Steven died in 1989, aged 24. MERCED . Steven's last name is spelt "Staynor" on the cover but is actually spelt "Stayner." The author also states that Steven was missing for 7 years, then later on in the book he says 9 years. For more information, please see our In 1985, Stayner married Jody Edmondson in Atwater, where the two were living with their two children at the time of his death. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. Stayner and Parnell moved often, finally settling nearUkiah, California, where Steven Stayner became Dennis Parnell, according to The New York Times. Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. Authorities had already interviewed him once before about the other three murders, but at the time he hadnt raised any red flags. Privacy Policy. 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. Parnell died of natural causes on January 21, 2008, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, while serving a sentence of 25 years to life. However, that happiness was short-lived because he had difficulty adjusting back to life with his family. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. As he gets older, he realizes that he needs to try to make an escape and get back home. What was his cause of death? 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. He retired in 1995 from working at a canning factory in Atwater, California. Steven Gregory Stayner died in a motorcycle accident on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, United States. When Stayner was 14, he ran away with another kidnapped boy, Timmy White, and went to the police, ABC News reported. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. "You have one brother who's been subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances he's a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. For seven years, as the two moved around Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Stayner was known as Dennis Parnell. Why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? 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. Like Steven, Timothy also died very young. Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. Am I wrong? ", "He stated that he felt like jumping in a truck, driving it through the shop and killing the boss and killing everybody in the office, and then torching the place," friend Mark Marchese said in 1999. His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. But he was pretty messed up and he never got any counseling. He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." "He literally said, 'I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. Cary Stayner. Steven Stayner (Steven Gregory Stayner) was born on 18 April, 1965 in Merced, CA, is an American child kidnapping victim. Stayner, the subject of an NBC miniseries in May, lived as the son of his abductor, Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. By the time Steven was 14, he had been abused and manipulated by Parnell for seven years. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! "Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, 'Your parents, I just spoke to them. A year later, he was sentenced to life, which was, at the time, the harshest sentence handed down under the the "three strikes" law. In the time after Stevens disappearance, Del dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts. He was not wearing a helmet, and. "He was very proud of who he was," his wife, Jodi Stayner, said in 1999. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. 5h ago. Kidnapping On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, on his way home from school, Stayner was approached by a man named Ervin Edward Murphy, who had met convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell while working at a resort in Yosemite National Park. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was accused of sexually abusing his daughters, and Rinek wrote sexual abuse went back at least five generations in the family. 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. On December 4, 1972, Parnell abducted seven-year-old Merced resident Steven Stayner with the help of Edward Ervin Murphy, a co-worker at the Yosemite Lodge, where Parnell worked as a night auditor. Former reporter Ted Rowlands said, "Stayner had a new father figure who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist.". He wanted the world to take note. He loved his brother. Steven Stayner was just 7 years old when he was kidnapped in California in 1972 (via theLos Angeles Times). It was Dec. 4, 1972. 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. 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. Director Jessica Dimmock also brought in Corin Nemec and Todd Andrews, who portrayed Stayner and his brother Cary respectively in TV mini-series I Know My First Name Is Steven, to read interview transcripts. Against the odds, he flourished there. I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old, he told Newsweek in 1984. He died behind bars in 2008 from natural causes. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. ? Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. READ MORE: Tales Of Demons And Gods Chapter 377: The Audience Awaited The New Chapter! Per the Spokesman-Review, Parnell told Stayner that his parents didn't want him anymore; he was beaten so viciously that he was afraid to run away. Stayner died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident while driving home from work. After two weeks of watching White cry for his family, the then-14-year-old Stayner decided that was enough. But, at the age of 24, Steven Stayner, by then a husband and father of two, was killed in a motorcycle crash. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. Its a good substitute.. 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. "Whatever demons were clamoring around in his head, by being naked, by smoking pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed," LaLama said. Hang out with friends or skateboard," Purdy told ABC News. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. "Hes ready to kill again. "Steven could have grown up normal happy and healthy and Cary still wouldve been a serial killer. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. Parnell forced Stayner to take on the name Dennis Parnell, and shuttled him from remote towns to isolated cabins all around Northern California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Would I have been better off if I didnt?. He was 35. He was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. Tragically, the Stayner family would be in for another shock a decade later. They no longer want you.. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". He was popular for being a Person. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, Lori Duke, Stayners high school girlfriend, told ABC News. Stayner suffered years of abuse and claims that his parents didnt want him anymore, per the Seattle Times. Cary Stayner was just 11 when his 7-year-old brother, Steven, was abducted by a pedophile. "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. Sitelinks. 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. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, The Subject Of This Netflix True Crime Doc Is Now Guilty Of Murdering His Wife & Son, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. During the penalty phase, Del admitted to having neglected his children after Steven went missing and said regarding Cary, I didnt socialize with him. Raised in the peaceful suburbs of Merced, California, the 7-year-old was shuffling home from . "He was spunky. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. Kenneth Parnell kidnapped Steven Stayner and Timothy White, abductions that later inspired the 1989 TV movie "I Know My First Name is Steven.". When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, more than seven years after he was kidnapped while walking home from . In February 1980, Parnell kidnapped his next victim, five-year-old Timothy White. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. According to a psychiatrist who would later evaluate Stayner for his defense team, the Stayner family tree was riven with mental illness and sexual abuse going back five generations. In 1972, Parnell kidnapped 7-year-old Steven Stayner of. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.. Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. Cary's defense team argued that he suffered from mental illness, in part from the trauma he suffered when Steven was kidnapped. He sustained fatal head injuries after his motorcycle struck a car that suddenly pulled out in front of him as he drove home from his. 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. On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work when a car suddenly pulled out of a driveway onto the highway. In the years after Steven vanished, Del spent considerable time looking for anything that would lead him to his son. He had reportedly suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts but the cause of his death remains unclear. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. He literally said, I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. And there was just nothing there," said Pat Lunney, an investigator assigned to Steven Stayners case. No other details were immediately available, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was spunky. However, he always enrolled the boy in school and often allowed Stayner freedoms that a kidnapper would not traditionally grant a captor. Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. 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. The man's name was Ervin Murphy. Convicted sex offender Kenneth Parnell, known for the 1972 kidnapping and seven-year-long confinement of Steven Stayner, died Monday in the state prison hospital at Vacaville . Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. 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. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek wrote. number of children. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. 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.