Unable to avoid the collision, Steven hit the drivers side of the vehicle. [18], 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=1152184607, This page was last edited on 28 April 2023, at 18:34. However, little did she know that her uncle was the murderer. Parnell, a former motel clerk, had already been convicted for molesting an 8-year-old boy in Bakersfield, California in 1952 when he kidnapped Stayner, SF Gate reported in 2008. In 1989, Steven was killed in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind a wife and two young children. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". According to The Press Democrat, Kay Stayner said she "never did lose [her] hope" of finding her missing son. 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. Shortly before his death, Steven had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. Copyright 2023 Distractify. [3] Kidnapping [ edit] I feel bad for him,White said. In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. Prosecutor Tim Wellman had largely argued his case before the jury by showing a slideshow of Stayner marked "1", then of White marked "2", and a blank screen marked "3" to show the nonexistent child that would have been abducted had police not been notified. Russells monitored life in New Jersey. [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. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. Stayner lived as Parnell's "son" for seven years, during which he was repeatedly sexually abused. According to Diane Stevens' testimony, Parnell requested that the child have a "clean" rectum, indicating sexual intentions. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell eventually convinced Stayner that his parents relinquished their rights and that he was granted full legal custody. 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. After Steven made the miraculous escape and returned home to his parents in Merced, California, he was the center of media attention. The prosecution successfully argued that sexual aids and pornography found in the apartment, along with Stevens' own testimony, were enough to prove that Parnell's intentions were criminal in nature. Steven was kidnapped walking home from school in 1972 by Kenneth Purnell and told his parents no longer wanted him. 7-year old Steven Stayner is kidnapped a few days before Christmas by Kenneth Parnell. Stevens parents, Kay and Delbert, were on a camping trip when they learned of the passing. Young Stayner replied that his mother would donate, following which Murphy asked for his address and offered to accompany him to his house, to which he agreed. But in 1985, when he was 20, he married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson, and they had two children, Ashley and Steven Jr. . Cary was very upset, he said. The brother of convicted murderer Cary Stayner was kidnapped as a young child and was missing for seven years. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. 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. One relative described child sexual abuse as like a family sickness because it had been going on for so many generations. She named the sculptural design, Coming Home and it was unanimously approved by the committee. 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. Many local residents also attended, who never knew theboys but felt moved by the story as it played out in the media across the country. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Everything we know about Halseys parents, Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Cissy Houston still alive? Steven unexpectedly died in a motorcycle crash in 1989 when he was 24 years old. Steven was quite protective of Ashley and Steven Jr, given what happened to him. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Powered by, In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agents Relentless Pursuit of the Nations Worst Predators. Refocus, and listen as we honor the memory of Steven Stayner, a boy kidnapped in his youth, only to tragically die shortly after escaping captivity. A new documentary revisits the stories of Steven Stayner, who escaped from a seven-year captivity aged 14, and of his brother Cary Stayner, who was convicted of four murders years later.. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. Stayner and his wife were high school sweethearts, the article said. He was just very well-grounded, for a person that had gone through what he had gone through. In the years after Stevens death, it was mentioned on the show that Jody remarried. Stayner died in 1989 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.[12]. "When Steven came home, Cary was kind of put on the back shelf. He fell in love. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! As Steven reached puberty, Purnell preference for younger boys drove him to abduct 5-year-old Timothy. An archive article published September 18, 1989, two days after Stayners death, in The Spokesman-Review, said a driver hit Stayner on a highway and left him on the ground with severe head injuries. The title of the TV series and the book on Steven Stayner, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', was inspired by a line in his official police statement given after being rescued. 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. Prior to publication, the manuscript served as the basis for the 1989 TV miniseries I Know My First Name Is Steven (also known as The Missing Years), with Arliss Howard as Parnell. This memorial reminds families and friends of other missing children that their loved one may someday return. White became a Los AngelesCounty sheriffs deputy. After all, the latter helped a 5-year-old child escape a pedophile as a teenager after enduring years of abuse. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Thats unlikely to improve anyones mental health, Opinion: Why my Taiwanese American identity has become more complicated, 7 hospitalized after driver in stolen car runs red light in San Bernardino, police say, Barstow police investigating after officer caught on video hitting man with a baton, Man found guilty of murdering teens who ding-dong-ditched his house. