Soundtracks. For FBI agent Jeff Rinek, it was the climax of a 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. Robyn Lively is a step sister of Blake Lively. But, to no avail. On days off he would escape to Laguna Del Sol, a nudist colony in Sacramento County. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. Stayner's father, Delbert, admitted that he thinks son Cary may have suffered a trauma at age 11, when younger brother Steven, then seven, was abducted in 1972, disappearing for eight years. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. 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. Cary was off anybody and everybody who met him will tell Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. He then carried Juli to a vista point near Lake Don Pedro, pledged his love, and then cut her throat as the sun rose. Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. 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. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows ", Stayner's apartment was searched later in the day and the authorities discovered evidence that linked him to Armstrong's murder. It seemed as though he had a compulsion with trying to get close to women or be sexual with them, but he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women. Local police and Yosemite Park Rangers began to search the area where the missing three were last seen. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin where Stayner was employed as a handyman. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. FBI agent Nick Rossi said on February 26, "At this point, we have not yet uncovered evidence to allow us to determine conclusively whether this was a tragic accident or a criminal act. Two weeks later, FBI agent James Maddock, now placed in charge of the investigation, told the press, "We feel almost certain that the women were victims of a violent crime.". The boys were still in elementary school when on December 4, 1972, a man named Kenneth Parnell took seven-year-old Stephen, whilst walking home from school on Highway 140. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. Stayner, clad in a red jail jumpsuit, bowed his head but showed no emotion as Judge Hastings sentenced him to death three times, once for each murder, after returning to the courtroom. On July 23, when Cary Stayner was released from custody for his marijuana charge, he quickly packed up and left for Laguna del Sol, a nudist colony, according to But when Parnell kidnapped another young boy, this time 5-year-old Timothy White, Steven knew he couldnt let another child be subjected to the abuse and torment he had faced for years. In (the) interview, Stayner said he had fantasized about killing women for the last 30 years and described in detail how he murdered all the women, He had strangled Pelosso and Carole Sund in their rented cabin in the Cedar Lodge motel, then took Juli Sund to a lake, where he killed her early the next morning. Crazy Credits In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Timothy White, the kidnap victim, was only 35 when he died. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. Larwick, who grew up in Tuolumme County near where the bodies of Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso were found, was jailed on March 16 after he allegedly shot a Modesto police office. Cary, the motel handyman and champion underachiever who was arrested at a nudist colony, said in a jailhouse interview that voices told him to kill Carole and Juli The revelation came in a six Specifically, the media scrutiny seemed to affect his older brother Cary, who clashed with his brother after his return. The 1999 murders of four women near Yosemite National Park were already a big story before Cary Stayner confessed in an FBI interview. Or certainly, nothing noticed by his colleagues at the motel. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. 'I try to stay strong because I know that's what you'd want your baby to be, but, Mommy, I don't want you to leave me.'". For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. I guess I was jealous. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Caroles parents, Francis and Carole Carrington, appeared on the Good Morning, America TV show, to ask for the prayers of Americans and their help in locating their daughter and the children. The car was hidden off a spur road where locals dump old refrigerators, cars, and washing machines. Darrell Gray Stephens, 55, Strange's roommate. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. ", Steven Stayner with his kidnapper Kenneth Parnell. 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. "He was spunky. On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. How frightened the girls must have been when he cut their clothes off.. "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. Arrested on an unrelated drug charge, he has been questioned about the Yosemite case. In a 2003 jailhouse interview with The Chronicle, Parnell admitted that he had tried to buy the boy to experience the "love and respect" that a son has for a father. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. Decades later, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of the serial slayings of four females. 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. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Agents had interviewed Stayner, a handyman at the Cedar Lodge where the tourists had stayed, and later dismissed him as a suspect. Steven later said in an interview, I returned almost a grown man, and yet my parents saw me at first as their seven-year-old. "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. Although the Merced police department launched a full-fledged investigation at the time of Stevens disappearance, they werent able to find any significant leads. The FBI pushed for Strange's arrest, but he denied any part in the triple murders. However, when they found Cary at a nudist colony nearby and brought him in for questioning, he quickly confessed to Armstrongs murder, and soon after admitted he was also responsible for the first three killings. For four weeks, police, family, and volunteers searched the area in and near Yosemite National Park by helicopter, foot, and skis. A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". The interview was conducted off camera and reported Monday on the late news. Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. 51K views 3 years ago 20/20 Extra: For the first time, 20 years after the Yosemite murders, Lenna speaks out exclusively on what she learned about Cary All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. He grew up, got married and had two kids. The Cedar Lodge hired him as a handyman in 1997 and gave him the use of a small apartment on the top floor. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. Initially, the police didn't have any solid leads as to who killed them. Cary Stayner went from being the brother of child abductee Steven Stayer to a full-blown serial killer. He was convicted of four brutal murders in 2002. In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. Those sources say it is difficult for some investigators to believe Stayner could have gotten the jump on all three women without any help, let alone dispose of their bodies.". But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? 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, 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. Steven was a national hero. Something was clearly very, very wrong. Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. You know what I mean? The police reckoned that the killer of the three women was someone familiar with the county given the location of the Pontiac. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. The initial suspicion was that they may have wandered off the main hiking paths and got lost in the park. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Although most of the stains were likely to include Armstrong's blood, Stayner was observed to have a laceration on his hand during his interrogation, and therefore may have been cut and bled during the attack. Unsurprisingly, it didnt take long for the story to become national news, and the teenage Steven was at the center of it all. But, as the Hulu doc frames it, the media attention that Steven got after escaping his abductor and also saving Timothy White had a dark side both for Steven and for the rest of his family. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. He wanted the world to take note.. 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. But he was surprised that did not find his wife at the airport and assumed she had flown ahead, The next day, he tried to contact them again and failed and he called the police. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. In 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and Juli's friend, Silvina Pelosso, 16, went missing while visiting Yosemite Park. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. Goofs It was badly decomposed and her throat had been cut. 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. Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. I was the oldest and all that. He remains on Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? He had talked his way into the room under the guise of fixing a leak, and then sexually assaulted both girls and brutally murdered Carole Lund and Silvina Pelosso in the room. He has been questioned about any involvement. According to Special Agent Christopher Hopkins , both the FBI's Evidence Response Team and the Mariposa County Sheriff's Office collected items of potential interest from Room 509 at the Cedar Lodge Motel, the room in which Stayner sexually assaulted Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso and murdered both Carole Sund and Silvina. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. A large search turned up nothing. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him.

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