youth Abducted Seven Years Ago Goes Home Again", "Alleged attempt to buy child leads to arrest of kidnapper", "Sex Offender Kenneth Parnell Dies in Vacaville", "Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror and heroism", "Kenneth Parnell, kidnapper of Steven Stayner, dies at 76", "Kenneth Eugene Parnell, A Notorious Child Molester Dies In Prison", abducted man posing pastor launched-daring-escape, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Parnell&oldid=1133639900, American people convicted of child sexual abuse, American people who died in prison custody, Prisoners who died in California detention, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2022, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 20:40. Hulus Captive Audience tells the tragic story of two Stayner brothers: Steven, who was kidnapped by a pedophile as a child, and Cary, who later became a serial killer. In 1985, Stayner married Jody Edmondson in Atwater, where the two were living with their two children at the time of his death. On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. Captive Audience tells Steven Stayner's story after he was kidnapped and abused for seven years. [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. Stayner was lured into the vehicle and abducted. Stayner had been driving his new Kawaksaki motorcycle when the driver pulled out in front of him on a rain-soaked highway. He sustained fatal head injuries while on his way home from work when his motorcycle collided with a car in a hit-and-run accident. He was held by his abductor 38 miles 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. He's free. Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. I was surprised that the doc didn't talk much about the Stayner's family own history of abuse (the mitigation specialist talked about it a bit in the Cary episode) but apparently there was an uncle in the family who allegedly molested Cary and was later murdered (idk anything about it) and the Stayner family wouldn't allow Steven to get therapy after he came home to properly deal with his trauma. Over the years, Parnell had numerous jobs and he and Stayner moved often. I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. Have something to tell us about this article? Cary Stayner. ", Steven also struggled in high school where he was bullied for the tragic abuse he had endured. But he was pretty messed up and he never got any counseling. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. The men kidnapped Stayner, and he endured sexual and physical abuse for the next seven years at the hands of Parnell. Steven Stayner Cause Of Death: How old was Steven Stayner when - ABTC On February 14, 1980, Parnell abducted five-year-old Timothy White from Ukiah with the help of Sean Poorman, a minor and an acquaintance of Stayner. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Steven Stayner - Wikidata "I think Cary after high school seemed a little lost, like he didnt know where he was going," Bungart said. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." In a 2000 interview about his 1951 crime, Parnell said he kidnapped and molested the boy because his wife was pregnant and that he "had to find another outlet. Wellman said Parnell "was looking for one last hurrah. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. "Hes ready to kill again. Within days, he's on 'Good Morning America,'" Flynn said. Losing perspective? Wisconsin Track Star Sarah Shulze's Cause Of Death Revealed Stayner, who was held captive by Parnell for seven years, died in a 1989 motorcycle crash. In 1997, Stayner got a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, seven miles from the gate of the national park. You know what I mean? Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. However, his brother Cary also suffered throughout the entire ordeal. The harrowing true account of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped by a perverted pseudo-priest and his lackey during the 1970s. A plaque bearing the names of other missing children in Merced County will later be added.. I Know My First Name Is Steven (TV Mini Series 1989) - IMDb He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. He was kidnapped when he was a child but was eventually able to escape after seven years. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. "For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. In 2004, 72-year-old Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life after an informant told police he expressed interest in buying a four-year-old boy for $500. He was 79 years old, and from what we can tell, the cause of death has not been made public. Stayner was buried at a family plot alongside his grandparents, at a funeral attended by 450 people. "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". Kenneth Parnell - Wikipedia At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. It was Dec. 4, 1972. 'Captive Audience': Who Was Steven Stayner and What Happened To Him? - MSN Steven's death, along. The Stayner family has been shrouded in . He literally said, I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. [3] Parnell was raised mostly without his father, who abandoned the family when Parnell was six. When Steven didnt make it home from school, his parents sounded the alarm. Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. Steven eventually married and had two children. Five months passed without another killing, and the community surrounding Yosemite was lulled into a sense of calm especially when the FBI announced that those they believed responsible for the murders were in custody. "He paid a local kid to ride with him to the little town of Ukiah, California, puts this high school kid out on the street to go find him a boy, and he finds 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school," Flynn said. However, Crime Investigation reports Stayner sabotaged Parnell's efforts, as he did not want another boy to suffer through the abuse he had endured. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC News English Wikipedia. