Meet Kay Stayner, Steven Stayner Mother. Steven Stayner tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. By then police had charged two other men for Stayner's initial murders two brothers who had a criminal record, per ABC News. In the car, Stayner started rambling about seeing Bigfoot in the woods. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. I think my mom might donate something,' " Stayner told authorities years later. "I knew he was kinda weird, but I never knew he would get to that level of actually murdering anyone.". When Steven Stayner returned home, the whole family's focus was on him, she said. And it wasn't that he was just a loner, he was a bit of a creepy loner," Flynn said. Cary later claimed that Jesse molested him around the same time that Steven was kidnapped.[5]. He taught them how to dive into the water and bought them a new Beanie Baby with every visit. The driver was taken aback by his strange behavior but did nothing about it since the FBI had publicly announced that the killer was likely in custody, according to ABC News. Cary Stayner's Parents are Kay Stayner and Delbert Stayner. The day after she spoke to Stayner, Damant watched the news and saw that the FBI were looking for Stayner. 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a135be5ae24dae5 On trial for his life, Stayner sat just a few feet away. It was nominated for four Emmys and a Golden Globe, according to theIndependent. Stayner himself played the part of a police officer in the second part of the series. Stayner told another psychiatrist, Park Dietz, who was hired by the prosecution to evaluate whether he was sane at the time he committed the Yosemite murders, that as a child he worried that the obsessive thoughts he had about holding the neighbor girl against her will somehow caused Steven to be kidnapped. While Steven was a freshman at Mendocino High School, some 300 miles to the south, his older brother Cary was an upperclassman at Merced High School. However, during Cary's murder trial, his attorneys argued that he never wanted fame or attention, calling him a "shrinking violet," per the Independent. He is now 59 years old. "Cary was pretty much a loner. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents, so he asked as a condition of his confession that a $250,000 reward offered by his victims family members go to his own family, Rinek wrote. 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. Cary Stayner, who had been working as a handyman at Cedar Lodge for less than two years, was responsible for the murders. He often carried a backpack that she later found out contained his murder weapons. She had spoken to him before during his March trip, so she was aware of his employment at Cedar Lodge. Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, was brutally murdered by Cary Stayner, a motel handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, Calif. (The . When was 7, he imagined himself killing female cashiers at a grocery store, per SFGate. 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Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Stayner's days of freedom were soon over once he visited the colony's bar. After his arrest, the FBI later informed her mother of Stayner's original intentions, which involved killing them all and raping Lenna and her sister. 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. Cary Stayner is shown in a 1979 Merced High School yearbook photo. Nearly 20 years later, Stayner is still on death row, his prison record shows. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. On Sept. 20, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle without a helmet in the rain. Few families have seen so much tragedy and horror as the Stayner family. In the documentary, Steven's younger sister, Cory, says that the family wanted to return to normal after Steven's return home, but the media attention made that task difficult, according to People. His high school girlfriend said he later told her what happened. On December 4, 1972, Steven Stayner was walking home from school on the side of a highway when a white Buick pulled up beside him. That girlfriend worked at a restaurant at Cedar Lodge. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? His lawyers claimed that the Stayner family had a history of sexual abuse and mental illness, manifesting itself not only in the murders, but also his obsessive-compulsive disorder and his request to be provided with child pornography in return for his confession. "They said they wanted to get away and wash away some bad memories.". 42-year-old Carole Sund, 15-year-old Juli Sund, 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso, and 26-year-old Joie Ruth . Stayner later told investigators that he had bound Armstrong and forced her into his car, and she heroically escaped before he caught up to her, according to ABC News. "Everything they did and everything they had, it was about Steven," she said. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Shock was a familiar reaction in Merced, a San Joaquin Valley city about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco, where residents considered Steven Stayner a hero for escaping from a child molester in 1980, only to die in a motorcycle accident nine years later. Stayner is on death row, serving time with a man convicted in another high-profile murder case, Scott Peterson. Steven Stayner: Lost, Found, Freed. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? Is Cary Stayner still on death row in California? Therefore, Kay swore to raise her children that same way, without an ounce of sentimental touch or warmth, which Delbert seemed to agree with. Cary's uncle had been formerly convicted of child molestation, but he was still allowed to spend time alone with him. Steven Stayner spent seven years as the captive of a pedophile. Steven Stayner is reunited with his parents Kay and Delbert Stayner on 2 March 1980 after escaping from a seven-year captivity (Courtesy of Hulu) America met Steven Stayner twice. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. "I said, "Well, yeah. One of those employees was Stayner, but he was not considered a suspect at that point because he had no criminal history and remained calm during the police interview.[8]. 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. Linda Shertz, stepmother of Lynnea, said Cary Stayner was traumatized by his brother's abduction. Parnell convinced 7-year-old Steven that his parents no longer wanted him by pretending to speak to them on a payphone. The brothers, Cary and Steven Stayner, were dual opposites; although Cary didn't experience the same abduction ordeal as his younger brother, Steven, he dealt with his own demons and ultimately succumbed to them through rape and murder. He was held in captivity for seven years. Cary Stayner is the oldest of five children in the Stayner family and was born in Merced, CA, in 1961. Five months after killing the trio, he decapitated Joie Armstrong, a 26- year-old Yosemite naturalist. He loved country music and animals. The world is a crazy place, full of unknown dangers. Steven Stayner's story reflects the horror and tragedy that the family went through in their life. He usually ordered a rum and coke. Steven Stayner and his parents, Kay Stayner and Delbert Stayner, reunited after seven years of losing their son in abduction. Courtesy of Hulu The relentless attention was difficult. At first, they believed the perpetrator was already in custody; this proved to be a fatal mistake. According to Cinemaholic, in the 1970s, their family consisted of Cary and Steven Stayner, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. He died at the age of 79, and the reason for his death has not been publicly disclosed as far as we can ascertain. Stayner's captor, Kenneth Parnell, convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to lure seven-year-old Steven into their van on 4 December 1972, telling the boy: "Your parents, I just spoke to them. Parnell proceeded to sexually abuse Stayner for the next seven years. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". While his brother was outgoing and popular at Merced High, Cary Stayner was known as more of an introvert. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in a vile act that would shake the family forever. He grew up, got married and had two kids. Some of the older children, including Cary Stayner, had moved out by then. However, it took several months for investigators to realize Stayner was behind the killings. The trips always ended in a wild goose chase, according to testimony. And they searched. [5] FBI agents John Boles and Jeff Rinek found Stayner staying at the Laguna del Sol nudist resort in Wilton, where he was arrested and taken to Sacramento for questioning. The trial was so emotionally charged that Judge Thomas C. Hastings had to leave the room to gather himself, and when he returned, he appeared as if he had cried. Vickie Flores, who grew up with the Stayner children, said Cary Stayner had a strange side. Stayners case was granted additional attention because of his brother, Steven Stayner, who had been kidnapped and was missing for seven years. Cary Stayner was the oldest of Delbert and Kay Stayner's five children, who included Steven and three sisters. The results showed that his mental issues were aligned with schizophrenia and other mental disorders. There was a "pall over" Cary, because he was "the kid who had his brother kidnapped," said Bungart. Stayners parents withdrew emotionally after Steven went missing, Rinek wrote. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" Rowlands said. But he received it nevertheless, and he is in prison. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. Stayner, already serving a life sentence for the 1999 murder of Joie Armstrong, faces the death penalty for the murders of Carole and Juli Sund and Sylvina Pelosso. 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. "Then you have Steven Stayner get kidnapped, and then he comes back and gets killed in a motorcycle accident. His father, Delbert Stayner, admitted that he became so obsessed about finding Steven at the cost of his relationship with his other children, according to SFGate. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. While in prison, Cary Stayner's defense lawyers ordered a psychiatric evaluation on him, per SFGate. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. After several weeks, the bodies of all three women were discovered. When Steven returned home on March 2, 1980, the cameras were there to capture the moment he hugged his parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. In the 1970s, they constituted Cary and Steven, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. Stayner had been at Cedar Lodge for two years when Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and her friend Silvina Pelosso came to stay one night in February 1999. Here are some untold facts about Cary Stayner's grim past and his monstrous crimes. The 14-year-old was an instant hero, and later the subject of the NBC miniseries "I Know My First Name Is Steven.". He's never caused any problems," Houtz, 32, said. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. When Steven was abducted, Cary had wished upon a star every night that Steven would return, per SFGate. He sure led a rough life, California Highway Patrol Sgt. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. Image: Hulu. They no longer want you,'" investigative journalist Pat LaLama said. He had to wear a hat to school to cover up the bald spots, which led to bullying. Then in 1999, Cary murdered two women and two teens and was sentenced to death a few years later. I know theyre going to give me the death penalty. She started at the Chronicle as a general assignment reporter, covering breaking news, catastrophes, crime, criminal and civil trials. Steven Stayner was a child who was abducted in Merced, California, in 1972, at the age of seven. His story was turned into a television miniseries. Currently, she is a business reporter, covering the food and wine industries, agriculture and tourism. Lesli Armstrong, Armstrong's mother, started crying as she listened to Stayner, and said afterward that she believed his apology was genuine. Advertisement Nearly 20 years later, Stayner is still on death row, his prison record shows. After all, the latter helped a 5-year-old child escape a pedophile as a teenager after enduring years of abuse. If being the mother of one of California's most notorious killers isn't tragic enough, Kay Stayner is also the mother of one of its most high-profile victims. Kay lost her son Steven in a motorcycle accident, and even though his son was found guilty of murder, she begged the jury to not give her son the death penalty. "Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, 'Your parents, I just spoke to them. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. From the time Cary was a small boy, the Stayner family vacationed together in Yosemite and the surrounding high countrypiling into the family van and driving 60 miles east to camp, fish, and . He smoked cigarettes. "He said we should be glad that Steven was gone. He stayed away from most of the other kids.". "One time Cindy (Stayner) and I were outside at night and he exposed himself to us. In fact, the wrong men were custody. 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. The first two victims, Carole Sund and Pelosso, were found in the trunk of the charred remains of Sund's Pontiac rental car. Stayner considered doing it on three different occasions. It happens to all families, I guess." Last year, he became famous for the bad things that happened to four women in Yosemite National Park. She appears content to be beside her family and friends. Stayner's 1972 abduction was originally treated like a local news item about every parent's worst nightmare. Cary Stayner is an American serial killer and the oldest brother of Steven Stayner. The panel has rejected his insanity defense and found him guilty of killing Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their 16- year-old Argentine friend, Silvina Pelosso. Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the other murders in state court. In 1986, Delbert was court-ordered to therapy after abuse allegations. He had begun working as a handyman at a motel in El Portal in the 1990s. "But executing him is not going to bring them back.". He had been a young patrol officer in 1972 when Cary Stayner's younger brother, Steven Stayner, was snatched off a Merced street in the county's most infamous kidnapping. According to local reporter Ted Rowlands, Stayner wanted to connect sexually with girls but struggled to have normal relationships with them (via ABC News). Kenneth told Steven that his parents had given him away and that his new name was Dennis. In December 1990, Jesse "Jerry" Stayner, 42, Cary and Steven's uncle, was shot to death in his Merced home. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. In February 1980, Parnell decided to capture a new, younger boy. 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. Steven Stayner's incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime drama Captive Audience. Stayner sat just a loner, '' she said months after killing the trio, he decapitated Armstrong. Three women were discovered in prison, Cary Stayner was behind the.... Said they wanted to play and be normal. `` of all three women were discovered kidnapped and born! And so they really mounted a large effort to search the Stayner family a vile act that would shake family. Can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked motorcycle... Captivating Hulu crime drama captive Audience seven years as the captive of a as... 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