I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven.". Steven Stayner (R) with his kidnapper Kenneth Parnell. White eventually became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy. Even though missing fliers circulatedall over the place, including some of the schools Steven attended, no one evercame forward to say they recognized him. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". 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. 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. Steven Stayner spent seven years as the captive of a pedophile. Steven, taking a leave of absence from his job, acted as an advisor for Lorimar-Telepictures and had a non-speaking part, playing one of the two policemen who escort 14-year-old Steven (played by Corin Nemec) through the crowds to his waiting family, on his return to his Merced home. He was allowed to come and go virtually as he pleased, he could have fled, gotten help, but he didnt know how. My dad said he didnt need any.. It wasn't until Parnell was charged with attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation in 2004, that he was sentenced to 25 to life. 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). He didnt whine about lousy breaks. ", 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. I don't know sometimes if I should have come home. I never recognized either one of them.". Click to reveal Proudly powered by WordPress He remains on death row as of July 2021, but there have been zero executions in the state of California since a 2006 court ruling on the flaws found in the management of capital punishment. (The other driver, Anthony Loera, actually left the scene but ultimatelyturned himself in. According to Stayner, Mathias, along with Parnell, raped him on nine occasions at the age of nine. His mysterious death. But in July 1999, the name Stayner made headlines once againwhen Steven's older brother Carywas arrested for murdering a woman in Yosemite, Calif. All about his family, Was Dave Hollis Sick? Adjusting to post-abduction life was no easy task for Steven. While at school, Steven never revealed to anyone that he had been kidnapped. Stayner later claimed that Murphy asked him if his mother would be willing to donate any items to the church. Parnell had been with a woman named Barbara Mathias for a period of one and half years, during which they reportedly forced Stayner into sexual activities at least nine times. kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell, who sexually abused him. And they searched. Third of five children, he had an older brother and three sisters. During this time, Parnell kidnapped another child, Timothy White, while he was on his way home from school, according to The Modesto Bee. Hulus Captive Audience takes a look at this case through the eyes of the family, including interviews with Stevens children, sister, and mother. ", Kay said in an interview, per CNN, "He came back different, very different. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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.". Parnell was convicted first of kidnapping Timmy in June 1981, Steven tellingThe Evening Newshe was "glad" about the verdict and hadn't been worrying too much about the next trial, at which he'd be called to testify. But it wasn't until the age of 37 that he would become a murderer. Who are Steven Stayner sisters? Yet inanother perversely tragic twist of fate, Whitealso died young, suffering a pulmonary embolism on April 1, 2010, when he was 35. A child abductee's journey back. Cary saw the attention that his brother received after returning home and their relationship was never the same, according to TIME. What happened Cary Stayner? But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? He went on to add, Sometimes I blame myself. Count everyone affiliated with the movie, including Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews, who played Cary at 18, as being floored by what happened. Kenneth told Steven that his parents had given him away and that his new name was Dennis. 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 they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. They approached a police station shortly after midnight. [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]. He died four years later, on January 21, 2008. Awesome, cant wait to read! "[25], Stayner underwent brief counseling but never sought additional treatment. Mourners holding banner which reads VIGIL OF HOPE for Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and Julis friend Silvina Pelosso. My dad was on a mission trying to find his son, she said. So, on December 4, 1972, Kay was supposed to pick him up from school but had stopped to pick something up from Delbert. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Bob Barker still alive? Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. "He got on with his life," his sister Cory Staynertold the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ", Rowlandsreported that the then-37-year-old also said he had dreamed of killing women for 30 years and these four were "at the wrong place at the wrong time.''. '", While promoting the movie, Steven said of his own kids,"They don't go out unless I go with them or there's someone outside watching. "I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. 