It was around this time that Carl Stayner first began to talk about Bigfoot. At the bar in the colony, Stayner struck up a conversation with Janet Damant, who had seen the BOLO (be on the lookout for) for Stayner. Armstrong's body was found nearby. Stayner caught the attention of park rangers again last week after his sport utility vehicle was seen near Armstrong's residence on Wednesday night, an hour after she was last seen there. Try again later. Whites stepfather, Roger Gitlin, said White died April 1, 2010, of an apparent pulmonary embolism. A few years later, Carl had a bit of a nervous breakdown and moved further into the wilderness. Listen to Yosemite serial killer's never-before-broadcast confession tapes, "It seemed like she was alone. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. Then, in the summer of 1999, Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old woman running educational programs at Yosemite for children, was reported missing by her friends and later found decapitated in the park. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. One brother was subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances, he was a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. "I'd been gone for most of the day off the property. Now, 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong was missing. FBI agents swarmed into the valley after the body was found, a scene familiar to many agents who were still working on the kidnap-murders of a Eureka mother and daughter and their friend earlier this year. After first flying to San Francisco, where Carole rented a red 1999 Pontiac Gran Prix, they stopped in Stockton, where Juli took part in a cheerleading contest at the University of the Pacific. Brady Schwartz, 18, is accused of. Many of the mourners who passed through Armstrong's home Tuesday declined interviews, and someone hung handmade cardboard signs on nearby pine trees that requested. "We're not used to this stuff around here. English Im so proud of the way Carole and Juli lived, and Im so ashamed of Stayner.. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. Learn more about merges. Stayner then detailed the murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. Rinek testified at Stayners trial and was there for his sentencing. Still, people were suspicious. Rangers found her body at about 1 p.m. Thursday near the living quarters she shared with a man and a woman at employee housing units just west of the Crane Flat campground. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. Rinek believes that was an attempt by Stayner to control what the agents were thinking of him. July 21stJoie Ruth Armstrong is decapitated after Cary ties her up and rapes her. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, a German native who grew up in California, was found Thursday near a stream running by the housing area where she lived near Crane Flat in the west end of Yosemite National Park. In the exclusive, never-before-broadcast audio of Stayners confession, obtained by ABC News, Rinek said you can hear him ask Stayner to "do it again" after having Stayner go through his outline of what happened when he murdered Armstrong. He grew up, got married and had two kids. Silvina Pelossos mother, Raquel, said, I just cannot understand how so many peopledidn't realize that maybe (Stayner) was the man since I heard that he was interviewed some time ago. Officials there were not available for comment Friday morning. I guess I was jealous. Steven Stayner helped another child escape from a pedophile, after enduring years of abuse and not wanting to see the child experience the same fate. But when they found the decapitated body and head of 26-year-old naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong, they were led to one man: 37-year-old handyman Cary Stayner. Rinek said his wife Lori has been his rock and feels that without the support of his family he wouldnt have been able to deal with this and the other cases he's investigated. He also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Stevens homecoming made him a celebrity. Try again later. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. GREAT NEWS! Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. Ive never seen anything thats so close to black and white and evil and good as Stayner and our children, said Francis Carrington, the father of Carole Sund and grandfather of Juli. Suddenly, Kidd spotted a key ring glinting in the sun. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. Thats when I pulled out the gun and put it to her head. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. In this, he calmly reviewed how he strangled 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the motel bathtub and how he sexually assaulted Juli Sund for hours before brutally cutting her throat. By the end of that evening, the FBI felt it had gathered enough evidence to arrest Cary Stayner for murder, Sunday morning, they rushed him to Fresno to officially lodge a complaint, then to Sacramento on Monday where he was put before the courts. But where was Juli? Stayner, 39, was sentenced in November to life without parole for Armstrong's July 21, 1999, beheading. Armstrong recently climbed to the summit of Mount Shasta and part way up El Capitan in Yosemite. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. July 26, 1999 "He took us to all the spots, and he knew exactly where everything was," said Boles. They called police when she didnt show up to meet up with them as planned. It was the last time the women were seen alive. All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. Search above to list available cemeteries. And then I take that, and that serves as my outline, and we go back again and then I want to hear, 'Tell me what you experienced. Despite the natural beauty of that part of the world, the murders revived a long-dormant fear about our national parks; they were no longer safe. While Steven was a freshman at Mendocino High School, some 300 miles to the south, his older brother Cary was an upperclassman at Merced High School. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. "I could not believe what I'd just heard. Steven was a national hero. based on information from your browser. On February 12, 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli 15, and Silvina Pelosso 16, left their home in Eureka, California to go on vacation in the area near Yosemite National Park in the same state in the United States. Cary Stayner was a native Californian who had lived outside of Yosemite most of his life. I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. . The next day, in the same place, the police found twenty-six-year-old Joie Armstrong's headless body half underwater in a creek. In 1997, Stayner got a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, seven miles from the gate of the national park, where he worked for 2 years before the murders.. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous - one experienced horror in the hands of a child molester, Steven, and the other, Cary, the serial killer in Yosemite. Correspondent Don Knapp contributed to this report, Co-workers say Yosemite suspect not known for violence, FBI arrests motel worker in Yosemite murder, FBI questions man after Yosemite naturalist slain, Slain Yosemite visitors fund offers reward in other death, All 3 missing Yosemite sighteers identified, officials say, Yosemite Online : The Yosemite Association. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? Joies head sat nearby. The next day, a tip was called into park rangers about a car spotted near Armstrongs cabin. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Stayner was convicted in both state and federal courts. You know what I mean? "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. At that time, the Bureau stated that, while no one had yet been charged, it felt that those responsible for killing the three women at Yosemite were already behind bars. Cary Stayner, a handyman from El Portal, was in custody in Sacramento Tuesday charged with her murder. Joie was the fourth woman murdered in the Sierras in five months. They were looking for the missing red 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix as well as the women. A system error has occurred. Now she knew why they could not say whether the body they found had red hair. Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. A lot of people want to believe he was that way. Trending. On Saturday, July 24, FBI agents announced at a press conference that a man was in custody on strong suspicion of murder and that a "significant announcement" would be made shortly. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" There was a movie made about his brother, Steven Stayner, and he wanted the same and for the world to take notice. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. Stayner also is a suspect in the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her 15-year old daughter Julie, and Silvina Pelosso, a 16-year old exchange student from Argentina. Joie Armstrong, a NatureBridge educator at Yosemite National Park in 1999, was a bright light to all who knew her. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. His mother became cold and distant towards her children and the father was openly devastated by the loss of his favorite son. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Everyone worried that something terrible had befallen her. Stayner spent his downtime by the rivers, getting high and skinny dipping, police said. Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY, Jan. 25 at 10 p.m. In Yosemite, Leslie Armstrong of Orlando, Fla., reflected on the shock of the past week. ", "Jeff was very empathetic, and he was saying, 'I can already see a change in you. In the water several feet away, they discovered her head, which officials said had been removed from her body. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. "He asked me if I thought it was just, and I told him absolutely no," said Rinek, who is the author of "In the Name of the Children," a true-crime account of the cases he has investigated during his career with the FBI, including the Cary Stayner case. "I remember going out one night after Steve disappeared and wishing on a star that my brother would come back home," Cary reportedly told Mike Echols, author of the book I Know My First Name Is Steven. He was buried Thursday in the town of Newhall, where he had worked as a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy. Stayner was arrested at a California nudist colony and soon admitted to all four killings, claiming he'd had urges to kill women for thirty years. "He has entrusted in me the gift of his confession, and it is my obligation to show him that Im worthy of it," Rinek said. It was one of the most gruesome things the doctor had ever seen. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. Because we all, in law enforcement, when we look at somebody whos killed someone else, we think to ourselves at least I do that that face was the last thing our victim saw before they died. Though hundreds of FBI agents, California Highway Patrol officers, and National Park Service rangers had combed Yosemites rugged backcountry with dogs and helicopters for weeks afterward, it was a lone hiker who eventually found them. Whatever this is that's inside you, you need to get it out. I was blessed to have known and loved her. They confiscated the marijuana and sent him on his way. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. He recalled the abducted tourists case in sharp detail. Stayner said he thought he had gotten away with the earlier crimes, but could not resist the urge to kill Armstrong after he struck up a chance conversation with her. What were you thinking? After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. The brilliant, bubbly, strawberry-blond naturalist lived with her boyfriend and a second roommate in a cabin near Yosemite. "We never really got along that well after he came back All of a sudden Steve was getting all these gifts, getting all this clothing, getting all this attention. Management found him a hard worker and honest. Her decapitated body was found near a wilderness stream the next day. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? I got put on the back burner, you might say," Cary told J.P. Miller, a filmmaker who wrote a screenplay about Steven's abduction. ET on ABC. What were your feelings? Joie Armstrong and her grandmother had grown extremely close since Leslie Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer in April, said family friend Anita Ham. