Poorman, who had been a friend of the boyhethought was Parnell's son, Dennis,was convicted as a minorfor Timothy White's abduction and spent time in a juvenile facility. "He was spunky. "I've never been this angry. [17], On March 1, 1980, while Parnell was away at his night security job, Stayner left with White and hitchhiked into Ukiah. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. After Timothy White, who had become a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy, died from pulmonary embolism in 2010, a statue of Stayner and White was built in Applegate Park in Merced, California. On his casket, there was an inscription, Going Home. When asked about it, his wife said hes not hurting anymore. But by then he was too afraid of being physically harmed by Parnell to run away. In early 1989, he helped in the production of a miniseries on his life, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', which was initially broadcast on NBC in May that year. He was released after five. Barbara Mathias was never arrested. He died four years later, on January 21, 2008. But it wasn't until the age of 37 that he would become a murderer. Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped at the age of 7, became a national hero after helping another child escape from abuse. Before starting his freshman year in high school, however, Steven was given a new name Dennis Parnell. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Once more details emerged about his ordeal, some kids teased him about being molested. But as Kay also said that night, "We expected him to come back. Steven Stayner got married to Jody Edmondson in 1985. After he failed to find Timmy's parents, he decided to lead the young boy into the police station to get help, as he was not attempting an escape for himself. He skidded trying to avoid a car pulling out of a driveway and fatally struck his head.. The title of the film and book are taken from the first paragraph of Steven's written police statement, given during the early hours of March 2, 1980 in Ukiah. ", WhenGMAcaught up with him in 1983, Stevendescribed his first year back as"kinda hectic. Stayner and Timmy hiked to a police station 40 miles away from Kenneths cabin. Stayner's parents fear losing another son. ), "I'm very, very, very angry,"his wife Jody, then 21, told a reporter for Knight Ridder that night. All along, there was the assurance that his story would be made into a movie. Sandra Hawkins, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay stayed strong during the abduction but was totally crushed after learning of Stevens death. [10] After Stayner told Parnell many times during that first week that he wanted to go home, Parnell told Stayner that he had been granted legal custody of the boy because his parents could not afford so many children and that they did not want him anymore. Hulus Captive Audience takes a look at this case through the eyes of the family, including interviews with Stevens children, sister, and mother. For Steven though, the adjustment was a little more difficult. In 2002, Kay testified during the penalty phase of her son Carys trial for a triple murder. Steven eventually married and had two children. He was just a great kid with a good heart.. Cory . No longer able to deal with his peers, feeling academically stunted and more prone to drinking and goofing off, Steven dropped outof school and started doing odd jobs. Theres so much hate right now.. He had three sisters and one older brother, Cary Stayner, who in 2002 was convicted of . Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. [17][18], By daybreak on March 2, 1980, Parnell had been arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. Kay and Delbert Stayner married in 1960 and had five children together. At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. (There was some impressively stiff competition that year, sothe best miniseries honorwent toWar and Remembrance, which also beat outLonesome Dove. It wasn't, but when Cary didn't show up for work the next day, authorities put out an APB andthe FBI arrested him at a nudist colony in Wilton, Calif. (He was wearing shorts when agents found him sitting in the camp restaurant. Mathias was never arrested. My dad said he didn't need any. Click to reveal When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. Stayner looked forward to raising his children, Ashley and Steven Jr, with Jody. ", Kay told the jury of her surviving son,"Very seldom did he get into trouble. In 1981, Parnell was tried in two separate trials, one for each boy. Born In: Merced, California, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Jody Edmondson (m. 19851989). After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. Jody said (perThe Spokesman-Review): Im very, very, very angry. As he got a little older, though, he realizedthat "things weren't rightmy parents wouldn't have hired a guy to pick me off the street," Steven reflected. Reminiscent of what happened when kidnapping survivorElizabeth Smartwas spotted in town nine months after she was taken in 2002, seeminglyfree to run but actually terrified of what her abductor might do to her,many would question why Steven didn'ttell someone or otherwise try to escape. Del Stayner passed away in 2013, but Kay and her grandchildren Steven Jr. and Ashley, who were only 2 and 3 when their father died and grew up knowinghim primarily from Nemec's TV performance, sat down to talk for Captive Audience. The memorable title came from thepolice'sfirst encounter with the teen, who was reluctant to talk, but said, "I know my first name is Steven. [29][18], In early 1989, a television miniseries based on his experience, I Know My First Name Is Steven (also known as The Missing Years), was produced. He was held by his abductor until he was 14,. "They said, 'If we can bring one child home, it will be worth it. One December afternoon in 1972, 7-year-old Steven had been walking home in Merced, California, when he was coaxed into a stranger's car with the promise of a ride home. I dont believe that it was my brother who committed such things, Sartell said as the defense presented his three sisters in an effort to spare his life. