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. Wellman said Parnell "was looking for one last hurrah. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. "[14], Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008[15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24. Would love your thoughts, please comment. He had previously been held hostage by his kidnapper in Mendocino County, California, and Mariposa County, California, both 38 miles (61 kilometers) away. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. "I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? Jeff Rinek, at the time an FBI agent handling Cary Stayners case, said the search for the women was the "largest ever mounted in Yosemite at any time." Stayner was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, the article said. In the time after Stevens disappearance, Del dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts. Surrounded by endless complainers? If you havent got three hours to spare, heres everything you need to know about the horrific story of Steven Stayner. Unable to avoid the collision, Steven hit the driver's side of the vehicle. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. Parnell claimed to have married a third and final time in 1968,[8] but no records were ever found to substantiate this. Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at theCalifornia Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. The men kidnapped Stayner, and he endured sexual and physical abuse for the next seven years at the hands of Parnell. Like Kay, he urged the jury at Carys trial not to sentence him to death. 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. After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. To me thats guilt plain and simple. By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast : As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. Thankfully, they were unable to follow through with the kidnapping attempt. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'". Parnell died in 2008 while incarcerated. Police first arrested convicted pedophile, Kenneth E. Parnel immediately and went to work tracking down Ervin Murphy according to Lodi News-Sentinel, who had only been involved in the kidnapping before going his own way. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/eW5ce2QtEm The prosecution successfully argued that sexual aids and pornography found in the apartment, along with Stevens' own testimony, were enough to prove that Parnell's intentions were criminal in nature. He also began manipulating the boy into believing his parents did not want him anymore, as they could not afford to financially support him. Stayner's brother, Cary, is in San. 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. He was not wearing a helmet because someone had stolen it from him two months prior (via the Los Angeles Times ). Convicted sex offender Kenneth Parnell, known for the 1972 kidnapping and seven-year-long confinement of Steven Stayner, died Monday in the state prison hospital at Vacaville . "I think Cary after high school seemed a little lost, like he didnt know where he was going," Bungart said. I never recognized either one of them.". His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. Steven eventually married and had two children. While imprisoned for this charge, his second wife filed for divorce. Where is Cary Stayner now? After several weeks, the bodies of all three women were discovered. The contrast between the two brothers is "surreal," Flynn said. To begin with the first one is on the cover of the book. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The kidnappings exacted a heavy toll on the Stayner family. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell eventually convinced Stayner that his parents relinquished their rights and that he was granted full legal custody. The top global causes of death, in order of total number of lives lost, are associated with three broad topics: cardiovascular (ischaemic heart disease, stroke), respiratory (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections) and neonatal conditions - which include birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections, and preterm birth complications. I guess seven years changed him, too. View Entire Post But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. Tragically, the Stayner family would be in for another shock a decade later. He was not wearing a helmet because someone had stolen it from him two months prior (via the Los Angeles Times). . He returns to Merced triumphant. Release Date! According to Rowlands, "He was wearing a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. Stayner once told press that he vigilantly watched his kids, and they werent even allowed out on the porch unless they were in sight of him or their mom. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. Steven Stayners parents were left with many questions when their 7-year-old son vanished into thin air in 1972. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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. 0 references. He was 35. Witnesses later recognized the alleged driver of the automobile. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. On Dec 4, 1972 at age 7, he was abducted in California by Kenneth Parnell. And they searched. Steven went on to marry Jody Edmondson in 1985 aged 20 and they welcomed two children, Ashley and Steven Jr, who Stayner was naturally very protective over. Did Delbert Stayner Molest His Daughters? Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. Biography - A Short Wiki He also conscripted Stayner into aiding him in kidnappings, but Stayner had always failed to grab the targeted child to the point Parnell stopped using Stayner as an accomplice, berating him for being an "incompetent". And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, Lori Duke, Stayners high school girlfriend, told ABC News. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled with Timothy. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." Unfortunately, Parnell eventually convinced another teenage boy, named Randall Sean Poorman, to help him kidnap 5-year-old Timothy White. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. 3. "As far as I know, hes never talked to anyone about the effect Steven might have had on his crimes. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. . Meanwhile, his captors had renamed Steven as Dennis Parnell and he was enrolled in schools as Parnells son during seven years of abduction and sexual abuse, as reported by the LA Times. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. Parnell, 76, died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville on Monday, corrections officials said Tuesday. Starcasm Staff July 2, 2021 20/20, True Crime. A family was torn apart. Age at Death: 24. 