A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. And in 1999, the Stayner family was back in the news but this time, for a less than positive reason. A large search turned up nothing. The trivia item below may give away important plot points. He did feel, however, that the FBI spared nothing to investigate the earlier killings. Or certainly, nothing noticed by his colleagues at the motel. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. It was badly decomposed and her throat had been cut. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. 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. . They finally caught up with him at the Laguna Del Sol nudist colony, which he frequently visited. | 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. The FBI task force investigating Yosemite issued a federal warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear in Stanislaus County drug court in June. Over the next few weeks, a task force including FBI agents and law enforcers from four surrounding counties, arrested several known sex offenders, drug users, and ex-convicts with a record of violence from within a 75-square-mile area between Modesto and Sonoma. For four weeks, police, family, and volunteers searched the area in and near Yosemite National Park by helicopter, foot, and skis. 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. 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. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows 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. They no longer want you.. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. In the end, Stayner confessed without the promise of child pornography or reward money for his parents. He has been questioned about any involvement. 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. 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. Cary looked out for Steven, according to Cary Stayner's former classmate Jack Bungart. "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. Soundtracks. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. Knives were used in the slayings and the weapon suspected in Ms. Armstrong's death was recovered.". Cedar Lodge, 9966 CA-140, El Portal, CA 95318. She was working for the Yosemite Institute for the past year and had worked on education programs through a partnership with the National Park Service. Hastings rejected new defense claims that juror misconduct prevented a fair trial. 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. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. For FBI agent Jeff Rinek, it was the climax of a 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 Cary Stayner was sentenced Thursday to die for committing three murders near Yosemite National Park in 1999. 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. Although the Merced police department launched a full-fledged investigation at the time of Stevens disappearance, they werent able to find any significant leads. Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. WebCary Stayner was convicted of the 1999 Cedar Lodge Killings near Yosemite National Park. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. 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. 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.". 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. "He was spunky. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. He grew up, got married and had two kids. William Mapother is a cousin of, The unsub bears some similarities with Cary Stayner, older brother of infamous kidnapping victim Steven Stayner (. Cary was off anybody and everybody who met him will tell I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. | Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. Then on March 25, Juli Sunds body was discovered near Lake Pedro in Tuolumme County. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. The new three-part Hulu docuseries Captive Audience explores the tragic story of the Stayner family specifically the fraught lives of their two sons, Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner. Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, Randy Roth From 'A Rose For Her Grave' Is Still In Prison, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. He abandoned the group's rental car with the bodies of Carole and Silvina inside, returning two days later to burn the evidence and retrieve the wallet, which he dumped in Modesto to confuse authorities. ", FBI sources claimed that he had already confessed his guilt during the Saturday evening interrogation. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. 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. The Cedar Lodge hired him as a handyman in 1997 and gave him the use of a small apartment on the top floor. After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. However, there were warning signs during his younger years. After a couple of weeks, he upped the sum to $300,000. | On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. 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. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. Cary was the ideal son, Kay Stayner revealed to the jury during her elder sons trial for murder. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "(A witness claimed that) Stayner was angry about authorities seizing his backpack after he was questioned earlier that day. 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. He denied any role in the Yosemite slayings. It was the last time the women were seen alive. He wanted the world to take note.. The brothers, four years apart in age, shared a room, but didnt get along, Steven didn't understand the rules that he was now expected to live by. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. Items included in the Television News search service. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. He also struggled in high school where he was bullied for the abuse he had endured. Something was clearly very, very wrong. It then came out that Steven had been kidnapped by Parnell, who had been sexually abusing Steven while also posing as his father and forcing him to go by the name Dennis Parnell. Im so proud of the way Carole and Juli lived, and Im so ashamed of Stayner.. 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. 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. ", The FBI was reluctant to finger Stayner because, they, and many others, did not believe that Stayner acted by himself, given the brazen killing of the three women in the Cedar Lodge Motel and the disposal of the bodies. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". Latent fingerprints were also been lifted from the interior of Joie Armstrong's truck, which Stayner admits to touching during his encounter with her. In a jailhouse interview with a television reporter, he said he did not rape any of the women. 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. Still, the Bureau intensified its search, recruiting the use of more high-tech equipment and air support. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. Robyn Lively is a step sister of Blake Lively. It was not animated or digitally created; a stunt driver put the truck into a full controlled jackknife in front of the camera. 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 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. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. 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. He loved his brother. The other Sund children believed their mother and sister Juli would be returned. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. Rachel Lou Campbell, 36, of Modesto, was charged in April with stealing checks and credit cards, and converting them into cash and merchandise worth $365,000. 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. He is currently in his 60s and still on death row while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. 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 never did tell anybody about it, but I remember wishing on a star that my little brother would come back home. 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. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. Cory gets emotional as she describes how he fell through the cracks of familial or institutional care. The hire car company confirmed that Carole had never returned the rented Pontiac, nor told them that they were extending their agreement. I guess I was jealous. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story. There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. 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 He also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. Decades later, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of the serial slayings of four females. 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. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal. Cary Stayner went from being the brother of child abductee Steven Stayer to a full-blown serial killer. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. Cary was 11 years old at the time, and deeply upset about his brother's disappearance. Out of respect for his family and the victim's family, we don't want to say anymore." 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. Initially, the police didn't have any solid leads as to who killed them. 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. Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Steven Stayner was just seven-years-old when he was abducted a few blocks from his home in Merced, By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. Crazy Credits But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? 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 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. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? Against the odds, he flourished there. Vacuum sweepings were taken from inside Joies house, where Stayner claims to have bound her with duct tape, yielded hair evidence. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. ", Stayner's apartment was searched later in the day and the authorities discovered evidence that linked him to Armstrong's murder. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". So while Parnell was at work, Steven ran away with Timothy, and the two hitchhiked to a police station in Ukiah, California. Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. How frightened the girls must have been when he cut their clothes off.. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. Quotes It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. The FBI pushed for Strange's arrest, but he denied any part in the triple murders. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. 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. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. 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. Then Carole's wallet turned up in Modesto, which included money and credit cards. The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. In 1972, Stayners All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. 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. Very seldom did he get into trouble. Michael "Mick" Larwick, 42, of Modesto, part of a vagabond group of methamphetamine drug users and friends centered in the Modesto area. During an off-camera jailhouse interview in Sacramento following his arrest, Cary admitted to Armstrong's murder as well as the murders of Carole Sund, 42, her I never recognized either one of them.". She was seen that day at the Institute offices and was planning to visit a friend in Sausalito, California, that day but never made it. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. He remains on He was a good student, a Steven was a national hero. 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. 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. 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 I was the oldest and all that. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. 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. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. According to court documents filed Monday, Cary Stayner told the FBI he assaulted Silvina Pelosso and Juli Sund before killing them. Connections Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. 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. He then carried Juli to a vista point near Lake Don Pedro, pledged his love, and then cut her throat as the sun rose. Unsurprisingly, it didnt take long for the story to become national news, and the teenage Steven was at the center of it all. Alternate Versions When Cary Stayner was questioned by FBI agents, he immediately confessed to the four Yosemite Park murders and provided a detailed accounting of his crimes.
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