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Carole and Silvina's charredremains were found March 19 in the trunk of their burned-out rental car, which was abandoned along a utility road off the California 108 highway at the edge of the Sierra Foothills. Dena. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/steven-stayner-34446.php. Despite his circumstances, he did well among his peers, and even became known as an all-around happy person. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Under false pretenses, Cary entered their room and sexually assaulted both girls. "I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. "I yelled at him a lot. [43] Residents of Ukiah, White's hometown, carved a statue showing a teenage Stayner with young White in hand while escaping their captivity. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. Steven Stayner was a typical 7-year old boy. Steven Stayners incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime dramaCaptive Audience. When Steven Stayner Jr and Where is Steven. "He assumed that identity because he [had to], you know, what would any of us do with that choice, and he was just a young kid. Parnell shifted from one place to another for work, often took Stayner with him, but later sometimes left him alone and unguarded. Steven Stayner's Kidnapping, Cary Stayner's Horrific Crimes and One Family's Unbelievable Story The new Hulu docuseries takes an intimate look at this tragic, terrifying and touching saga. Steven Stayner escaped Kenneth Parnell when he was 14 years old. Stayner later claimed that Murphy asked him if his mother would be willing to donate any items to the church. He could be disarmingly paternal, but also beat and sexually abused the child. Born on April 18, 1965, Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Insisting to police that he "wasn't mistreated the boy clearly has conflicting thoughts about his captor," the article notes. What happened Cary Stayner? When he didnt return home from school that day his parents went to the police. According to reports, Cary Stayner and Cory Stayner are Steven Stayner's two siblings. At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. While he still blamed himself for his abduction, starting a family helped him cope with his past, and he began interacting with child abduction groups and provided advice to children on the topic. In an interview with Newsweek, Steven said, I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year old. The Most Iconic Celebrity Best Friendships, The Most Iconic Old Hollywood Engagement Rings, The Top Dog Breeds the Year You Were Born, The Most Iconic Oscar Dresses of All Time, Christie Brinkley Honors 69th Birthday in New IG. Steven eventually escaped after Kenneth abducted another boy named Timmy White. "We thought we were prepared and, of course, we weren't," Carole's father, Francis Carrington, told theLA Times after his granddaughter was found. [38] Timmy White, then a grown man, was subpoenaed to testify in Parnell's criminal trial. Normally when I think about storylines in these categories, they tend to fall in binary categories, someone is either a hero or a villain. "And then they're the family of the perpetrator of the worst possible thing. [8], Parnell molested Stayner the first night at the cabin. [25][28], On September 16, 1989, Stayner sustained fatal head injuries while on his way home from work when his motorcycle collided with a car[28][29] in a hit-and-run accident. He also seemed angry at the driver who fatally crashed into him and ticked off by the light sentence given to Parnell, a free man at the time. In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. "A lot of attention went to Steven we all got a little jealous," says one of the Stayner sisters in Hulu's upcoming docuseries Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story. The family sent out fliers, Sartell said, and headed off on distant road trips to talk to people who might have any information about the missing child. Hewassentenced to three months in jailfor felony hit-and-run. In the world they try to build, Steven found happiness after his return at age 14 from seven years as the sex slave of a pedophile, and there is no connection between that made-for-TV drama and. Parnell created a new identity for Stayner, giving him the new name, Dennis Gregory Parnell, but retained his original middle name and his original date of birth. [22] Stayner's kidnapping and its aftermath prompted California lawmakers to change state laws "to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases. On February 14, 1980, in Ukiah, California, they were successful when Poorman found 5-year old Timothy White walking home from school. He was 79 years old. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, more than seven years after he was kidnapped while walking home from school, it felt like . Returning home, Steven Stayner felt that his parents were still treating him as their seven-year-old child, and had trouble adjusting as he no more had the freedom to smoke, drink, or do whatever he wanted. He was not kept in captivity, and in the following years, was enrolled into a number of schools where Parnell identified himself as his father. As long as I can see them and hear their voices, I'm OK.", I Know My First Name Is Stevenwas nominated fora Golden Globe and four Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for then 17-year-oldCorin Nemec,thanks to his heart-wrenching turn asSteven. Stayner considered doing it on three different occasions. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Murphy, who was instructed to distribute gospel tracts to school boys, approached Steven Stayner, claiming to be a church representative and asked him if his mother would be willing to donate anything to the church. But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? And with the family's input,and based on source material fromMike Echolls' book of the same name, NBC's two-partI Know My First Name Is Stevenstill made quite the splashwhen it premiered on May 22, 1989. But executing him is not going to bring them back.". He was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. He and her son Lloyd played together. TheOakland Tribune reported that the two men,who hadn't seen each other since Parnell's 1981 trial, hugged and Poorman whispered an apology, to which White replied, "It's OKI've got a good wife.". Yet Stayner also said that he had no desire to see him again.". The driver of the car fled the scene (and later surrendered himself in Tijuana, and was returned to California to be arraigned on felony hit-and-run manslaughter charges). Performance & security by Cloudflare. I guess I was jealous. His accomplices, Ervin Murphy, and Ronald Sean Poorman were also convicted, though on lesser charges, claiming they knew nothing of the sexual assaults. He had sustained a fracture at the back of his skull. He barely knew his parents, and his parents scarcely knew the teenager whod returned home. in journalism and creative writing. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. 195 in 2010) in Mendocino County, Calif., and hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Jody was last seen in Montana, accordin Kenneth told Steven that his parents had given him away and that his new name was Dennis. In 1975, Parnell felt he needed another boy. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Bob Barker still alive? My dad said he didnt need any.. The next day, on March 2nd, both the boys were reunited with their respective families and Parnell was arrested. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. According to The Berkeley Daily Planet, the then 11-year-old felt responsible for his brother's disappearance and felt forgotten by his parents, who were consumed by their son's kidnapping. ), Barely four months after the series premiered, Steven, 24, was on his motorcycle heading home from work at a pizza shop on Sept. 16, 1989, when a car turned in front of him. But to see that all of these people continued to think about him and remember him, and feel so much guilt for not knowingalthough I don't know how any of them could have knownI think that was really impactful to see.". [9] Parnell began raping Stayner thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Together they had two children, and he moved to work with child abduction groups, making appearances for various groups who search for missing children. The alleged driver of the car was later identified by witnesses. A school friend recalled to20/20years laterthat the boy she knew as Dennis had "a great personality. On the show, Kay stated that the couple always planned on having a family. On February 14, 1980, Parnell employed Randall Sean Poorman, a teenage friend of Stayner, to abduct a five-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White in Ukiah, California. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. If you enjoyed this story, read about another kidnap victim who returned home safely Jayme Closs. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. The nurse reported him to the local police and he was once again convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Parents Del and Kay, brother Cary and his three sisterswelcomed him back into the fold, but readjusting wasn't easyfor any of them. That would havemade Cary 7 when he first had such a fantasy, when Stevenwas 3 and still several years away from being kidnapped,a trauma that couldn't help butaffect the whole familyand which certainly was invoked when it came time to mount a defense. Steven Stayner was a typical 7-year old boy. Steven was declared a national hero, and within days made an appearance on Good Morning America. There, he told the host, David Hartman, that it felt great to be home, that his parents didnt change that much, and regarding his brother and sisters, they changed a lot. Steven, wearing no helmet and riding with an invalid license, suffered severe head injuries. He died on April 1, 2010 from a pulmonary embolism. On Sept. 20, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle without a helmet in the rain. Cary Stayner, Steven's older brother, was behind the Yosemite murders that rocked the small farming town of Merced, California in 1999. I dont know sometimes if I should have come back home. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. Claiming full legal custody of Steven, Parnell changed his name, calling him Dennis Gregory Parnell, allowing him to keep his real middle name. What happened to Steven Stayner family? The Mendocino County prosecutors, acting almost entirely alone, decided not to prosecute Parnell for the sexual assaults that occurred in their jurisdiction. [44] Fundraisers for the statue have stated that it is meant to honor Steven Stayner and give families of missing and kidnapped children hope that they are still alive.[44]. Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. He also refused to disclose all the details of sexual abuse he endured from Parnell. Both actors reflecton the stranger-than-fiction chain of events inCaptive Audience, as well asread Steven and Cary's own words from interview transcripts. Born on April 18, 1965, in Merced, California, Steven Gregory Stayner had an older brother named Cary and three sisters. "He got on with his life," his sister Cory Staynertold the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dimmock explained. Cary was convicted with four counts of first-degree murder. Stayner, 41, faces the death penalty for the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16, while they were staying at the motel where he. Would I have been better off if I didn't? [32] Screening rights were sold to a number of international television companies including the BBC, which screened the miniseries in mid-July of the following year; later still, it was released as a feature-length movie. All about his family, Was Dave Hollis Sick? Steven's father, Delbert Stayner, died on April 9, 2013, at his home in Winton, California. But in July 1999, the name Stayner made headlines once againwhen Steven's older brother Carywas arrested for murdering a woman in Yosemite, Calif. [7] Unbeknownst to Stayner, Parnell's cabin