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. The attempt was a failure. He had problems adjusting because, with Kenneth, there were no rules; he was used to drinking and smoking. A cabin that sat several hundred feet away from his grandfathers house. 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. 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. 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. But for the Stayners, this seemingly closed hellish chapter of their lives turned out to beonly the first of the worst-nightmare scenarios that they faced. He was spunky. Once more details emerged about his ordeal, some kids teased him about being molested. But the family has since dealt with several tragedies along the way, including Stevens death and his older brothers incarceration for murder. This dog had been given to Parnell by his mother, who was not aware of Stayner's existence during the period when he was being held by Parnell. 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. Steven's father, Delbert Stayner, died on April 9, 2013, at his home in Winton, California. 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. He could be disarmingly paternal, but also beat and sexually abused the child. Your IP: [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. . Parnell passed himself off as Stayner's father, and the two moved frequently around California, living in locations including Santa Rosa and Comptche. Stayner began to drink frequently, and was eventually kicked out of the family home. In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his sister, Cory, said He got on with his life. Timothy James White (November 1, 1974 - April 1, 2010) was an American man who was abducted in 1980 by pedophile Kenneth Parnell, and held a few weeks before he was rescued by fellow child captive, 14-year-old Steven Stayner, who escaped and guided the 5-year-old to safety. His health struggles detailed, Martina McClures story: Her injury and recovery, How did Simon Dunn die? Steven Stayners kidnapping prompted California lawmakers to change the state laws, allowing consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases., But the story doesnt end there. [16], As Stayner entered puberty, Parnell began to look for a younger child to kidnap. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. 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. "We were kind of on our own," she said. The next night, Parnell told Steven he had called his parents again, and just as the previous night, they said he could stay over. He told TheSan Jose Mercury Newsthat watching his children play was like having another childhood the childhood I didnt have., Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life,JK Miller said. I guess seven years changed him, too. Kay also talked about the effect Stevens return had on the family, He came back different, very different. Steven eventually escaped after Kenneth abducted another boy named Timmy White. [14] In 1975, on Parnell's instruction, Mathias tried to lure another young boy, who was in the Santa Rosa Boys' Club with Stayner, into Parnell's car. Both actors reflecton the stranger-than-fiction chain of events inCaptive Audience, as well asread Steven and Cary's own words from interview transcripts. 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. At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. All three episodes ofCaptive Audience: A Real American Horror Storyare streaming now on Hulu. He named the dog, a Manchester Terrier, Queenie. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. Now I had to compete with a brother and three sisters. He rode a motorcycle to work, but his manager suggested he take the franchises pickup truck home so he could stay dry. In hindsight,people who knew the Stayners started to remember the quiet, withdrawn boy living in the shadow of his brotherboth when Steven was gone and when he returnedwhowas a creative, talented artist but also pulled his hair out in clumps and as he got older and had trouble forming relationships with women. Dimmock explained. However, Stayner skillfully sabotaged Kenneths plans. [15] Mathias later claimed to have been completely unaware that "Dennis" had been kidnapped. Sometimes I blame myself. During the years Steven was missing, Cary's life continued, but it was never the same. She said her father became obsessed with finding the youngster, who was held and sexually abused by a kidnapper for seven years. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. It was the first day in the 2 1/2-month trial that any members of Stayners immediate family have shown up. 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. Before leaving for the nudist colony . On his casket, there was an inscription, Going Home. When asked about it, his wife said hes not hurting anymore. I dont know sometimes if I should have come back home. [38] Timmy White, then a grown man, was subpoenaed to testify in Parnell's criminal trial. He died on April 1, 2010 from a pulmonary embolism. When he didnt make it home a few hours later, the family went to the police. All along, there was the assurance that his story would be made into a movie. Stayner and Timmy hiked to a police station 40 miles away from Kenneths cabin. So, if youre wondering where she might be today, heres what we know. Captive Audiencealsodelves into thecreative license taken during the making of the miniseries and the way in which the version of events that unfolded for an average of 35.8 million viewers over the course of two nights becamethestorythat everyone knew. He was sentenced to seven years, but was paroled after serving five.