Hewasn't wearing a helmet and he was pronounced dead of a skull fracture at a nearby hospital. Parnell continued to abuse Steven for years, telling the boy that his parents weren't looking for him. If its the last thing I do, Ill nail him if I possibly can. A child abductee's journey back. Stayner began to drink frequently, and was eventually kicked out of the family home. When Parnells mother gifted him a dog, he gifted it to Steven. Parnell had also moved from one menial job to another, some of his work requiring travel and leaving Stayner unguarded, causing an adult Stayner to remark he could have easily used these absences as opportunities to flee, but was unaware how to summon help. I dont know sometimes if I should have come back home. '", While promoting the movie, Steven said of his own kids,"They don't go out unless I go with them or there's someone outside watching. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. I was the oldest and all that. Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. "[25], Stayner underwent brief counseling but never sought additional treatment. By 1980, when Steven was fourteen, and now a high school student, Parnells need for another boy became more prevalent. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, said Lori Duke, Stevens girlfriend, who only knew him as Dennis. Steven Stayner escaped Kenneth Parnell when he was 14 years old. All rights reserved. When the police checked into his background they found a previous sodomy conviction from 1951. He fell in love. Del is devastated too. Hulus Captive Audience takes a look at this case through the eyes of the family, including interviews with Stevens children, sister, and mother. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The memorable title came from thepolice'sfirst encounter with the teen, who was reluctant to talk, but said, "I know my first name is Steven. Here are 10 you cant miss, I-5 closed through Grapevine as last wave of winter storm hits Southern California, Dictators and criminals fear this USC instructor whos making the case for an Oscar, Photos: Mountain communities buried in snow | More on the way, Prosecutor in controversial Hannah Tubbs case suspended for misgendering defendant, Environmentalists sue to overturn San Diego County climate plan. Steven, his memory of his family fading under the strain of the trauma, took to calling Parnell "Dad" and went to class clean and neatly dressed, and otherwise showing no obvious outward traces of being held against his will. On February 14, 1980, Parnell and a teenage friend of Stayner's named Randall Sean Poorman kidnapped five-year-old Timmy White in Ukiah. Police first linked him to Armstrong's July 21 murder when his vehicle was reported to be near her cabin an hour after she was known to already be dead. We were kind of on our own, Sartell said. Both Poorman and White testified for the prosecution at his 2004 trial. ", "My son is very sick right now," he added. "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. "They said, 'If we can bring one child home, it will be worth it. In high school, Cary was known for being creative, but he couldn't escape Steven's story. "Police say that Stayner seemed fond of Parnell, who he said 'spoiled' himStayner was defensive about Parnell in his talks with police and reluctant at first to reveal his name. Initially wanted as an eyewitness, Cary was confronted by police in July of 1999, and ended up confessing to all four murders. "I brought in Timmy because I didn't like what was happening," Stevenexplained to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, a variation of what he told police and reporters for a long time afterward. In 1989, he tragically died in a motorcycle accident. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. ", Rowlandsreported that the then-37-year-old also said he had dreamed of killing women for 30 years and these four were "at the wrong place at the wrong time.''. If they're just out on the porch, the door is always open. 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. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Bob Barker still alive? His mysterious death. She said her father became obsessed with finding the youngster, who was held and sexually abused by a kidnapper for seven years. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. [40], White later became a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy. In April 2022, Hulu released a limited true-crime docuseries "Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story" following the life of Stayner and his family and how the kidnapping impacted their lives. He married 17-year-old Jody Edmondson in 1985 and together, they had two children, Ashley and Steven, Jr. In the era of Lifetime movies shotwhile a suspect is still on trial and amid the boom of star-studded series tackling true crime and corporate chicanery before the dust has settled, the nine years between Steven's homecoming and the seminal miniseries about his case feels like a century. Count everyone affiliated with the movie, including Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews, who played Cary at 18, as being floored by what happened. In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, his sister, Cory, said He got on with his life. He remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison, though California hasn't executed a prisoner since 2006 and Gov. Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. So, if youre wondering where she might be today, heres what we know. In addition to participating in the abuse of Stayner, she attempted to help Parnell kidnap a boy who was a member of the Santa Rosa Boys' Club . In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. 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. I feel bad for him,White said. [21] Stayner remembered the kindness "Uncle" Murphy had shown him in his first week of captivity while they were both under the influence of Parnell's manipulation, and he believed that Murphy was as much Parnell's victim as he and Timmy were. "We never really got along that well after he came back All of a sudden Steve was getting all these gifts, getting all this clothing, getting all this attention. "The Abductions That Changed America", Article by Tim Bragg (staff writer) printed in the, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, List of child abuse cases featuring long-term detention, "Crash ends life scarred by childhood abduction", "Kidnapper arrested, accused of trying to buy a child", "Kidnap victim reunites with 'mystery woman', "Alleged attempt to buy child leads to arrest of kidnapper", "Stayner, serial killer Cary Stayner's brother, was abducted for 7 years - Crime Library on truTV.com", "17 Years Later, a Tv Miniseries Forces Steven Stayner to Relive the Horror of His Childhood", "Mormon News for WE 01Aug99: Stayner family's woeful history", "A Hit-and-Run Crash Ends the Life of Kidnap Victim Steven Stayner", "A Kidnapping Victim Rates The Film About His Ordeal", "OAKLAND / Child predator sentenced to 25 years to life / Steven Stayner's kidnapper tried to buy 4-year-old in Berkeley", "Sex offender Kenneth Parnell dies in Vacaville", "Ukiah Daily Journal: Timothy White, boy saved by Steven Stayner, dead at 35", "Timothy White, victim of 1980 kidnapping, dies", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Steven_Stayner&oldid=1141810053, Articles with dead external links from February 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 22:53. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Im visiting all 600 L.A. spots on the National Register. She later insisted she hadno idea that"Dennis"wasn't Parnell's real son, that he even had a birth certificate for the boy. Gavin Newsom imposed a moratoriumon carrying out the death penalty while he's in office. Stayner revealed later that he had intentionally sabotaged these failed kidnappings. But by then he was too afraid of being physically harmed by Parnell to run away. We had hope, faith and kept busy. But why doesn't my dad hug me anymore? Parnell had also told this little boy that he wasgoing to be his new dad because his parents didn't want him anymore. I know my first name is Steven, he said, ditching the name Parnell had given him. He took a job at a local Pizza Hut, and on Saturday, September 16, 1989 a heavy rain fell. Murphy, for helping kidnap Stayner, and Poorman, for helping kidnap White, were convicted of lesser charges. Investigator Pat Lunney said, Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. "We were kind of on our own," she said. Dimmock explained. During the years Steven was missing, Cary's life continued, but it was never the same. News. "The worst thing that could possibly happen, happens to them," Dimmock said. "He assumed that identity because he [had to], you know, what would any of us do with that choice, and he was just a young kid. The title of the film and book are taken from the first paragraph of Steven's written police statement, given during the early hours of March 2, 1980 in Ukiah. He was described as a quiet kid, he enjoyed hanging out with his friends, going to the park, riding his skateboard, or even his bike. She urged the jury not to sentence him to death, adding, If his dying [death] would bring these people back, Id say do it. He also seemed angry at the driver who fatally crashed into him and ticked off by the light sentence given to Parnell, a free man at the time. He literally said, I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Yet inanother perversely tragic twist of fate, Whitealso died young, suffering a pulmonary embolism on April 1, 2010, when he was 35. He went back to sharing a room with his older brother Cary, and the two didnt get along. Mourners holding banner which reads VIGIL OF HOPE for Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and Julis friend Silvina Pelosso. On September 17, 1989, he succumbed to head injuries after being involved in a car accident while returning home from work in his motorcycle. Cary had been interviewedearly on in the investigationa massive undertaking involving local and federal authoritiesand ruled out as a suspect. During this time, he was working at Pizza Hut and later joined 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. And there was just nothing there. Little did they know, Steven was being held at a cabin in nearby Catheys Valley. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. Captive Audiencealsodelves into thecreative license taken during the making of the miniseries and the way in which the version of events that unfolded for an average of 35.8 million viewers over the course of two nights becamethestorythat everyone knew. The sexual abuse also went on at night, until, as Steven remembered, Parnell told him he was getting too old and came home with Timothy White, the child's blond hair already dyed a darker shade. For two weeks Steven watched Timothy suffer. Both claimed they knew nothing of the sexual assaults on Stayner. He didnt complain. Stayner was the third of five children born in Merced, California to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Altogether, Parnell was sentenced to seven years and was paroled after serving five. Kay Stayner never gave up hope that her son would return home safely, and she was glad to see it become a reality. [37], In 2004, Parnell, then 72 years old, was convicted of trying the previous year to persuade his caretaker's sister to procure for him a young boy for five hundred dollars. Cary Stayner, Steven's older brother, was behind the Yosemite murders that rocked the small farming town of Merced, California in 1999. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. Stevens parents, Kay and Delbert, were on a camping trip when they learned of the passing. 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. For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. Stayner looked forward to raising his children, Ashley and Steven Jr, with Jody. The family sent out fliers, Sartell said, and headed off on distant road trips to talk to people who might have any information about the missing child. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. (There was some impressively stiff competition that year, sothe best miniseries honorwent toWar and Remembrance, which also beat outLonesome Dove. The attempt was unsuccessful. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Parnell died in 2008 in prisonat the age of 76 while serving a25-years-to-life sentence for solicitation to commit a crime, trying to buy a human being and attempted child-stealing. Steven was transported to Merced Community Medical Center, and at 5:35pm, was declared dead. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, Steven's high school girlfriend, to ABC News. For Steven though, the adjustment was a little more difficult. Dena. Its late and dark when they arrive, and Timothy cant remember where he lives, so they went to the police. If you enjoyed this story, read about another kidnap victim who returned home safely Jayme Closs. I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven.". He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up,Stevens sister said in 2007. How does it feel to be "brought through the experience of feeling a deep sympathy for a family, for a mother, and then to have a sudden left turn?" He then violently murdered all three, according to History.com. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. [10] After Stayner told Parnell many times during that first week that he wanted to go home, Parnell told Stayner that he had been granted legal custody of the boy because his parents could not afford so many children and that they did not want him anymore. 162.211.29.130 Let's Look at Gaga's Style Evolution, Shall We? I guess seven years changed him, too. The nurse reported him to the local police and he was once again convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He died on April 1, 2010 from a pulmonary embolism. At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. Once more details emerged about his ordeal, some kids teased him about being molested. His relationship with his father remained strained. Knowing Steven wouldnt get him someone, Parnell bribed one of Stevens teenage friends, Randall Sean Poorman, to help with the promise of drugs and cash. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. Steven eventually escaped after Kenneth abducted another boy named Timmy White. In 2002, he was sentenced to death and is currently on death row at San Quentin Penitentiary in California. Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. While at school, Steven never revealed to anyone that he had been kidnapped. "I don't think he should be executed because he's sick. I don't know sometimes if I should have come home. Around the time Steven disappeared, they lived in an area with lots of children. Unable to avoid the collision, Steven hit the drivers side of the vehicle. Born on April 18, 1965, Steven Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner. Although he was sentenced to seven years, he only served five. In late 1989, Steven was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle home from his job as a pizza delivery man when a car pulled out of the driveway just ahead of him. Timothy, back home with his family, adjusted well, and things returned to normal. Parnell shifted from one place to another for work, often took Stayner with him, but later sometimes left him alone and unguarded. Before leaving for the nudist colony . Stayner and Timmy hiked to a police station 40 miles away from Kenneths cabin. He now belonged to Parnell. While they never gave up hope, the ordeal took a toll on the whole family. Five months later, he killed Joie Armstrong, a Yosemite Institute employee. Steven's father, Delbert Stayner, died on April 9, 2013, at his home in Winton, California. [] Everything has changed. 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