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Born on April 18, 1965, in Merced, California, Steven Gregory Stayner had an older brother named Cary and three sisters. The media framed Steven as a hero. However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. Both boys had been victims of kidnapping. Jody later said of her husband, Steve hurt a lot. The couple became estranged albeit, they were actively trying to fix things. 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 worked as a handyman outside Yosemite National Park in February 1999. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. Her battle with dementia explained, How did Dr. Charles Stanley die? When he returned, he told the boy that he called his parents and they said they did not want him anymore. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. 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. Parnell went on to tell Stayner that his parents couldn't afford to keep him any more, that a judge had given Parnell legal custody of him, and that his new name was "Dennis". He was held hostage by Kenneth Parnell 38 . Stayner had been driving his new Kawaksaki motorcycle when the driver pulled out in front of him on a rain-soaked highway. Kenneth Eugene Parnell was born in Amarillo, Texas[1][2] to Cecil Frederick and Mary Olive (ne Pollard) Parnell, during the region's dust bowl era during the Great Depression. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. Surrounded by endless complainers? She added, He was very proud of who he was. He had been abducted in plain sight. Not only was it a miracle, but during his escape, he had also rescued another 5-year-old boy who had been kidnapped. 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 family avoided watching the 10 p.m. news, and any mention of Steven on TV would make their father cry. His older brother Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1999 murders of four women in 2002. So, on December 4, 1972, Kay was supposed to pick him up from school but had stopped to pick something up from Delbert. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! A report from 2007 placed her in Montana, but beyond that, not much else is known about Jody. However, Crime Investigation reports Stayner sabotaged Parnell's efforts, as he did not want another boy to suffer through the abuse he had endured. Kenneth Eugene Parnell (September 26, 1931 January 21, 2008) was an American convicted sex offender, child rapist, and kidnapper infamously known for perpetrating the abductions of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and 5-year-old Timothy White in Merced, California. Mathias also helped Parnell in the abduction of another boy who was in the Santa Rosa Boys' Club with Stayner, but the attempt was unsuccessful. However, as we all know, that turned when pedophile Kenneth Parnell abducted Steven in 1972, and the Stayners allegedly began to neglect their children. He didnt whine about lousy breaks. But she said it wasnt the brother she remembers. Thankfully, they were unable to follow through with the kidnapping attempt. Steven in order to hopefully save other children from the same tragic fate. 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. It would have been a lot different if this man who hit him had stayed. Therefore, Kay swore to raise her children that same way, without an ounce of sentimental touch or warmth, which Delbert seemed to agree with. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. 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. According to The Famous People, Murphy offered to walk Stayner home, as he wanted to ask his mother for a donation. Today, Ashley is a mom to a young daughter. When Stayner failed to return home from school, his parents contacted authorities immediately. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. For eight years, he abused Stayer while posing as his legal guardian and moving around California with him. He was just a great kid with a good heart.. He loved his family, his career and boating, especially at Lake Pyramid, the obituary states. Steven Stayner's parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. According to her Facebook page, Ashley currently lives in Atwater, Cali. But at the same time, they dealt with a lot of disagreements. As for where Delbert and Kay Stayner are now, the pair had made it evident that they wanted to lead quiet lives after the events of the early 2000s. However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. At that point Stayner decided to save White from the abuse he had enduredand the two escaped. Thus, sadly, all we know is that Delbert passed away at 79-years-old in his house in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. 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. That evening, Steven was supposed to have dinner with his wife at their favorite restaurant, but it never happened. He spent more than seven years in captivity, routinely abused byPurnell. By that time, Cary Stayner was already having grotesque fantasies, the agent wrote. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to. He had joined the Mormon Church. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. Much of the testimony that the defense has tried to introduce, such as the molestation of one of Stayners sisters by their father, has been barred because of objections by the prosecution. When Stayner was seven, he was kidnapped in Merced, California, by Kenneth Parnell who was a child molester. Sandra Hawkins, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay stayed strong during the abduction but was totally crushed after learning of Stevens death. Staynerwhose young brother Steven was abducted as a child and later received nationwide attention through the TV miniseries, "I Know My First Name is Steven"murdered two women and two teenage girls near Yosemite National Park in 1999: Joie Armstrong, Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. JP Miller, the co-screenwriter ofI Know My First Name Is Steven,a mini-series about Stayners abduction and escape, said Steven struck him as a man unafraid of death. However, they ran out of time. Del is devastated too. He loved his brother, his former calssmate, Jack Bungart, told the news outlet. Parnell was convicted on February 9, 2004, on the charges of attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation, even though no child had been targeted. One of the most curious cases Steven Stayner was kidnapped and held captive for man years under child predator Kenneth Parnell; he would get away, get married and have children only to face another tragedy; his older brother Cary, would go onto a whole other path.an extremely violent one. At the time of Stayner's kidnapping, Parnell was employed at the Yosemite Lodge, which according to ABC News, was approximately two hours away from Merced. The miniseries was released on May 23, 1989, only about four months before he died in a hit-and-run accident. He sure led a rough life, California Highway Patrol Sgt. 