He had previously been held hostage by his kidnapper in Mendocino County, California, and Mariposa County, California, both 38 miles (61 kilometers) away. In the years after Steven vanished, Del spent considerable time looking for anything that would lead him to his son. Her father is abduction-victim-turned-hero Steven . But things changed when the kidnapper brought in another child to live with them when Stayner was 14. Although he was. In a motorcycle accident that occurred on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, the United States of America, Steven Gregory Stayner was killed. Stayner, 24, was pronounced dead at Merced Community Medical Center shortly after the 5:30 p.m. accident outside a meat company on Santa Fe Avenue between Merced and Atwater, a coroners spokesman said. "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". But they. Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. [13] Parnell was, by this time, 71 years old and suffering from diabetes and emphysema, as well as other ailments brought on by an earlier stroke, requiring near 24-hour-a-day nursing care in his cluttered apartment in the 2600 block of Mathews Street in Berkeley. He has been a danger to children his entire life, prosecutor Tim Wellman said in 2004. This is the story of a seven-year-old boy named Steven Stayner. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Storypremiered on Thursday (21 April) and features interviews with Stayners mother and, as he survived the terrible ordeal, his son and daughter. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. Privacy Policy. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. Our days would be-- just get on our bikes in the morning and go to the park. Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at the California Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. [8] Parnell denied in that same interview having been sexually abused himself, although Mike Echols' book I Know My First Name Is Steven states that he was indeed molested at the age of 13 by a boarder in a rooming house that his mother owned in Bakersfield. Overnight, Steven Stayner became a national hero, especially as Kenneth Parnell was arrested the very next day March 2, 1980. He was kidnapped. Stayner waited until Parnell had gone to his night shift job as a clerk at a local motel on March 1, 1980 and, carrying White on his back, hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. Both men were convicted. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven. On the show, Kay mentioned that Del would often drive around looking for freshly dug ground because he thought Steven was dead. On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was driving home from work on a California highway after work one rainy evening and got into a deadly collision with a car that turned in front of him. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! You know, hung out with him, played with him., Martin Purdy, a friend of the brothers, remembered Cary as a "nice guy.". Steven Stayner was kidnapped when Cary Stayner was 11, Rinek wrote. ABC News reports it was a "sleety, wintery day," and Stayner willingly followed Murphy into Parnell's car, as he expected the man to take him home. On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. According to the Los Angeles Times, the 14-year-old and 5-year-old boys hitchhiked their way to a police station 40 miles away and told officers what had happened. Parnell was tried for kidnapping Stayner and White, but not for sexual abuse. "Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. As Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. Steven Stayner's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Apr 18, 1965 Death Date September 16, 1989 Age of Death 24 years Cause of Death Traffic Collision The Steven Stayner died at the age of 24. Birthday: April 18, 1965. "There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. Steven Stayner Death - Obituary, Cause Of Death. They had two kids, Ashley and Steven Jr., who both appear in Captive Audience. "He was spunky. He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. Stayner told another psychiatrist, Park Dietz, who was hired by the prosecution to evaluate whether he was sane at the time he committed the Yosemite murders, that as a child he worried that the obsessive thoughts he had about holding the neighbor girl against her will somehow caused Steven to be kidnapped. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Tragically, the Stayner family would be in for another shock a decade later. Date Of Death: September 16, 1989 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Steven Stayner was born on the 18th of April, 1965. The two brothers are both famous and both knew unspeakable horror. Five months passed without another killing, and the community surrounding Yosemite was lulled into a sense of calm especially when the FBI announced that those they believed responsible for the murders were in custody. However, he only served five years of his sentence. But Cary Stayner also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Parnell began sexually abusing Stayner almost immediately. number of children. The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. The boys were still in elementary school when a man named Kenneth Parnell entered the picture. cause of death. However, none of them panned out. Steven Stayner, who as a child was kidnaped from his Merced home and held captive until he escaped seven years later, died Saturday in a motorcycle accident, a coroner's spokesman . Later, the family also mentioned that the couple would go after any new tip that came by, with their children in tow. They no longer want you.. The Big Conn | Official Trailer | Apple TV+, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M88ZzxKyrTg/hqdefault.jpg. Would I have been better off if I didnt?. He was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. Stayner, who was held captive by Parnell for seven years, died in a 1989 motorcycle crash. At the time, Stayner had been missing for more than seven years. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. Stayners captor, Kenneth Parnell, convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to lure seven-year-old Steven into their van on 4 December 1972, telling the boy: Your parents, I just spoke to them. I Know My First Name Is Steven: With Cindy Pickett, John Ashton, Corin Nemec, Luke Edwards. Cary Stayner was just 11 when his 7-year-old brother, Steven, was abducted by a pedophile. Steven Stayner's grave./Steven Stayner. [9] Weeks afterward, Stayner escaped Parnell's house with White; he later said he did not want the boy to suffer the abuse that he had endured. Stayner was terribly concerned about White's welfare and immediately began planning to get the 5-year-old away from Parnell and return him home to his parents. The prosecution successfully argued that sexual aids and pornography found in the apartment, along with Stevens' own testimony, were enough to prove that Parnell's intentions were criminal in nature. READ MORE: Tales Of Demons And Gods Chapter 377: The Audience Awaited The New Chapter! After two weeks of watching White cry for his family, the then-14-year-old Stayner decided that was enough. In February 1980, Parnell brought home a 5-year-old White, who, like Stayner, had been walking home from school. Wikipedia (7 entries) edit. "Steven was a national hero. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. I was surprised that the doc didn't talk much about the Stayner's family own history of abuse (the mitigation specialist talked about it a bit in the Cary episode) but apparently there was an uncle in the family who allegedly molested Cary and was later murdered (idk anything about it) and the Stayner family wouldn't allow Steven to get therapy after he came home to properly deal with his trauma. Sentenced to eight years, he served only five before being released, as reported by CNN. On December 4, 1972, Parnell abducted seven-year-old Merced resident Steven Stayner with the help of Edward Ervin Murphy, a co-worker at the Yosemite Lodge, where Parnell worked as a night auditor. In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Winter storms ease drought conditions in California, report shows, 19 cafes that make L.A. a world-class coffee destination, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Best coffee city in the world? Sitelinks. His parents had different expectations. Hulus Captive Audience delves into a story that is fascinating and horrifying in equal parts. Steven Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 and died on September 16, 1989. This includes a 9-year kidnapping and a serial killing pic.twitter.com/WgWQCdDk7h, may queen (@syanarchy) February 19, 2020. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. Yes, they're related because Cary is Steven's older brother; they're also related because Steven's bumpy return to the Stayner family, as well as his untimely death in 1989, could have . As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. . As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. Stayner's account of his time with Parnell formed the basis of a 1991 book by Mike Echols. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. Many researchers suspect cancer may overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death in coming years. Cary Stayner, shown in this March 2, 1980 photo, is hugged by his mother Kay Stayner outside the Stayner home in Merced County, Calif., on the day Stayner's brother Steven was reunited with his family after being kidnapped for 7 years.