Kay was elated to have her son back. And we had a rough time getting used to having him home.. In high school, Cary was known for being creative, but he couldn't escape Steven's story. He then violently murdered all three, according to History.com. Nobody can hurt him now. Parnell was convicted first of kidnapping Timmy in June 1981, Steven tellingThe Evening Newshe was "glad" about the verdict and hadn't been worrying too much about the next trial, at which he'd be called to testify. [25] He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just before his death. Hewassentenced to three months in jailfor felony hit-and-run. [41][42] Nearly five months later, on August 28, 2010, a statue of Stayner and White was dedicated in Applegate Park in Merced. 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. On the show, Kay stated that the couple always planned on having a family. When she took the witness stand Thursday and was asked if she knew Yosemite killer Cary Stayner, his sister began to cry. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped at the age of 7, became a national hero after helping another child escape from abuse. But the family has since dealt with several tragedies along the way, including Steven's death and his older brother's incarceration for murder. Cary Stayner, Steven's older brother, was behind the Yosemite murders that rocked the small farming town of Merced, California in 1999. Parnell continued to abuse Steven for years, telling the boy that his parents weren't looking for him. What happened to Steven Stayner family? "I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. The docuseries focused heavily on the miniseries and featured appearances by both Corin Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews. He named the dog, a Manchester Terrier, Queenie. "[23], After returning to his family, Stayner had trouble adjusting to a more structured household as he had been allowed to smoke, drink and do as he pleased when he lived with Parnell. ", He added, "Everything has changed. The teen, by then 5-foot-10 and barely resembling the little boy who disappeared, haddecided he had to escape inorder to save his abductor's latest victim, 5-year-old Timothy White, who was taken not far from his elementary school inUkiah, Calif.about 200 miles away from Mercedon Feb. 14, 1980. She later insisted she hadno idea that"Dennis"wasn't Parnell's real son, that he even had a birth certificate for the boy. TheOakland Tribune reported that the two men,who hadn't seen each other since Parnell's 1981 trial, hugged and Poorman whispered an apology, to which White replied, "It's OKI've got a good wife.". "We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.". Both Poorman and White testified for the prosecution at his 2004 trial. Now I had to compete with a brother and three sisters., Steven had to learn the rules, he was used to coming and going as he pleased, drinking and smoking, and suddenly that wasnt allowed. In 2002, Kay testified during the penalty phase of her son Carys trial for a triple murder. Then all of a sudden it's gone. All rights reserved. They dated for a year and got married in June 1985. Stayner began to drink frequently, and was eventually kicked out of the family home. Around the time Steven disappeared, they lived in an area with lots of children. Shockingly, Parnell allowed Steven to go to school. And with the family's input,and based on source material fromMike Echolls' book of the same name, NBC's two-partI Know My First Name Is Stevenstill made quite the splashwhen it premiered on May 22, 1989. During this time, Parnell kidnapped another child, Timothy White, while he was on his way home from school, according to The Modesto Bee. He also convinced the little boy that his parents could not afford raising so many children and as such did not want him anymore. News. I don't know sometimes if I should have come home. Stayner, 41, faces the death penalty for the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter, Juli, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16, while they were staying at the motel where he worked as a handyman outside Yosemite National Park in February 1999. [8], Parnell molested Stayner the first night at the cabin. He was at times eerily nonchalant about what happened to him and even took to making jokes about it himself. She said back then, This is really so phenomenal, for a child to be gone seven years and to be found alive. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. Cary was convicted with four counts of first-degree murder. Timmy White, the boy saved by Steven, learned of his death through his grandfather. [3], On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, Stayner was approached on his way home from school by a man named Ervin Edward Murphy, who had become acquainted with convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell as they both worked at a resort in Yosemite National Park. Theres so much hate right now.. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. As long as I can see them and hear their voices, I'm OK.", I Know My First Name Is Stevenwas nominated fora Golden Globe and four Emmys, including Outstanding Miniseries and Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for then 17-year-oldCorin Nemec,thanks to his heart-wrenching turn asSteven. Steven Stayner got married to Jody Edmondson in 1985. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. He was sentenced to seven years, but was paroled after serving five.[19][20]. Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. Hewasn't wearing a helmet and he was pronounced dead of a skull fracture at a nearby hospital. My dad said he didn't need any. He now belonged to Parnell. What a case! | Timothy James White (November 1, 1974 - April 1, 2010) was an American man who was abducted in 1980 by pedophile Kenneth Parnell, and held a few weeks before he was rescued by fellow child captive, 14-year-old Steven Stayner, who escaped and guided the 5-year-old to safety. And there was just nothing there. Little did they know, Steven was being held at a cabin in nearby Catheys Valley. He had three sisters and one older brother, Cary Stayner, who in 2002 was convicted of . in journalism and creative writing. Both claimed they knew nothing of the sexual assaults on Stayner. At his funeral on September 20, a 14-year-old Timmy White was one of the pallbearers. The morning of March 2, 1980 Parnell was arrested. For the abduction, he enlisted the help of nave and simple-minded Ervin Edward Murphy by pretending to be an aspiring minister who needed a young boy to "raise him in a religious-type deal". In the early '80s, the story of Steven Stayner's childhood abduction and rescue riveted the nation. He was 79 years old. (The other driver, Anthony Loera, actually left the scene but ultimatelyturned himself in. Five hundred people attended his funeral, at which 14-year-old Timmy White was a pallbearer. I know my first name is Steven, I'm pretty sure my last is Stainer [sic], and if I have a middle name, I don't know it. Steven died nine years after he returned home. Third of five children, he had an older brother and three sisters. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Insisting to police that he "wasn't mistreated the boy clearly has conflicting thoughts about his captor," the article notes. The driver of the car fled the scene (and later surrendered himself in Tijuana, and was returned to California to be arraigned on felony hit-and-run manslaughter charges). But why doesn't my dad hug me anymore? Thirteen days in, Steven was being raped. In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. FBI agent Jeff Rinek, one of the agents who arrested Cary and then spent 90 minutes in the car withhim driving to bureau headquarters in Sacramento, remembered to the San Francisco Chroniclein 2002 howthe suspect willingly talked about what happened to his brother. Steven Stayners miraculous story of escape from his kidnapper in 1980 garnered national headlines at the time. Parnell allowed Stayner to begin drinking at a young age and to come and go virtually as he pleased. Sister Cynthia Sartelltestified that their dad was "on a mission" after Steven disappeared, and looking for their brother consumed his time and energy, to the detriment of his other kids. [11], Parnell began calling the boy Dennis Gregory Parnell,[12] retaining Stayner's real middle name and his real birth date when enrolling him in various schools over the next several years. [] Everything has changed. He also refused to disclose all the details of sexual abuse he endured from Parnell. As for Kenneth Parnell, five years in prison wasnt enough to reform him. After performing a background check, they discovered this wasnt his first offense he had been convicted in 1951 for sodomy. Before watching 20/20's "Evil in Eden," get the backstory on these notorious brothers. [43] Residents of Ukiah, White's hometown, carved a statue showing a teenage Stayner with young White in hand while escaping their captivity. Returning home, Steven Stayner felt that his parents were still treating him as their seven-year-old child, and had trouble adjusting as he no more had the freedom to smoke, drink, or do whatever he wanted. [39] Parnell died of natural causes on January 21, 2008, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, while serving a sentence of 25 years to life. I guess I was jealous. . "They said, 'If we can bring one child home, it will be worth it. Sadness engulfed the community as people mourned a life blighted with tragedy. Stayner had a relaxed upbringing as his captor not only allowed him to roam freely wherever he wished to go, but also allowed him to start drinking at a very early age. Count everyone affiliated with the movie, including Nemec and Todd Eric Andrews, who played Cary at 18, as being floored by what happened. "It was my do-or-die chanceand I also would be coming home for doing something positive.". Parnell then drove a confused Stayner to his cabin in nearby Catheys Valley instead. 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. [13], For a period of eighteen months, a woman named Barbara Mathias lived with Parnell and Stayner. Aged seven, Stayner, a California native, was abducted by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. This case just breaks my heart And the whole story about his big brother, too. I was the oldest and all that. Dnde ver Entfhrt: Der Fall Stayner? The title of the TV series and the book on Steven Stayner, 'I Know My First Name is Steven', was inspired by a line in his official police statement given after being rescued. Jody emotionally described how she and Stayner planned to visit their favorite restaurant after he got home. 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