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Timothy Lee White, 5, gets a piggyback ride from 14-year-old Steven Stayner at a news conference in Ukiah, California, in 1980, Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, Your parents, I just spoke to them. Two days later, they took him into custody while he was eating at a clothing optional resort near Sacramento. "He said he took the roll of duct tape and the knife and he threw it out there as far as he could," Rinek said. A week later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that led to Julis corpse. Then he took action. Her headless body was found . "We still weren't sure that he had [murdered the Sunds and Pelosso]. Soon after, Steven Stayner later went to police with Timmy. In the backpack, I had a .22 revolver," Stayner is heard saying in an audio recording of his confession to Rinek and Boles. He loved his brother. And now so had Joie Armstrong. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Make sure that the file is a photo. 0 cemeteries found in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, USA. It proved to be a great place for him to get his head on straight. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. "My wife Lori and I, were at our best when were helping people, and we dont necessarily decide who were going to help and who were not going to help.". cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. His distraught parents undertook a veritable quest to find him. When Steven didnt return from school that afternoon, his parents sounded the alarm. I never recognized either one of them.". Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. It was the worst and best moment of my career," Rinek said. But Juli Sund was still missing. "She fulfilled her dreams at an early age," Ham said. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. "It becomes clear to me that he's just this big emotionless monster, and Joie comes across as heroic 'cause she was a fighter. Please reset your password. He has admitted to the crime, saying in a television interview Monday that he had a longtime fantasy about killing women and that voices in his head prompted him to slay Armstrong during a chance meeting. I do that when I go home to my wife, and I break down and I start crying and I tell her then.". Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. I left as quickly as I could, got back to my car, and drove home. It shows Don Pedro Reservoir, and its about forty miles away from where the car was found.". She also had been a field instructor for the institute's sister organization, the Headlands Institute, in Marin County. Hed been living under investigators noses for five months. Acting on a tip from a caller who was worried about the whereabouts of his friend, Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, park rangers found her decapitated body on the morning of July 22, 1999. "That was followed by him saying, 'Okay, lets do it,'" said Rinek. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. The murder of Armstrong is being pursued in federal court because the killing occurred in a national park. You seem like you're feeling better. Ham, who has known Armstrong since she was a red-headed baby, remembered her as a vibrant woman who challenged herself daily. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. On July 21, 1999, 26-year-old Joie Armstrong, a park naturalist, was packing for a trip to join friends. How Yosemite serial killer chose his fourth victim. Cary Anthony Stayner (born August 13, 1961) is an American serial killer and the older brother of kidnapping victim Steven Stayner.He was convicted of the murders of four women between February and July 1999: Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and their teenage traveling companion Silvina Pelosso, and Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. July 23rdStayner was questioned and released and Stayner fails to show up for work for the first time in a year and a half. The car described was known to people in the area as Stayners car, and the FBI began looking for him as a potential witness to interview about Armstrongs murder. During Stayner's interrogation, the agents told Stayner he couldnt view child pornography in exchange for his confession. Through the media, authorities alerted the public to be on the lookout for Stayner. Best of 2022 Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. There was Armstrong's solar-heated shower and the garden that she proudly nourished with water that she carried in heavy buckets from a nearby creek. The agents bought some time and began questioning Stayner about Armstrong. Most experts believe that it would be unlikely for Stayner to have targeted three victims for his first killing, so he probably killed before that. Tell me what you did?' Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. On July 21, 1999, 26-year-old Joie Armstrong, a park naturalist, was packing for a trip to join friends. As winter merged into spring in March of 1999, a cloud of terror was hanging over Yosemite National Park. Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites. But when they found the decapitated body and head of 26-year-old naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong, they were led to one man: 37-year-old handyman Cary Stayner. At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. In his interview, Stayner claimed that hair from his body was left on the bedspread in their motel room, but he returned later and changed the bed. He continued, "When we finish that perspective, we go back again. There, they found a handsome, solidly built, nude man, sunbathing on the riverbank. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. July 26, 1999. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, a German native who grew up in California, was found Thursday near a stream running by the housing area where she lived near Crane Flat in the west end of Yosemite. "Cary Stayner started launching off into, 'This is going to be my last meal as a free man,'" Rinek recalled. Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? At that point, Rinek said he feared Stayner would refuse to continue to confess. "Theres a crude map, and the map shows Route 120. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. He has been questioned about any involvement. Witnesses reported seeing a blue car parked outside the cabin where the Yosemite Institute naturalist had. Cary Stayner told a reporter from KNTV of San Jose in an off-camera jailhouse interview Monday how he killed Joie Ruth Armstrong last week and Carole Sund, her daughter Juli and family friend Silvina Pelosso last winter. He then carried Juli to a vista point near Lake Don Pedro, pledged his love, and then cut her throat as the sun rose. FBI agents had questioned Stayner after the body was found -- even searching his backpack for her head -- but let him go. "Now, we had been going through, not details, but the emotional impact this had on him. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. A large search turned up nothing. Sandy Cox, whose husband owned the window company where Stayner worked for in Atwater, says, "We've known Cary since he was a little boyIt just doesn't match up. The large cabin that Armstrong shared with a friend and a boyfriend is located in Foresta, a tiny town just inside Yosemite park gates on Old Coulterville Road, 4 miles from El Portal. Family members linked to this person will appear here. What were you feeling? Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. What did she see?' Her roommates were away on business, Thompson said. And he was a coward," said Boles. See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, See more StrangeOutdoors True Crime Stories, The horrific rape and murder of Sophie Louise Hook whilst camping in her Uncle's garden, The miracle rescue of Alan Lee Phillips at Colorados Guanella Pass - the man who turned out to be a serial killer, The chilling story of Thomas Lee Dillon - the Ohio Outdoorsmen killer, https://casefilepodcast.com/case-161-the-yosemite-sightseer-murders-part-1/, https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/stayner-cary.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Stayner, https://abcnews.go.com/US/steven-cary-stayner-tale-brothers-horror-heroism/story?id=60529944, https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/me-timothy-white10-2010apr10-story.html, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26040174/cary-stayner-steven-yosemite-murders/, https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/july-25-1999-cary-stayner-arrested-murder-yosemite-60263995, https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-recalls-moment-family-learned-target-1999-yosemite/story?id=60364987, https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/stayner-sentenced-to-death/, Tagged: The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders, Carole Sund yosemite murders, Juli Sund yosemite murders, Silvina Pelosso yosemite murders, Cary Stayner yosemite murders, Yosemite park murders, Joie Ruth Armstrong, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, Sign up now for a one-time fee for access to over 55 exclusive member articles, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders, The miraculous escape of the Brazilian and German backpackers at Salt Creek in South Australia, Robert Hansen Butcher Baker - the Alaska Serial killer who hunted his victims in the wilderness, The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders, The disturbing death of Fiona Torbet in the Scottish highlands, The unsolved Williams and Winans camping murders in Shenandoah National Park, The real Wolf Creek - The Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders, The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park, The frightening case of the Trailside Killer David Carpenter, The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, The disturbing disappearance of the Beaumont children on Glenelg Beach, The Kamloops Triangle - The British Columbia murders and disappearances, The Delphi hiking murders - Abigail Williams and Liberty German, The Peter Falconio disappearance in the Australian Outback, The unsolved murder of Scott Lilly on the Appalachian trail, The disturbing case of James Jordan - The Appalachian Trail Murderer. That evening, the group grabbed some videos from the lodge's service desk to watch in their room. "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. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, is shown in this 1998 file photo. "Joie was phenomenal," she told the Sacramento Bee. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. Investigators initially detained Steven but soon declared him a hero for escaping and rescuing Timmy. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Cary Stayner was jealous of his brothers fame and their relationship soured after that, as did his relationship with his Steven-obsessed parents. 42-year-old Carole Sund of Eureka, California had been visiting Yosemite with her 15-year-old daughter Juli and Julis 16-year-old friend, Silvina Pelosso, who had been visiting from Argentina. At the time Juli Sund's body was found, six days after the discovery of the two other victims, the authorities said only that they had been led to the body by a tip. Once the three of them got back to the field office, Stayner was ready to reveal the naked truth. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. "Everybody thought it was over with the other case," said a cashier at Cedar Lodge, the El Portal motel-restaurant where Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and family friend Silvina Pelosso from Argentina were last seen alive in February. The Sund family's worst fears were confirmed when a hiker wandered onto the site of a burned-out red 1999 Pontiac, hidden off Highway 108, in the Stanislaus Forest region on March 18. Attorneys for Cary Stayner, 39, submitted a written guilty plea to charges of murder, kidnapping and attempted sexual assault in the July 21,1999, death of Joie Armstrong. Weve updated the security on the site. Little does he realize, the true monster was him all along. The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. Rinek and Boles decided to bring Stayner in for questioning. He rented a room above the Cedar Lodge and did odd jobs around the hotel. Her head wasn't found until later. A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking.
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