[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. Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. seen in Montana, according to our information three sisters. Stayner considered doing it on three different occasions. Steven, wearing no helmet and riding with an invalid license, suffered severe head injuries. Five hundred people attended his funeral, at which 14-year-old Timmy White was a pallbearer. 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. Its late and dark when they arrive, and Timothy cant remember where he lives, so they went to the police. The Mendocino County prosecutors, acting almost entirely alone, decided not to prosecute Parnell for the sexual assaults that occurred in their jurisdiction. I guess seven years changed him, too. In 1981, Parnell was tried and convicted of kidnapping both White and Stayner in two separate trials and was sentenced to seven years in jail, even though he was released on parole after five years. Parnell approached with the car, and they left. (The other driver, Anthony Loera, actually left the scene but ultimatelyturned himself in. He barely knew his parents, and his parents scarcely knew the teenager whod returned home. One December afternoon in 1972, 7-year-old Steven had been walking home in Merced, California, when he was coaxed into a stranger's car with the promise of a ride home. Parnell, a sex offender, molested him the very first night, and began raping him thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. Within a week, Steven was calling him dad. He had problems adjusting because, with Kenneth, there were no rules; he was used to drinking and smoking. He told TheSan Jose Mercury Newsthat watching his children play was like having another childhood the childhood I didnt have., Steven was bravely going about reconstructing his life,JK Miller said. On the show, Kay stated that the couple always planned on having a family. Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. Let's Look at Gaga's Style Evolution, Shall We? Where is he now spends much his! Originally published January 20, 2007 at 12:00 am. Realizing how the young boy would suffer at the hands of his captor, Stayner decided to return Timmy to his parents. All about his family, Was Dave Hollis Sick? At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. I never recognized either one of them. Both Poorman and White testified for the prosecution at his 2004 trial. Hereturnedto school, where he was always an object of curiosity. Poorman, who had been a friend of the boyhethought was Parnell's son, Dennis,was convicted as a minorfor Timothy White's abduction and spent time in a juvenile facility. He remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison, though California hasn't executed a prisoner since 2006 and Gov. We tried to keep quiet and not upset our parents.. What a case! Parnell had also told this little boy that he wasgoing to be his new dad because his parents didn't want him anymore. [27] At the time of his death, Stayner was living in Merced and working at a pizza shop. Adjusting to post-abduction life was no easy task for Steven. Hawkins said: She was the one who stayed so strong and calm and collected through that seven-year-ordeal. In 1981, Parnell was tried in two separate trials, one for each boy. 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. Murphy, for helping kidnap Stayner, and Poorman, for helping kidnap White, were convicted of lesser charges. In 1999, Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli, and Juli's friend Silvina Pelosso stayed at Cedar Lodge, where Cary worked as a handyman. 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. We expected him to come back. My dad said he didnt need any.. Cary, his older brother, was one of three sisters he had. By the time Steven returned home, hed spent more than half his life in captivity. Dimmock explained. I guess seven years changed him, too. Kay also talked about the effect Stevens return had on the family, He came back different, very different. Why Trust Us? "It was outrageous. Kay and Delbert Stayner married in 1960 and had five children together. I know where Stevies at now., Read Next: Bonny Lee Bakleys death The accusations behind her unsolved murder, Is Bob Barker still alive? "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. On March 1, 1980, after two weeks, Steven had had enough. She reported him topolice and he got the maximum sentence due to California's three-strikes law. I think my last name isStayner.". Steven later admitted to sabotaging the efforts. His health struggles detailed, Martina McClures story: Her injury and recovery, How did Simon Dunn die? [6], Acting on instructions from Parnell, Murphy passed out gospel tracts to boys walking home from school that day[6][7] and, after spotting Stayner, claimed to be a church representative seeking donations. [24] In an interview with Newsweek shortly after his escape, Stayner said, "I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old. Steven Stayners incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime dramaCaptive Audience. He was released after five. But despite an extensive search, young Steven was never to be found. Steven Stayners kidnapping prompted California lawmakers to change the state laws, allowing consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases., But the story doesnt end there. 195 in 2010) in Mendocino County, Calif., and hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. Both claimed they knew nothing of the sexual assaults on Stayner. [16], As Stayner entered puberty, Parnell began to look for a younger child to kidnap. '", 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. He was sentenced to seven years, but was paroled after serving five.[19][20]. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. When 14-year-oldSteven Staynerturned upat a police station, more than seven years after he was kidnapped while walking home from school, it felt like a miracle. She urged the jury not to sentence him to death, adding, If his dying [death] would bring these people back, Id say do it. Hulus Captive Audience takes a look at this case through the eyes of the family, including interviews with Stevens children, sister, and mother. The morning of March 2, 1980 Parnell was arrested. This case just breaks my heart And the whole story about his big brother, too. Over the next several years, he was enrolled in various schools around California. 