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. . Murphy had befriended serial paedophile Kenneth Parnell, and the two were in cahoots. In addition to his fraught life at home and at school, Steven, still just a teenager by this point, also had to face Parnell in court. He reunited with his family and later attended college. On GMA in March 1980, Steven shared with former host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, according to research conducted by the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and ranked in the top nine leading causes of death for people between the ages of 10 and 64, as well as . He'd bought a brand new white and blue Kawasaki EX-500 motorcycle with money from a miniseries based on his childhood kidnapping, called "I Know My First Name Is Steven." I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old, he told Newsweek in 1984. "He was kind of a quiet guy. ", The Tragedy Of Steven Stayner's 1989 Death Explained. Then he took matters into his own hands. He even went before the Ways and Means Committee of the State Assembly to push for a bill that could increase the penalty for kidnapping children. While they never gave up hope, the ordeal took a toll on the whole family. According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. American sex offender, child rapist and kidnapper (19312008), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Youth Abducted Seven Years Ago Goes Home Again", "Alleged attempt to buy child leads to arrest of kidnapper", "Sex Offender Kenneth Parnell Dies in Vacaville", "Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror and heroism", "Kenneth Parnell, kidnapper of Steven Stayner, dies at 76", "Kenneth Eugene Parnell, A Notorious Child Molester Dies In Prison", abducted man posing pastor launched-daring-escape, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Parnell&oldid=1133639900, American people convicted of child sexual abuse, American people who died in prison custody, Prisoners who died in California detention, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from May 2022, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 20:40. He had been under hospice care for some time. Stayner, 24, was pronounced dead at Merced Community Medical Center shortly after the 5:30 p.m. accident outside a meat company on Santa Fe Avenue between Merced and Atwater, a coroners spokesman said. Telling police, "I know my first name is Steven" became the most iconic moment in Stevens remarkable story later becoming the title of the book and a television movie. American crime victim who was kidnapped at age seven and held captive by sex offender Kenneth Parnell for seven years. Purdy said Cary Stayner always wore a hat. What was his cause of death? When Stayner was 14, Parnell kidnaped another boy, 5-year-old Timmy White. Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work the night before the Emmys when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. #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. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. He later moved with his mother, his two half-sisters, and a half-brother to Bakersfield, California, where his mother operated a boarding lodge. As reported by The Famous People, Parnell dated a woman named Barbara Mathias for a period of time. "Steven didn't understand the rules that he was now expected to live by. Stayner left a substantial amount of evidence in and around Armstrongs cottage, but police initially started searching for him because his vehicle had been seen near her place and they thought he would be a "natural witness to interview," Rinek said. Stayner's wife, Jodi, who The Spokesman-Review reported married Steven when she was 16, said he was her first love and the couple met in high school. This poor family! He died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville in 2008 at the age of 76. Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. Over the next four years, he worked at Pizza Hut while lecturing about personal safety at schools. "At some point, Parnell and Steven together realized that Steven was growing up and that he was no longer going to be controlled by Parnell," Lunney said. 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. ", "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. Hours after Steven Stayner reported Parnell's crimes, . He'd been convicted in 1951 for molesting a 9-year-old boy in. Fortunately, Stevens miraculous return in 1980 led to a happy reunion. There was a "pall over" Cary, because he was "the kid who had his brother kidnapped," said Bungart. I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. Delbert Stayner Age At The Time Of His Death At the time of Delbert Stayner's death, he was 79 years old. "He paid a local kid to ride with him to the little town of Ukiah, California, puts this high school kid out on the street to go find him a boy, and he finds 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school," Flynn said. The driver was later caught (per LA Times). Unfortunately, less than a decade after his incredible escape, Steven Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24, leaving behind a wife and two children. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. On March 1, 1980, Stayner waited until Parnell was at work and fled with White 40 miles back to Ukiah. The boys were still in elementary school when a man named Kenneth Parnell entered the picture. Sentenced to eight years, he served only five before being released, as reported by CNN. For seven years, as the two moved around Mendocino and Sonoma counties, Stayner was known as Dennis Parnell. When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. He had reportedly suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts but the cause of his death remains unclear. Steven Gregory Stayner was an American kidnapping victim. In 1997, Stayner got a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, seven miles from the gate of the national park. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. [16][17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. He grew up, got married and had two kids. Three weeks before Christmas 1972, the course of Steven Stayner's life would change forever. Am I wrong? Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. 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. Steven was beaten and plied with drugs and liquor while his captors constantly moved around California. However, he always enrolled the boy in school and often allowed Stayner freedoms that a kidnapper would not traditionally grant a captor. He has been a danger to children his entire life, prosecutor Tim Wellman said in 2004. He was remembered at a service at his church, the Merced Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, where his pastor and family members gathered to pay their respects. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime You have the other brother who's left at home. Stevens high-school girlfriend, who knew him as Dennis, told ABC News he told her he wasnt going to let that child go through what I had already been through, adding if he didnt take care of it now, it will just get worse. He was kidnapped when he was a child but was eventually able to escape after seven years. On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. But in 1980, the Stayners prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. 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. "He literally said, 'I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. He was not wearing a helmet, and. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. In a motorcycle accident that occurred on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, the United States of America, Steven Gregory Stayner was killed. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. According to The Famous People, the couple eventually had two children, named Ashley and Steven, Jr. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". Mr. White was 5 years old when he was kidnapped in 1980 by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse,'" Duke said. The brothers, four years apart in age, shared a room, but didnt get along, according to Rowlands. In February 1980, Parnell decided to capture a new, younger boy. Two men pulled up next to Stayner in a car one day, claiming to be ministers collecting money for their church.