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 She had probably been murdered on the evening of Wednesday, July 21. Captive Audience Revisits Steven And Cary Stayner's Stories After graduation from Merced (California) High School, Stayner worked as a window installer at a glass company. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. IMDb Steven was a national hero. However, there were warning signs during his younger years. At the time of the murders, Cary was working as a mechanic at the Cedar Lodge, which is where he met his first three victims Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund, and her friend Silvina Pelosso. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. | Stayner In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. Cary Stayner was sentenced Thursday to die for committing three murders near Yosemite National Park in 1999. 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. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. The case of a lifetime / For Cary Stayner, there was something Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. 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. But, as the Hulu doc frames it, the media attention that Steven got after escaping his abductor and also saving Timothy White had a dark side both for Steven and for the rest of his family. Where Is Cary Stayner from Hulu's Captive Audience Now? He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. Stayner, 38, has been charged with murder in the July 21 death of naturalist Joie Armstrong. 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 told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. I guess I was jealous. 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. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. He is currently in his 60s and still on death row while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. You have the other brother who's left at home. 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. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". 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. 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. ", Steven Stayner with his kidnapper Kenneth Parnell. The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. ", FBI sources claimed that he had already confessed his guilt during the Saturday evening interrogation. 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. Darrell Gray Stephens, 55, Strange's roommate. A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. 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. Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. ", 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. In December 1972, a 7-year-old Steven was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell, a man who worked at the Yosemite Lodge at the national park near Stevens hometown of Merced, California. Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. It was the last time the women were seen alive. In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. 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. He denied any role in the Yosemite slayings. 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.". WebCary Stayner was convicted of the 1999 Cedar Lodge Killings near Yosemite National Park. 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. Michael "Mick" Larwick, 42, of Modesto, part of a vagabond group of methamphetamine drug users and friends centered in the Modesto area. 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. But, to no avail. He said, I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. It was dark when they arrived and Timmy could remember where he lived so they went to the police station. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. Local police and Yosemite Park Rangers began to search the area where the missing three were last seen. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. 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. Part of TV News Archive. Hastings rejected new defense claims that juror misconduct prevented a fair trial. He also struggled in high school where he was bullied for the abuse he had endured. 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. 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. Connections "He stated that he felt like jumping in a truck, driving it through the shop and killing the boss and killing everybody in the office, and then torching the place," friend Mark Marchese said in 1999. Management found him a hard worker and honest. There was a lot of torment: the family who endured two true "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. 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. Something was clearly very, very wrong. In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. The FBI pushed for Strange's arrest, but he denied any part in the triple murders. He was a good student, a 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. Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. He remains on 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. 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. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. Out of respect for his family and the victim's family, we don't want to say anymore." "He was spunky. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. 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. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story. There was a movie made about Steven Stayner. Against the odds, he flourished there. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. 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. Some who knew Cary were shocked at his arrest. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. 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. 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. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. I never recognized either one of them.". Cary Stayner, the serial killer convicted in the grisly murders of four women near Yosemite National Park, is born on August 13, 1961. Yosemite Park Killer: When A Victim Turns Into A Murderer The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Stayner, clad in a red jail jumpsuit, bowed his head but showed no emotion as Judge Hastings sentenced him to death three times, once for each murder, after returning to the courtroom. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. A Shade Of His Brother - TIME When Steven didnt return from school that afternoon, his parents sounded the alarm. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. They were looking for the missing red 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix as well as the women. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. Cary, as the older brother, had a very strange relationship now with his younger brother, Steven, who was getting all of this attention and who was a different person, former KNTV reporter Ted Rowlands told ABC News. 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. where Stayner was employed as a handyman. CNN.com By the end of June, the FBI had reviewed the testimonies and the evidence linked to the suspects in custody. The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. An FBI Agent Recounts a Repulsive Request by Serial Killer Cary The hire car company confirmed that Carole had never returned the rented Pontiac, nor told them that they were extending their agreement. 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. 'I try to stay strong because I know that's what you'd want your baby to be, but, Mommy, I don't want you to leave me.'". "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. Initially, the police didn't have any solid leads as to who killed them. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. 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.". Stayner 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. The FBI also seized clothing stained with blood from her body. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. 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. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. Cedar Lodge, 9966 CA-140, El Portal, CA 95318. 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. In 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and Juli's friend, Silvina Pelosso, 16, went missing while visiting Yosemite Park. 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. All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. The car was hidden off a spur road where locals dump old refrigerators, cars, and washing machines. That evening, the group grabbed some videos from the lodge's service desk to watch in their room. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. Cory gets emotional as she describes how he fell through the cracks of familial or institutional care. Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. In order to prevent Steven from escaping, Parnell was constantly moving the two of them from town to town in California. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. The initial suspicion was that they may have wandered off the main hiking paths and got lost in the park. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. Robyn Lively is a step sister of Blake Lively. 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. Crazy Credits After the fourth murder, the FBI went looking for Cary Stayner to interview him, but initially as a witness. Arrested on an unrelated drug charge, he has been questioned about the Yosemite case. In 2002, Cary Stayner was convicted of first-degree murder on four counts and sentenced to death. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. 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. Cary didnt emerge as a suspect during the initial investigation, and the FBI actually believed they had the people responsible for the killings in custody.

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