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. 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. However, the young boy could not take advantage of those opportunities as he was reportedly unaware how to summon help. His older brother Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1999 murders of four women in 2002. He also convinced the little boy that his parents could not afford raising so many children and as such did not want him anymore. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. [6] He escaped from a state institution in Norwalk, but was recaptured. Find a Grave In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. He died in his home, according to his obituary which features a photo of him in a sheriffs uniform. For eight years, he abused Stayer while posing as his legal guardian and moving around California with him. Kay and Delbert Stayner married in 1960 and had five children together. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. Slater was selected from many competing sculptors to sculpt the life size full-figure portraits of Steven Stayner and little Timothy White. It also features his wife, Jody, who talks about her life with him. Furthermore, according to Steven Jr.'s Facebook page, he currently resides in Merced, Cali. 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. The Truth About The Kidnapping Of Steven Stayner, California Department of Corrections/Wikipedia. Cos Ive not until about an hour ago and its definitely one for the books. Soon after, Parnell reached there, driving a white Buick, which Stayner got into willingly, along with Murphy, but instead of his home, he was taken to a cabin in nearby Catheys Valley. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. But at the same time, they dealt with a lot of disagreements. "He didn't complain. Under the belief that Parnell has been given legal custody of him, and that his family has moved away, he stays with Parnell for seven years, enduring repetitive sexual abuse the entire time. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell dated a woman named Barbara Mathias for a period of time. [3] Kidnapping [ edit] One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. Dwarfed by his tall andlanky frame, Timmy takes his hand to set out on the dark road from the remote home where thechildren were being held. In their four years together, they welcomed daughter Ashley, followed by son Steven Jr. which features a photo of him in a sheriffs uniform. 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. He was given a new identity . Copyright 2023 Distractify. Parnell, a sex offender, molested him the very first night, and began raping him thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. As he was not wearing a helmet, he suffered massive head trauma, which led to his death less than one hour after the accident occurred. But this time hes the one who is staying strong for Kay., Delbert mourned the tragedy but expressed relief in the certainty of death. "When Steven came home, Cary was kind of put on the back shelf. However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. [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. When Stayner failed to return home from school, his parents contacted authorities immediately. 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. 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. In addition to her fathers unwanted advances, one of Stayners sisters said that Cary started peeping on her and inappropriately touching her when she was ten. 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. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. He also began manipulating the boy into believing his parents did not want him anymore, as they could not afford to financially support him. While investigators were checking into Parnell's past, the 1951 sodomy conviction came to light, although at the time Stayner insisted that Parnell had not sexually abused him.[11]. After Steven made the miraculous escape and returned home to his parents in Merced, California, he was the center of media attention. She produced a sensitive design sketch of Steven leading Timothy by the hand to safety. Ive never been this angry. Stayner eventually began drinking more heavily, dropped out of high school, and left his parents' home. 7-year old Steven Stayner is kidnapped a few days before Christmas by Kenneth Parnell. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. ABCs 20/20: Yosemite Serial Killer, as the title suggests, profiles the tale of the male who carried out four murders in six months near the Yosemite National Park in 1999. It was at this point that Stayner decided to escape with White and return the young child to his parents. 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. Born on April 18, 1965, in Merced, California, Steven Gregory Stayner had an older brother named Cary and three sisters. He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. The boy agreed and gave the man his address. In 1972, when he was just 7 years old, a stranger convinced him that his mother had asked him to pick . He loved his brother, his former calssmate, Jack Bungart, told the news outlet. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, . Very seldom did he get into trouble. 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. Timothy White became a Los Angeles Sheriffs deputy, and in 2010 died of a pulmonary embolism, also leaving behind a wife and two young children. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? Shortly before his death, Steven had joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. Steven Stayner Children: Ashley Stayner, Steven Stayner Jr. April 25, 2022 by John Atsu. Del is devastated too. Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. Former reporter Ted Rowlands said, "Stayner had a new father figure who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist.". 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. He didn't whine about lousy breaks. In Captive Audience, Ashley, who was a teen at the time, recalls following this news story very closely. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". At that point Stayner decided to save White from the abuse he had enduredand the two escaped. 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. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. Over the next few years, the couple had Ashley and Steven Jr, born a year apart. He barely knew his parents, and his parents scarcely knew the teenager whod returned home. In the shadow of the Yosemite National Park in California, in the secluded farming town of Merced, the Stayner family resided in a lower-middle-class area classified as Betty Street. Fortunately, the police spotted him as well and detained both of them, following which he revealed his identity and narrated his own story. The rest is spine-chilling history, made famous by exhaustive mediacoverage, books and a film in 1989, I know my name is Steven, based on the book of the samename. In 1981, Parnell was tried and convicted of kidnapping both White and Stayner in two separate trials and was sentenced to seven years in jail, even though he was released on parole after five years. The Memorial Committee deliberated long and hard about what to say on the Plaque they had created for the sculptures pedestal base. He was spunky. [10] Unfamiliar with the city, Stayner decided the best option was to seek out the local police, who originally considered him a delinquent, until an exhaustive search of missing child posters and a piecemeal interrogation confirmed he was a missing child as well. