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They wanted to truthfully relate what had happened to But her strength is waning now. Kay and Delbert had already lost Steven to a motorcycle accident in 1989, so they dreaded losing their other son. While they were lovingly raised among almond groves and peach orchards by Delbert and Kay Stayner, their lives in the farming town of Merced were unfortunately in dangerous proximity of a monster. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Steven unexpectedly died in a motorcycle crash in 1989 when he was 24 years old. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. 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. Steven devoted much of his time upon returning home to telling his story, teaching parents, children and a whole nation how to protect themselves from what had happened to him. Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. But seven years later, he returned home to his family. Copyright 2023 Distractify. However, he was not charged for sexual assault as the prosecutors believed they were 'protecting' Stayner from the social stigma of male sexual abuse. Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". He also convinced the little boy that his parents could not afford raising so many children and as such did not want him anymore. 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. He also had a small, speechless role in the TV series as one of two policemen who escort his 14-year-old self to his onscreen parents. 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 1970s, they constituted Cary and Steven, their three sisters, and their parents, Kay and Delbert Stayner. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. It was a sad end to a tragic life,Allen Maxfield, CHP traffic safety officer, said. September 17, 1989. He said, Whats dying? like so much had already happened to him, what was dying compared to that?. Thankfully, Steven rebuilt his life after wedding Jody Edmondson. In addition to believing his parents no longer wanted him, The Famous People reports Stayner was simply unsure how to get out of the situation he was in. According to The Famous People, the couple eventually had two children, named Ashley and Steven, Jr. 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'. Cary was very upset, he said. The sudden death of Steven meant Jody was widowed at 20 years old and had to take care of Ashley and Steven Jr. Sadly, even though she kept her father away from her daughters while he stayed with them, they were still unsafe as Delbert reportedly carried on the cycle of parental molestation. [8] Parnell denied in that same interview having been sexually abused himself, although Mike Echols' book I Know My First Name Is Steven states that he was indeed molested at the age of 13 by a boarder in a rooming house that his mother owned in Bakersfield. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Parnell, a sex offender, molested him the very first night, and began raping him thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. 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. I feel bad for him,White said. Steven with his wife and two children in 1988. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Born on April 18, 1965, in Merced, California, Steven Gregory Stayner had an older brother named Cary and three sisters. The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. Hulu's 'Captive Audience' delves into a [] 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. ABC News reports it was a "sleety, wintery day," and Stayner willingly followed Murphy into Parnell's car, as he expected the man to take him home. Here's what Ashley and Steven Jr. Stayner, who appear in 'Captive Audience,' are up to now. On July 24, 1999, Cary confessed to killing four women, who had all been guests at the lodge where he was employed. She added, He was very proud of who he was. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. Getty Images While adjusting to his new life at home, and being bullied in school for the abuse he experienced, Steven also had to deal with. "When Steven came home, Cary was kind of put on the back shelf. It also features his wife, Jody, who talks about her life with him. At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. 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. After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. Both Kay and her husband confessed that they were not the best parents even when Steven returned feelings were still never discussed. All Rights Reserved. The driver, Antonio Loera, drove off, leaving Stayner helpless on the rain-soaked highway. Over the next few years, he had some trouble adjustingto living with his family. 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. Find a Grave Unfortunately, ABC News reports authorities were eventually forced to admit "there was just nothing there." He barely knew his parents, and his parents scarcely knew the teenager whod returned home. Bill Balestra said of Stayner, who was . Steven was kidnapped walking home from school in 1972 by Kenneth Purnell and told his parents no longer wanted him. I dont think he should be executed because hes sick. But Cary still got the death penalty. When bronze statues were completed they were installed upon a 4 high polished concrete base at the entrance to beautiful Applegate Park in Merced, CA. Stayner looked forward to raising his children, Ashley and Steven Jr, with Jody. 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. Being a mother, we assume Kay continues to miss her sons, but likes to keep it private, as made clear on her Facebook account. In 1980, the same man kidnapped another child, 5 year old Timothy White. While Jody said her husband did blame himself in some ways but ultimately seemed at peace with everything. Offers may be subject to change without notice. He worked with child abduction groups and talked about childrens safety. Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. 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. 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. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. The couple dated for a year before marrying in June 1985. Steven Stayner's parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. Ashley Stayner Husband, Is She Married? Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. 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. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". #truecrime #PodernFamily #perspective #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/IItIDruGTI, It Could Always Be Worse (@alwaysbeworse) March 21, 2018, Steven Stayner was only 7 years old when he was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and Ervin Murphy, according to ABC News. One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. Years later in interviews, Stayner admitted to intentionally sabotaging the kidnappings. He is married with children (see his son above), and he also appears to have previously served in the U.S. Army like his sister. Of course Cynthia Sartell knew him; he was her older sibling. His older brother Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1999 murders of four women in 2002. Kenneth told Steven that his parents had given him away and that his new name was Dennis. Years after Timmy White was rescued by fellow kidnapping survivor Steven Stayner, he became a sheriff's deputy. He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up,Stevens sister said in 2007. Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. 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 had joined the Mormon Church. 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]. Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. However, Stayner skillfully sabotaged Kenneths plans. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. His family was happy to have him back, but things were different. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. "He didn't complain. [2] In 2002, Cary was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of four women. Then in 1980, as Stayner matured, Parnell kidnapped a younger boy, 5-year-old Timothy "Timmy" White, Following his rescue, White went on to bravely testify at his kidnappers trial when he was just 6 years old, the, White went on to have two children with his wife, Dena. As reported by ABC News, Kenneth Parnell treated Steven Stayner like a son. [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. He had three sisters and one older brother, Cary Stayner, who in 2002 was convicted of . He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. 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. [9] Weeks afterward, Stayner escaped Parnell's house with White; he later said he did not want the boy to suffer the abuse that he had endured. 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. According to ABC News, Parnell stopped to make a call from a payphone shortly after Murphy and Steven Stayner got into his car. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Steven in order to hopefully save other children from the same tragic fate. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, . But she said it wasnt the brother she remembers. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. Parnell died in 2008 while incarcerated. 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. But the children in the family kept their feelings to themselves and didnt discuss their emotions. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. According to SFGate, his friends and coworkers described him as being impulsive and prone to seemingly abrupt and violent fits of rage. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. (Parnell's cabin was, unbeknownst to Stayner, located only several hundred feet from his maternal grandfather's residence.) Stayner had a relaxed upbringing as his captor not only allowed him to roam freely wherever he wished to go, but also allowed him to start drinking at a very early age. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. White also died an untimely death earlier this year at the age of 35. He died in his home, according to his obituary which features a photo of him in a sheriffs uniform. [3] Parnell was raised mostly without his father, who abandoned the family when Parnell was six. Throughout the first week, Stayner repeatedly told Parnell that he wanted to go home, to which, Parnell told him that he had been granted legal custody of him by his parents. Captive Audience delves into the circumstances surrounding Steven being taken and how he finally escaped, saving a 5-year-old in the process. 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. As he was walking home from school on December 4th 1972, he was approached by a man named Ervin Murphy claiming to be a representative of the church who was looking for donations. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. Theres so much hate right now.. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. 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. Jurors in August found him guilty of the murders. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. Parnell went on to tell Stayner that his parents couldn't afford to keep him any more, that a judge had given Parnell legal custody of him, and that his new name was "Dennis". He also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [3] Kidnapping [ edit] As reported by The Famous People, Parnell convinced Murphy that he was an "aspiring minister" who needed to find a young boy, who he planned to "raise in a religious-type deal.". While they never gave up hope, the ordeal took a toll on the whole family.
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