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. Hulus Captive Audience delves into the circumstances surrounding Steven being taken and how he finally escaped, saving a 5-year-old in the process. So, if youre curious about where she might be today, heres what we know. He later moved with his mother, his two half-sisters, and a half-brother to Bakersfield, California, where his mother operated a boarding lodge. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. So, if youre curious about where she might be today, heres what we know. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,. Hulus Captive Audience sheds a light on the Stayner family and how the media can influence the publics perception of a case. which features a photo of him in a sheriffs uniform. [1] He had three sisters and an older brother, Cary. (Parnell's cabin was, unbeknownst to Stayner, located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence.) Stevens was aware of Parnell's past and cooperated with police in setting up a sting operation that would lead to his arrest. His wife, Jody Edmondson, lashed out at Antonio for leaving the scene. Sadly, Stayners triumphant return didnt last long, as he died several years after the daring escape. While working at the Yosemite Lodge, Kenneth Parnell befriended his coworker Ervin Murphy. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek wrote. 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. As reported by ABC News, Kenneth Parnell treated Steven Stayner like a son. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Parnell, a sex offender, molested him the very first night, and began raping him thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. His story is told in the movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. Steven had become a famous figure, and not everyone liked all the attention he was getting. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. [3] Parnell was raised mostly without his father, who abandoned the family when Parnell was six. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. Despite the extreme trauma he experienced while living with his captor, and Steven went on to marry and have children. Born on April 18, 1965, Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. A cousin said that Stayner spied on her and his sisters and a neighbor girl, hiding under their beds and secretly videotaping them in the bathroom and bedroom. 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. Furthermore, according to Steven Jr.'s Facebook page, he currently resides in Merced, Cali. He had a pretty sad life.. Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. The statue tells the story of Steven Stayner, a Merced youth who was abducted in 1972 and Timothy White, the 5-year-old boy he rescued from suffering the same fate. However, Stayner skillfully sabotaged Kenneths plans. Steven passed away an hour after the accident at Merced Community Medical Center. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. Kay and Delbert had already lost Steven to a motorcycle accident in 1989, so they dreaded losing their other son. They had very few memories of their father and learned about his life the way most people did: through the media. While Jody said her husband did blame himself in some ways but ultimately seemed at peace with everything. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. Their case inspired the much-watched 1989 TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. Stayner died in a motorcycle crash the same year the movie was released. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnappers trial when he was just 6 years old, the New York Times reported in 2010. 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. Its final this time,he said. However, they ran out of time. A decade after their father passed, four women were brutally murdered in nearby Yosemite. Stayner was taken to Catheys Valley. It also features his wife, Jody, who talks about her life with him. In January 2003, Parnell was arrested again after trying to coerce his caregiver's sister, Diane Stevens, into buying him a four-year-old boy for $500. As reported by The Famous People, the man, who was later identified as Ervin Edward Murphy, said he was a representative of a local church and was seeking donations for his parish. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White, Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnappers trial when he was just 6 years old, the, White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. When bronze statues were completed they were installed upon a 4 high polished concrete base at the entrance to beautiful Applegate Park in Merced, CA. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. For the families of missing children, a new statue unveiled in Merceds Applegate Park today,now stands as a beacon of hope, a reminder of survival and heroism in the face of a childs worstnightmare. 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. Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.. The Famous People reports Stayner had a difficult time adjusting to returning to his parents' home. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. In an interview with SFGate, Michael Kollman, who was a longtime neighbor of the Stayner family, said, "I think it must have really affected Cary," said Michael Kollman.