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Stayner died in 1989 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.[12]. A few years later, Steven got married and had two childrenbut at 24, having already been robbed of his childhood, Steven was robbed of his life when a hit-and-run driver killed him while he was riding his motorcycle home. A report from 2007 placed her in Montana, but beyond that, not much else is known about Jody. 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. 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. He worked as a sheriffs deputy for five years until his life was cut tragically short in April of 2010 when White died of a pulmonary embolism at age 35, according to the New York Times. Therefore, Kay swore to raise her children that same way, without an ounce of sentimental touch or warmth, which Delbert seemed to agree with. In 1985, at the age of 20, Stayner married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson. PEOPLE got a first look at Captive Audience, which explores the Stayner brothers' opposing legacies Steven, who saved an innocent life, and Cary, who took four innocent lives nearly 20 years . As Parnell was working the night shift, Stayner fled the home with White in the middle of the night. He told The San Jose Mercury News that watching his children play was 'like having another childhood - the childhood I didn't have.' "Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life," JK Miller said. Stayners parents withdrew emotionally after Steven went missing, Rinek wrote. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek wrote. It would have been a lot different if this man who hit him had stayed. 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. Steven Stayner led a short and tragic life. But Kay knew that child molestation, something she went through, was out of the question. The couple became estranged albeit, they were actively trying to fix things. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. Although Stayner told the younger boy to go inside by himself and tell the officers he had been kidnapped, White refused to leave Stayner's side. Parnell died in 2008 while incarcerated. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Northern California town on edge after second fatal stabbing in a week, Photos: Opening day of trout season in the Eastern Sierra, CEO of Cookies pot brand accused of kickbacks, strong-arm tactics. On September 17, 1989, he succumbed to head injuries after being involved in a car accident while returning home from work in his motorcycle. Years later in interviews, Stayner admitted to intentionally sabotaging the kidnappings. Moreover, according to his testimony in 2002, when Steven went missing, he became fixated with finding him and neglected his four other children in the process, particularly Cary. Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. Born on April 18, 1965, Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Steven Stayner Missing Childrens Memorial, Saint George and the Dragon Bronze Statue (4ft high by 4ft wide), General Ulysses S. Grant Monument, for West Point, Neil Armstrong Apollo 11 Spacesuit Replicas (15 Life Size Statues). Parnell began sexually abusing Stayner almost immediately. But adding children to the equation seemed to only make their relationship worse. Miller toldPeople: He was kind of a reckless kid after he came back home he wrecked a couple of cars and I talked to him about being careful, because he could kill himself. He also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At the time, Steven was 20 years old, and Jody was 17. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. However, his sexual abuse of the boy never stopped. If theyre just out on the porch, the door is always open. He fell in love. His story is told in the movie I Know My First Name Is Steven. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,. Steven Jr. was his son, and Ashley was his daughter. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. As Steven reached puberty, Purnell preference for younger boys drove him to abduct 5-year-old Timothy. When he returned, he told the boy that he called his parents and they said they did not want him anymore. During this time, he was working at Pizza Hut and later joined 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. However, little did she know that her uncle was the murderer. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. So, if youre curious about where she might be today, heres what we know. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". 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. Then something changed, Most of Yosemite Valley is closed due to potentially perilous snowpack and flooding, Opinion: California wants more psychiatric detentions. He was held hostage by Kenneth Parnell 38 . Mike Echols, who wrote the manuscript for the series, later published a book with the same title in 1991. 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 he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. According to Diane Stevens' testimony, Parnell requested that the child have a "clean" rectum, indicating sexual intentions. Here's what Ashley and Steven Jr. Stayner, who appear in 'Captive Audience,' are up to now. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. White also died an untimely death earlier this year at the age of 35. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. He didnt complain. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. She added, He was very proud of who he was. Jody emotionally described how she and Stayner planned to visit their favorite restaurant after he got home. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. His wife, Jody Edmondson, lashed out at Antonio for leaving the scene. At the time, the 24-year-old was driving a motorcycle and collided with a car in the front. A Fictionalized Telling of 'The Staircase' Is Coming to HBO Max With More Than One Big Name Attached, The Sound of Pam Hupp Slurping a Soft Drink Is Actually in the Score of 'The Thing About Pam'. He died in his home, according to. Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. The couple became estranged albeit, they were actively trying to fix things. However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. Kenneth Parnell was ultimately convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to steal a child. "[14], Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008[15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. 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. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. He was mocked at school, which caused him to drop out, and after he began drinking more often, he was kicked out of his parental house. 