Decades later, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of the serial slayings of four females. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. He was charged with attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation in 2004, that he was sentenced to 25 years to life. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Although the Merced police department launched a full-fledged investigation at the time of Stevens disappearance, they werent able to find any significant leads. Steven told the police what happened to him and Timothy and he was also able to tell them his real name was Steven, not Dennis. Because he was the handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal where the Sund & Pelosso group had stayed before they were murdered, his questioning at that time seems to have been more routine than anything. Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. It was badly decomposed and her throat had been cut. where Stayner was employed as a handyman. ", FBI sources claimed that he had already confessed his guilt during the Saturday evening interrogation. "Her mother, sisters, and a family friend had been missing for a month by the time Gina Sund read her poem in front of a thousand or so people who gathered in Modesto," writes Time. The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. It was not animated or digitally created; a stunt driver put the truck into a full controlled jackknife in front of the camera. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. 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. 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. FBI Accused Of Botching Yosemite Case / Agency | 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. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows ", Steven Stayner with his kidnapper Kenneth Parnell. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. 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. The 1999 murders of four women near Yosemite National Park were already a big story before Cary Stayner confessed in an FBI interview. 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. After a couple of weeks, he upped the sum to $300,000. The car was hidden off a spur road where locals dump old refrigerators, cars, and washing machines. For four weeks, police, family, and volunteers searched the area in and near Yosemite National Park by helicopter, foot, and skis. The police reckoned that the killer of the three women was someone familiar with the county given the location of the Pontiac. It was the last time the women were seen alive. 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.". 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. Then there was another murder. And in 1999, the Stayner family was back in the news but this time, for a less than positive reason. On the way to his police interview he confessed to a detective in the car to murdering Joie Armstrong, describing the brutal killing "as if he was reading a soup label," said John Boles, another FBI agent on the case. | How intended victim of 1999 Yosemite killer views the tragedy He demanded that his parents be given the reward money, that he be incarcerated at a prison near his parents home, and, to Stayners detriment, that he be given a large cache of child pornography. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Convicted in 1978 for rape and robbery, he was jailed on March 14 for failing to register as a sex offender. During the session, an unexpected event occurred. Real Crime 1.23M subscribers Join Subscribe 6.7K 562K views 1 year ago Also known as the Yosemite Park Killer, Cary Stayner murdered four women in 1999 On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled the house with Timothy. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. 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. The case of a lifetime / For Cary Stayner, there was something I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk, reporter Ted Rowlands said. At the time of the murders, Cary was working as a mechanic at the Cedar Lodge, which is where he met his first three victims Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund, and her friend Silvina Pelosso. In December 1972, a 7-year-old Steven was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell, a man who worked at the Yosemite Lodge at the national park near Stevens hometown of Merced, California. Robyn Lively is a step sister of Blake Lively. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Out of respect for his family and the victim's family, we don't want to say anymore." But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. 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. 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. Many local residents were convinced that no one person could have created so much horror, "'The logistics of it say it had to involve more than one person, said Letty Carolyn Barry, owner of the Yosemite Rosebud Lodge, west of Cedar Lodge. They had been hosting Silvina, who was a foreign exchange student from Argentina and a friend of Juli's, She was spending three months with the family. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. 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. Billy Joe Strange, 39, an El Portal parolee who worked at the Cedar Lodge lounge and restaurant, where the murdered women were last seen. They no longer want you.. In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. Latent fingerprints were also been lifted from the interior of Joie Armstrong's truck, which Stayner admits to touching during his encounter with her. 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. "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. But, to no avail. They were looking for the missing red 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix as well as the women. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Steven & Cary Stayner: Hero vs Killer Brother - YouTube That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. 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. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. Vacuum sweepings were taken from inside Joies house, where Stayner claims to have bound her with duct tape, yielded hair evidence. Cary Stayner confesses to killing four innocent women in 1999: Part 9 Two FBI agents were eating pizza with Stayner when he suddenly admitted he murdered Joie On Dec. 4, 1972, Steven, 7, was walking alone to his familys home in Merced, California, when he was coaxed into the car of convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell, who was posing as a minister. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. 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. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. WebCary Stayner, the handyman at their hotel, confessed after being arrested for beheading another victim, female nature guide Joie Armstrong. He received the death penalty for killing four women, three of whom had been staying at the Cedar Lodge, where Stayner was employed as a handyman. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. However, given Californias statewide moratorium on capital punishment, it doesnt appear that hell be executed anytime soon the states last execution was held in 2006. Stayner "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 hire car company confirmed that Carole had never returned the rented Pontiac, nor told them that they were extending their agreement. Cary Stayner On December 4, 1972, at the age of seven, Steven was approached after school by Edward Ervin Murphy, who claimed he was collecting money for the church. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. Eugene "Rufus" Dykes, 32, also of Modesto and Larwick's half-brother was arrested in March. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. Management found him a hard worker and honest. He remains on In 2002, Cary Stayner was convicted of first-degree murder on four counts and sentenced to death. WebCary Stayner was convicted of the 1999 Cedar Lodge Killings near Yosemite National Park. 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. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Cary didnt emerge as a suspect during the initial investigation, and the FBI actually believed they had the people responsible for the killings in custody. But it took less than six months for another murder in the area to show them that the killer was still at large this time, the victim was 26-year-old naturalist Joie Armstrong. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. From the Archives: Friends surprised by Cary Stayner's arrest 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.. 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. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. 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 Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. He said, I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. Michael "Mick" Larwick, 42, of Modesto, part of a vagabond group of methamphetamine drug users and friends centered in the Modesto area. Some who knew Cary were shocked at his arrest. He has been questioned about any involvement. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. The issue of whether his confession was coerced seemed to be resolved when on July 24, the court heard the recorded demands that Stayner made to the FBI agents that he wanted to be satisfied before he would give them his confession. Among other things, the FBI Laboratory has found hairs in vacuum sweepings taken from Room 509 and possibly body fluid stains on a blanket (and) a latent palm print from the window sill. The Bureau relocated its headquarters from Yosemite to Modesto at this point and, on February 28, twelve days after the women's disappearance, hinted that was is no longer treating the Sund incident as a missing persons case, but as murder. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? | Heavy.com The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. Cary Stayner, also known as The Yosemite Killer, was convicted nearly 20 years ago in the murders of four people in 1999 while he was working as a hotel 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. During the first crash, the truck jackknifed before hitting the car. 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. "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. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. 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.
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