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 worked with child abduction groups and talked about childrens safety. That first night, Parnell molested young Steven. Miller toldPeople: He was kind of a reckless kid after he came back home he wrecked a couple of cars and I talked to him about being careful, because he could kill himself. He died on April 1, 2010, at age 35 from pulmonary embolism. "He was spunky. Since then, Kay has preferred to keep her life private and hasnt spoken out apart from the interview on Captive Audience. She lost Delbert in April 2013. On March 1, 1980, two weeks after Timothy White was abducted, as Parnell went on duty at his night security job, Steven Stayner left the house with Timmy and hitchhiked a ride to Ukiah. It wasn't, but when Cary didn't show up for work the next day, authorities put out an APB andthe FBI arrested him at a nudist colony in Wilton, Calif. (He was wearing shorts when agents found him sitting in the camp restaurant. All rights reserved. At 14 years old, Steven was reunited with this parents, and became a national hero overnight. Before starting his freshman year in high school, however, Steven was given a new name Dennis Parnell. But the children in the family kept their feelings to themselves and didnt discuss their emotions. They dated for a year and got married in June 1985. In the early '80s, the story of Steven Stayner's childhood abduction and rescue riveted the nation. At the time, the concept of therapy was frowned upon, and his father insisted that he didnt need any counseling. Needless to say, nothing is so black and white, especially when there isn't a handy scenario to explain away any of it at all. But in 1980, the Stayners' prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. [4], One of the few positive aspects of Stayner's life with Parnell was the dog he had received as a gift from him, a Manchester Terrier that he named Queenie. Cary had been interviewedearly on in the investigationa massive undertaking involving local and federal authoritiesand ruled out as a suspect. Parnell had used Stayner to attempt to kidnap children on prior occasions, but all the kidnapping attempts were unsuccessful. [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. As he was walking home from school on December 4th 1972, he was approached by a man named Ervin Murphy claiming to be a representative of the church who was looking for donations. 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. No longer able to deal with his peers, feeling academically stunted and more prone to drinking and goofing off, Steven dropped outof school and started doing odd jobs. Despite his efforts, Parnell had another young boy. Stayner revealed later that he had intentionally sabotaged these failed kidnappings. In 1989, he tragically died in a motorcycle accident. He was a good student, a good artist, and he was very lovingIf his dying would bring these people back, I'd say do it. Third of five children, he had an older brother and three sisters. Although an almost four-year age gap separated the two brothers, with Cary being the eldest of all five siblings, they seemed incredibly close. Despite the severe trauma that he dealt with when he lived with his kidnapper, Steven made a life for himself, marrying and having children. It wasn't until Parnell was charged with attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation in 2004, that he was sentenced to 25 to life. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Awesome, cant wait to read! They were last seen alive Feb. 15 eating dinner at the hotel restaurant. During this time, he was working at Pizza Hut and later joined 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'. Steven Stayner's incredible story features in the captivating Hulu crime drama Captive Audience . [1] He had three sisters and an older brother, Cary. He named the dog, a Manchester Terrier, Queenie. The world is a crazy place, full of unknown dangers. It wasnt until 1980 that Kay and the family saw Steven again. When he couldn't figure out the location, he told White to head to the police station, with plans to return to Parnell's alone. 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". Parents Del and Kay, brother Cary and his three sisterswelcomed him back into the fold, but readjusting wasn't easyfor any of them. In an interview with Good Morning America in 1983, Steven recalled, The first year was kinda hectic. He was allowed to come and go virtually as he pleased, he could have fled, gotten help, but he didnt know how. "It's a lot to imagine that any one family could undergo,"Jessica Dimmock, director of the three-part docuseries Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, now streaming on Hulu, told E! He was third of five children of his parents and had an elder brother Cary and three sisters. Dnde ver Entfhrt: Der Fall Stayner? For two weeks Steven watched Timothy suffer. He even had a regular babysitter for awhile, a single mom namedBarbara Mathias, who ended up moving in with them for nine months. A cabin that sat several hundred feet away from his grandfathers house. "They said, 'If we can bring one child home, it will be worth it. Kay Stayner never gave up hope that her son would return home safely, and she was glad to see it become a reality. . The nurse reported him to the local police and he was once again convicted and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He fell in love. Although he never disclosed the details of his sexual abuse, kids at school were heartless. Sartell testified about the toll that the 1972 kidnapping of younger brother Steven took on the family. At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had previously been convicted for sodomizing a young boy and for armed robbery in Utah. I dont believe that it was my brother who committed such things, Sartell said as the defense presented his three sisters in an effort to spare his life. | I was the oldest and all that. For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. "The worst thing that could possibly happen, happens to them," Dimmock said. [8], Parnell molested Stayner the first night at the cabin. "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. By the time Steven was nine, Mathias and Parnell had raped him on at least nine separate occasions. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. He turned to alcohol to suppress his feelings, and eventually dropped out of school. He was not kept in captivity, and in the following years, was enrolled into a number of schools where Parnell identified himself as his father. 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. But her strength is waning now. However, prosecutors were intent on seeking the death penalty for the murders ofCarole, Juli and Silvina; he pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was convicted on all charges in August 2002. 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 was mocked at school, which caused him to drop out, and after he began drinking more often, he was kicked out of his parental house. Steven, hoping to spare another child his fate, had sabotaged so many kidnappings. The retired TV host rarely leaves his home due to illness, Everything We Know About Vanessa Hudgens Parents, Who is Charlie Kirks wife? Steven's father, Delbert Stayner, died on April 9, 2013, at his home in Winton, California. Ive never been this angry. [38] Timmy White, then a grown man, was subpoenaed to testify in Parnell's criminal trial. [9] Parnell began raping Stayner thirteen days later, on December 17, 1972. [13], For a period of eighteen months, a woman named Barbara Mathias lived with Parnell and Stayner. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Unable to avoid the collision, Steven hit the drivers side of the vehicle. [32] Screening rights were sold to a number of international television companies including the BBC, which screened the miniseries in mid-July of the following year; later still, it was released as a feature-length movie. [22] Stayner's kidnapping and its aftermath prompted California lawmakers to change state laws "to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases. Stayner dropped out of school and started a drinking habit that strained his relationship with his dad. ), "I'm very, very, very angry,"his wife Jody, then 21, told a reporter for Knight Ridder that night. He [Steven] got on with his life but he was pretty messed up,Stevens sister said in 2007. He was at times eerily nonchalant about what happened to him and even took to making jokes about it himself. 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