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. [1] He had three sisters and an older brother, Cary. After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. By that time, Cary Stayner was already having grotesque fantasies, the agent wrote. Stayner waited until Parnell had gone to his night shift job as a clerk at a local motel on March 1, 1980 and, carrying White on his back, hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. He also felt more directly responsible. 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. 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. In 1985, at the age of 20, Stayner married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson. At the time, Stayner had been missing for more than seven years. Assistant Sheriff Strength said Stayner was on the waiting list for a job as a county jail guard.. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, a Hulu docuseries streaming today, first revisits the 1972 kidnapping of 7-year-old Steven Stayner by convicted child molester Kenneth Parnell. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. His family was happy to have him back, but things were different. Stayner and his wife were high school sweethearts, the article said. Despite the extreme trauma he experienced while living with his captor, and Steven went on to marry and have children. Hawkins said: She was the one who stayed so strong and calm and collected through that seven-year-ordeal. I feel divinely guided when Im inspired by a project and I really felt a presence on this onesaid Hidden Valley Lake sculptor Paula Slater of the statue she was commissioned to create forthe Steven Stayner and Missing Childrens Memorial in Merced. The family avoided watching the 10 p.m. news, and any mention of Steven on TV would make their father cry. 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. We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.. 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. He worked as a sheriff's deputy for five years until his life was cut tragically short in April of 2010 when White died of a pulmonary embolism at age 35, according to the New York Times. Five year old Timothy Lee White gets a piggy back ride from 14 year-old Steven Stayner into a press conference March 2, 1980, in Ukiah, Calif. 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. As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. He loved his family, his career and boating, especially at Lake Pyramid, the obituary states. Following his brother's death, History reports Cary worked as a handyman at a lodge near Yosemite National Park. The racers relationship with Sarah Lavin, Where is Katherine Russell today? However, his brother Cary also suffered throughout the entire ordeal. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. When Stayner was 14, he ran away with another kidnapped boy, Timmy White, and went to the police, ABC News reported. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White. One relative described child sexual abuse as like a family sickness because it had been going on for so many generations. He was a good student, a good artist, and he was very loving. She let go of all the values instilled in her as a child and cried while begging them to spare Carys life. When Steven Stayner returned home after being kidnapped for seven years in 1980, he became a household name. On February 14, 1980, Parnell abducted five-year-old Timothy White from Ukiah with the help of Sean Poorman, a minor and an acquaintance of Stayner. They had a daughter, Ashley, who was 3 at the time of her fathers death, and a son, Steven Jr., who was 2. have yall heard of Steven and Cary Stayner? He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Theres so much hate right now.. Losing perspective? Stayner was walking home from school December 4, 1972, when the men lured him into their vehicle, saying they had just talked to his parents and they no longer wanted him, ABC reported. I feel bad for him,White said. Bill Balestra said of Stayner, who was . While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. Thus, sadly, all we know is that Delbert passed away at 79-years-old in his house in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. Offers may be subject to change without notice. It was the first day in the 2 1/2-month trial that any members of Stayners immediate family have shown up. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. The next day, on March 2nd, both the boys were reunited with their respective families and Parnell was arrested. Not only was it a miracle, but during his escape, he had also rescued another 5-year-old boy who had been kidnapped. He was convicted of both kidnappings and served five years of his seven-year prison sentence. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He also became a sheriffs deputy in Newhall in Los Angeles County in 2005, Mercury News reported in 2010. September 17, 1989. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. Cary Stayner was convicted in the 1999 murders of 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, their 16-year-old family friend Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old Yosemite naturalist, according to History. He grew up alongside his siblings named; Cynthia Sartell, Cory Stayner, and Cary Stayner. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. Captive Audience delves into the circumstances surrounding Steven being taken and how he finally escaped, saving a 5-year-old in the process. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. A new docuseries dives into the unbelievable tale of two brothers, one of whom was a child kidnapping victim-turned-national hero and the other who became a serial killer. 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. 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. It will also recognize other victims of stranger abductions, and will serve as a permanent reminder of our inherent duty to protect our children. They wanted to truthfully relate what had happened to Prior to his kidnapping of Stayner, The Famous People reports Parnell had at least two criminal convictions, including armed robbery and the sexual abuse of a young boy. Over the years, Parnell had numerous jobs and he and Stayner moved often. Sandra Hawkins, a family friend, toldPeoplethat Kay stayed strong during the abduction but was totally crushed after learning of Stevens death. Of course Cynthia Sartell knew him; he was her older sibling. Steven Stayner Death: How Carys Stayners Brother Died, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? This is the hardest thing she has ever had to face, and she just cant talk to anybody. Steven Stayner's parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. Unfortunately, ABC News reports authorities were eventually forced to admit "there was just nothing there." Distractify is a registered trademark. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. 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. At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. Steven Stayner became a household name in 1980 when he returned home after being kidnapped about seven years earlier. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre.
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