[19][20]. Also Known As: Steven Gregory Stayner Died At Age: 24 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Jody Edmondson (m. 1985-1989) father: Delbert Stayner mother: Kay Stayner siblings: Cary Stayner, Cory Stayner children: Ashley Stayner, Steven Stayner Jr. American Men Aries Men Died on: September 17, 1989 Cause of Death: Accident U.S. State: California But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? Boy that was one looooong article! ", HetoldNewsweek in 1984, "I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old. 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. However, prosecutors were intent on seeking the death penalty for the murders ofCarole, Juli and Silvina; he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was convicted on all charges in August 2002. I am fourteen years of age. "Police say that Stayner seemed fond of Parnell, who he said 'spoiled' himStayner was defensive about Parnell in his talks with police and reluctant at first to reveal his name. He was bullied, teased, and his sexuality was always called into question. Source: Vimbuzz.com Related Posts What a case! We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. But in 1980, the Stayners' prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. The connection, once people realized it was indeed the same family, feltlike a punch to the gut. Despite his circumstances, he did well among his peers, and even became known as an all-around happy person. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". Performance & security by Cloudflare. Although pleased with the dramatization, Stayner did complain that it depicted him as a somewhat "obnoxious, rude" person, especially toward his parents, something he refuted while publicizing the miniseries in the spring of 1989. But the children in the family kept their feelings to themselves and didnt discuss their emotions. When the police checked into his background they found a previous sodomy conviction from 1951. Both Del and Kay Stayner testified during the penalty phase of the trial that October that they neglected Cary to a degree when Steven went missing. When Parnells mother gifted him a dog, he gifted it to Steven. In the epilogue to his book, Echols describes how he infiltrated NAMBLA. The abductor abused Steven and planned to use the boy to abduct more victims. Steven Stayner escaped Kenneth Parnell when he was 14 years old. In April 2022, Hulu released a limited true-crime docuseries "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story" following the life of Stayner and his family and how the kidnapping impacted their lives. Hewasn't wearing a helmet and he was pronounced dead of a skull fracture at a nearby hospital. Jody emotionally described how she and Stayner planned to visit their favorite restaurant after he got home. 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. Now I had to compete with a brother and three sisters., Steven had to learn the rules, he was used to coming and going as he pleased, drinking and smoking, and suddenly that wasnt allowed. 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. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Under false pretenses, Cary entered their room and sexually assaulted both girls. Steven Stayner testifies about his abduction in 1972 by Kenneth Parnell and his seven years in captivity in this 1981 photo. In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. "You'vegot this crazy story that happens, and then you've got kind of the 1980s version of that story that's presented to the world," Dimmock told E!. She later insisted she hadno idea that"Dennis"wasn't Parnell's real son, that he even had a birth certificate for the boy. At his funeral on September 20, a 14-year-old Timmy White was one of the pallbearers. He remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison, though California hasn't executed a prisoner since 2006 and Gov. 162.211.29.130 After the premiere, Echols published his book, also titled I Know My First Name is Steven, in 1991. [17][18], By daybreak on March 2, 1980, Parnell had been arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. "It was outrageous. [4] Murphy, described by those who knew him as a trusting, nave, and simple-minded man,[4] had been enlisted by Parnell (who had passed himself off to Murphy as an aspiring minister)[5][6] into helping him abduct a young boy so that Parnell could "raise him in a religious-type deal," as Murphy later stated. What Did 'AGT: All Stars' Winner Aidan Bryant Get? He took a job at a local Pizza Hut, and on Saturday, September 16, 1989 a heavy rain fell. Timothy, back home with his family, adjusted well, and things returned to normal. "I brought in Timmy because I didn't like what was happening," Stevenexplained to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a variation of what he told police and reporters for a long time afterward. Closely in hopes of spotting Steven. `` the other driver, Anthony Loera, actually the. What I did the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his wife said hes not hurting anymore always into! I did how he infiltrated NAMBLA [ 38 ] Timmy White Angeles County Sheriff 's Department.... 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