was located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence. He was allowed to come and go virtually as he pleased, he could have fled, gotten help, but he didnt know how. According to Stayner, Mathias, along with Parnell, raped him on nine occasions at the age of nine. Jody emotionally described how she and Stayner planned to visit their favorite restaurant after he got home. Stevens parents, Kay and Delbert, were on a camping trip when they learned of the passing. "The worst thing that could possibly happen, happens to them," Dimmock said. True Crime Documentaries Worth Watching This Spring, Elizabeth Smart Marks Anniversary of Her "Biggest Miracle" 19 Years After Kidnapping Nightmare Ended, Sherri Papini Formally Pleads Guilty After Admitting Kidnapping Was a Hoax, Why the Unsolved Disappearance of the Beaumont Children Remains One of Australia's Most Haunting Crimes, TV's Most Killer True Crime Transformations, Man Sentenced to 190 Years in Prison for Murder of Jacqueline Avant, convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap, first linked him to Armstrong's July 21 murder. It was a sad end to a tragic life,Allen Maxfield, CHP traffic safety officer, said. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. I never recognized either one of them.". He was described as a quiet kid, he enjoyed hanging out with his friends, going to the park, riding his skateboard, or even his bike. On September 17, 1989, he succumbed to head injuries after being involved in a car accident while returning home from work in his motorcycle. The docuseries focused heavily on the miniseries and featured appearances by both Corin Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews. Hearing about Cary's traumatic past or childhood issues didn't sway the jury, who recommended the death penalty, and a judge agreed. The world is a crazy place, full of unknown dangers. In the era of Lifetime movies shotwhile a suspect is still on trial and amid the boom of star-studded series tackling true crime and corporate chicanery before the dust has settled, the nine years between Steven's homecoming and the seminal miniseries about his case feels like a century. Would I have been better off if I didn't?". At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had previously been convicted for sodomizing a young boy and for armed robbery in Utah. [13], For a period of eighteen months, a woman named Barbara Mathias lived with Parnell and Stayner. Steven's death, along with the death of his uncle soon afterward, reportedly had a serious impact on Cary Stayner's mental health and well-being. White eventually became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy. He was held by his abductor 38 miles (61km) 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. [25] He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just before his death. "[35], Steven's story was also included in the book Against Their Will by Nigel Cawthorne, a compilation of stories of kidnappings.[36]. According to a TIMEmagazinereport from March 17, 1980, Steven hadn't yet fully divulged what really happened to him. Steven told him she would probably want to, and the men offered him a ride home. He married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson in 1985 and together, they had two children, Ashley and Steven, Jr. ", Added Steven's father, Del Stayner, "I never stopped looking, every time I saw a crowd on TV or a picture of a lot of people in a magazine. Prueba a ver si Netflix, iTunes, Amazon o cualquier otro servicio te deja reproducirlo en streaming, alquilarlo o comprarlo! If its the last thing I do, Ill nail him if I possibly can. He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up,Stevens sister said in 2007. "My older brother . At 14 years old, Steven was reunited with this parents, and became a national hero overnight. She said back then, This is really so phenomenal, for a child to be gone seven years and to be found alive. All rights reserved. It was the first day in the 2 1/2-month trial that any members of Stayners immediate family have shown up. "I don't think he should be executed because he's sick. Parnell allowed Stayner to begin drinking at a young age and to come and go virtually as he pleased. Despite his refusals, since he was just a few blocks from home, Steven finally gave in and accepted the ride. Where is he now spends much his! We had hope, faith and kept busy. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. 162.211.29.130 He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. While at school, Steven never revealed to anyone that he had been kidnapped. The driver, Antonio Loera, drove off, leaving Stayner helpless on the rain-soaked highway. Initially wanted as an eyewitness, Cary was confronted by police in July of 1999, and ended up confessing to all four murders. Those sorts of comparisons have been used a lot in these two brothers and I started to think, is it more complicated?". She added, "He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up." Seven-year-old, Steven Stayner lived with his parents, Kay and Delbert and his three sisters and an older brother in the small Californian city of Merced. "But he was pretty messed up and he never got any counseling. By Natalie Finn Apr 21, 2022 7:00 AM Tags. Steven died nine years after he returned home. In the 1970s, they constituted Cary and Steven, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. As he was walking home from school on December 4th 1972, he was approached by a man named Ervin Murphy claiming to be a representative of the church who was looking for donations. [33], The production, which received four Emmy Award nominations, including one for Nemec, was based on a manuscript by Mike Echols, who had researched the story and interviewed Stayner and Parnell, among others. But the family has since dealt with several tragedies along the way, including Steven's death and his older brother's incarceration for murder. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. But why doesn't my dad hug me anymore? He didnt whine about lousy breaks.

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