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Am I wrong? ***WARNING: Captive Audience spoilers ahead***. When Steven Stayner returned home, all he really knew about himself was his first name he wasn't even sure how his last name was spelled. Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work the night before the Emmys when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. This poor family! "They call [Merced] the gateway to Yosemite," said Ted Rowlands, a former reporter who covered Cary Stayners story at KNTV for the San Francisco Bay area. And it wasn't that he was just a loner, he was a bit of a creepy loner," Flynn said. I told you this was a depressing one guys, hope I didn't ruin your day. "He was kind of a quiet guy. Steven Stayner Death Fact Check, Birthday & Date of Death - Dead Or Kicking He was 18 when his brother escaped his imprisonment and returned home. Release Date! He later said, I never stopped looking, every time I saw a crowd on TV or a picture of a lot of people in a magazine. Its a story of a happy ending turned rathertwisted. He died behind bars in 2008 from natural causes. Stayner once told press that he vigilantly watched his kids, and they werent even allowed out on the porch unless they were in sight of him or their mom. White became a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. In 1972, seven-year-old Steven Stayner was kidnapped by a pedophile named Kenneth Parnell in Merced, California and held captive for the next seven years. His high school girlfriend said he later told her what happened. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. I was disappointed however on some of the inconsistencies, misspellings, and grammatical errors. 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. "Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell -- who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist," Rowlands said. 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. But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell eventually convinced Stayner that his parents relinquished their rights and that he was granted full legal custody. Murphy had befriended serial paedophile Kenneth Parnell, and the two were in cahoots. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. ", The Tragedy Of Steven Stayner's 1989 Death Explained. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. "It was outrageous. He was charged and convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment, sentenced to seven years in prison. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. In February 1980, Parnell decided to capture a new, younger boy. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. What Is Yosemite Killer Cary Stayner's Life Like Today? . A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. They kicked him out of their house twice. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Yosemite Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. As reported by ABC News, Lori Duke, who went to school with Stayner, but knew him as Dennis Parnell, said, "He had a great personality. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. According to The Press Democrat, Kay Stayner said she "never did lose [her] hope" of finding her missing son. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. The docuseries kicks off with Stevens 1972 kidnapping, and follows his abuse at the hands of Yosemite Lodge worker Kenneth Parnell. Steven Gregory Stayner was an American kidnapping victim. When Stayner failed to return home from school, his parents contacted authorities immediately. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. But in 1980, the Stayners prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. 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. 0 references. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, Stayner "ended up taking refuge" in Yosemite, Rowlands said. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. Steven Stayner's Brother Cary Stayner Is Still in Prison - Bustle Kenneth Parnell is most notoriously known for the kidnapping of Steven Stayner, but he was an active child sex predator long before that 1972 abduction. Shulze, of Oak Park, California, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the 2020 and 2021 cross country seasons, as well as 2021 for track. Although Stayner told the younger boy to go inside by himself and tell the officers he had been kidnapped, White refused to leave Stayner's side. Steven was never able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered and get help. Stayner left a substantial amount of evidence in and around Armstrongs cottage, but police initially started searching for him because his vehicle had been seen near her place and they thought he would be a "natural witness to interview," Rinek said. Their return launched Stayner into the spotlight, and he later became the focus of a 1989 television movie titled, I Know My First Name Is Steven. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. How Did Steven Stayner's Dad Del Stayner Die? - The Cinemaholic (Parnell's cabin was, unbeknownst to Stayner, located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence.) Cary Stayner, shown in this March 2, 1980 photo, is hugged by his mother Kay Stayner outside the Stayner home in Merced County, Calif., on the day Stayner's brother Steven was reunited with his family after being kidnapped for 7 years. He even went before the Ways and Means Committee of the State Assembly to push for a bill that could increase the penalty for kidnapping children. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. The man's name was Ervin Murphy. 2. He got on with his life, his sister Cory Stayner told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. Thankfully, they were unable to follow through with the kidnapping attempt. [10] On April 18th, 1965, he was welcomed into the world by his parents, Delbert Stayner and Kay Stayner, in Merced, California, in the United States of America. (Stayners helmet had been stolen two months prior, and he hadnt replaced it.) On GMA in March 1980, Steven shared with former host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home.