Convicted in 1978 for rape and robbery, he was jailed on March 14 for failing to register as a sex offender. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. Im just horrified when I think of what happened in that room, what my daughter felt when she realized she was in serious trouble, said Carole Carrington as she asked the judge to sentence Stayner to death. However, there were warning signs during his younger years. On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. Jens had scheduled to meet them at the San Francisco airport that evening on his way to Arizona, to where the others were to accompany him. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC Quotes Web6,597 views Jan 24, 2019 56 Dislike Share ABC10 172K subscribers On July 26, 1999, former ABC10 reporter Tim Daly went down to the Cedar Lodge where Cary Stayner After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. He remains on death row at San Quentin Penitentiary. 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. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. After graduation from Merced (California) High School, Stayner worked as a window installer at a glass company. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. The 1999 murders of four women near Yosemite National Park were already a big story before Cary Stayner confessed in an FBI interview. I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk, reporter Ted Rowlands said. In the end, Stayner confessed without the promise of child pornography or reward money for his parents. Cary was off anybody and everybody who met him will tell "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. 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. Steven was a national hero. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. The other Sund children believed their mother and sister Juli would be returned. But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. 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. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 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. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. Stayner He was arrested on March 5 when he allegedly reported to his parole officer with liquor on his breath. "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. 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. Because of the discovery of Sund's wallet in suburban Modesto, police, and FBI searched "the logical routes in and out of that spot, interviewing homeowners and business owners and others who may have seen them." The revelation came in a six But seven years later in February 1980, Steven miraculously reappeared. 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. 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. 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. 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. In 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and Juli's friend, Silvina Pelosso, 16, went missing while visiting Yosemite Park. Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. In 2002, Cary Stayner was convicted of first-degree murder on four counts and sentenced to death. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? The Untold Truth Of Serial Killer Cary Stayner - Grunge Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. For FBI agent Jeff Rinek, it was the climax of a IMDb Cary Stayner went from being the brother of child abductee Steven Stayer to a full-blown serial killer. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". He said, I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. Crazy Credits After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. Cary Stayner was sentenced Thursday to die for committing three murders near Yosemite National Park in 1999. 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. After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin Yosemite Park Killer: When A Victim Turns Into A Murderer The inn staff claimed that when they cleaned the room the next morning, they had detected no evidence of foul play or anything that made them suspicious. | The trio stayed at the lodge in February 1999, during which time Cary talked his way into their room, where he sexually assaulted and murdered all of them. | 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. On March 1, 1980, Steven waited until Parnell was at work and then fled the house with Timothy. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. Against the odds, he flourished there. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". 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. The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. 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 The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. Then there was another murder. 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. 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. ", Stayner's apartment was searched later in the day and the authorities discovered evidence that linked him to Armstrong's murder. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. He had given the FBI details "only the killer would know in such specificity that agents were able to recover evidence confirming his confession. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. | A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. Or certainly, nothing noticed by his colleagues at the motel. 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. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? | Heavy.com Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. The trivia item below may give away important plot points. Stayner Stevens death, along with the death of his uncle soon afterward, reportedly had a serious impact on Cary Stayners mental health and well-being. Local police and Yosemite Park Rangers began to search the area where the missing three were last seen. The suspect, Cary Stayner, 37, had been one of the people questioned after the triple killings in February, but, at that time no evidence linked him directly to the crime and he had been released. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. Cary Stayner, the serial killer convicted in the grisly murders of four women near Yosemite National Park, is born on August 13, 1961. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. Four hikers visiting Yosemite National Park had been brutally murdered, and Cary Stayner had confessed to the crimes. 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. Stayner 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. 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. "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. 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. The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. But, to no avail. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Stayner . The FBI pushed for Strange's arrest, but he denied any part in the triple murders. To the dismay of the Stayner family, the case went cold. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. Cary was 11 years old at the time, and deeply upset about his brother's disappearance. Then he took action. Cory gets emotional as she describes how he fell through the cracks of familial or institutional care. Stayner Raped 2 Teenagers, Affidavit Says Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. He denied any role in the Yosemite slayings. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC 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. I got put on the back burner, you might say," Cary told J.P. Miller, a filmmaker who wrote a screenplay about Steven's abduction. During the first crash, the truck jackknifed before hitting the car. 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. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. During the session, an unexpected event occurred. Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. Initially, the police didn't have any solid leads as to who killed them. Decades later, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of the serial slayings of four females. 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. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. 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. The American Court TV (now TruTV) television series Mugshots released an episode on the Stayner case titled "Cary Stayner The Cedar Lodge Killings". [29] In 2018, the Reelz channel aired an hour-long documentary about the murders titled Yosemite Park Killer. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. 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. What followed turned out to be one of the most shocking crimes in both National Park and American history, involving a man whose family had already been involved in a notorious crime, literally the two faces of evil. He had a long criminal record and had been questioned extensively by the FBI. 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 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. FBI Accused Of Botching Yosemite Case / Agency In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. 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. Campbell, when first arrested on mail fraud charges, had in her possession Carole Sund's checking account and automated teller machine numbers. 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 FBI also seized clothing stained with blood from her body. Unsurprisingly, it didnt take long for the story to become national news, and the teenage Steven was at the center of it all. 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. In this, he calmly reviewed how he strangled 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the motel bathtub and how he sexually assaulted Juli Sund for hours before brutally cutting her throat. 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.". Agents had interviewed Stayner, a handyman at the Cedar Lodge where the tourists had stayed, and later dismissed him as a suspect. 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 then carried Juli to a vista point near Lake Don Pedro, pledged his love, and then cut her throat as the sun rose. 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. According to court documents filed Monday, Cary Stayner told the FBI he assaulted Silvina Pelosso and Juli Sund before killing them. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. Then Carole's wallet turned up in Modesto, which included money and credit cards. It was dark when they arrived and Timmy could remember where he lived so they went to the police station. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. The car was hidden off a spur road where locals dump old refrigerators, cars, and washing machines. 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. Soundtracks. Carole and her husband, Jens, 43, owned a realtors business in the Stockton area. From the Archives: Friends surprised by Cary Stayner's arrest Alternate Versions Darrell Gray Stephens, 55, Strange's roommate. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. And he wanted the same treatment. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's Captive Audience Now? Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. He wanted the world to take note.. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. He was buried Thursday in the town of Newhall, where he had worked as a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy. He is currently in his 60s and still on death row while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. An FBI Agent Recounts a Repulsive Request by Serial Killer Cary In a jailhouse interview with a television reporter, he said he did not rape any of the women. For four weeks, police, family, and volunteers searched the area in and near Yosemite National Park by helicopter, foot, and skis. I was the oldest and all that. 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.". Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. Steven & Cary Stayner: Hero vs Killer Brother - YouTube 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. It was the last time the women were seen alive. At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. On days off he would escape to Laguna Del Sol, a nudist colony in Sacramento County. Items included in the Television News search service. Her mother had been dating him and he had decided to kill them on Valentines Day. All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Yosemite killer Cary Stayner born On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. 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. They no longer want you.. | Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Very seldom did he get into trouble. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. But, says Delbert, puberty-aged Cary endured some emotional hardships because of that incident. Something was clearly very, very wrong. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. Eugene "Rufus" Dykes, 32, also of Modesto and Larwick's half-brother was arrested in March. Ive never seen anything thats so close to black and white and evil and good as Stayner and our children, said Francis Carrington, the father of Carole Sund and grandfather of Juli. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. Cary Stayner confesses to killing four innocent women in 1999: Chief James Maddock said he himself questioned whether the Bureau could have done anything to prevent Armstrong's killing. Yosemite Victims Were Raped - CBS News Stayner, 38, has been charged with murder in the July 21 death of naturalist Joie Armstrong.