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. 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. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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 All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. Steven Stayner was just seven-years-old when he was abducted a few blocks from his home in Merced, Cary Stayner was sentenced Thursday to die for committing three murders near Yosemite National Park in 1999. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. After a couple of weeks, he upped the sum to $300,000. 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. It was dark when they arrived and Timmy could remember where he lived so they went to the police station. ", 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. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. Billy Joe Strange, 39, an El Portal parolee who worked at the Cedar Lodge lounge and restaurant, where the murdered women were last seen. TV NEWS : Search Captions. Borrow Broadcasts : TV Archive : Her mother had been dating him and he had decided to kill them on Valentines Day. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. By the end of June, the FBI had reviewed the testimonies and the evidence linked to the suspects in custody. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. For FBI agent Jeff Rinek, it was the climax of a Unfortunately, less than a decade after his incredible escape, Steven Stayner died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24, leaving behind a wife and two children. The police reckoned that the killer of the three women was someone familiar with the county given the location of the Pontiac. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. Suspect at Yosemite Had Fantasy of Killing Women But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. 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.". 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. Connecticut Serial Killer William Devin Howell Describes The Shockin 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. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. She had probably been murdered on the evening of Wednesday, July 21. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. 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. 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. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? | Heavy.com A large search turned up nothing. Yosemite Park Killer: When A Victim Turns Into A Murderer 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. After they stopped trying to teach me the fundamentals all over again, it got better. It was then that Steven's nightmare began as Murphy brought him to Kenneth Parnell, a known pedophile. You have the other brother who's left at home. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". He wanted the world to take note.. An FBI Agent Recounts a Repulsive Request by Serial Killer Cary | "I remember going out one night after Steve disappeared and wishing on a star that my brother would come back home," Cary reportedly told Mike Echols, author of the book I Know My First Name Is Steven. Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. ", Steven Stayner with his kidnapper Kenneth Parnell. | How frightened the girls must have been when he cut their clothes off.. 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. In order to prevent Steven from escaping, Parnell was constantly moving the two of them from town to town in California. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. Cary was 11 years old at the time, and deeply upset about his brother's disappearance. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. ", Stayner's apartment was searched later in the day and the authorities discovered evidence that linked him to Armstrong's murder. He had a long criminal record and had been questioned extensively by the FBI. Four hikers visiting Yosemite National Park had been brutally murdered, and Cary Stayner had confessed to the crimes. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. Soundtracks. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. In 1972, Stayners "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. 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. 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. The revelation came in a six 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. Goofs In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. 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." Cary was the ideal son, Kay Stayner revealed to the jury during her elder sons trial for murder. The Bureau relocated its headquarters from Yosemite to Modesto at this point and, on February 28, twelve days after the women's disappearance, hinted that was is no longer treating the Sund incident as a missing persons case, but as murder. Im so proud of the way Carole and Juli lived, and Im so ashamed of Stayner.. And in 1999, the Stayner family was back in the news but this time, for a less than positive reason. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. Larwick, who grew up in Tuolumme County near where the bodies of Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso were found, was jailed on March 16 after he allegedly shot a Modesto police office. 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. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. 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. 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 Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC | Very seldom did he get into trouble. In his capacity, Stayner performed technical and housekeeping duties, everything from fixing electrical and mechanical breakdowns to delivering extra towels and bedding to guests. 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. | He grew up, got married and had two kids. They finally caught up with him at the Laguna Del Sol nudist colony, which he frequently visited. WebCary Stayner, the handyman at their hotel, confessed after being arrested for beheading another victim, female nature guide Joie Armstrong. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. He said, I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. 51K views 3 years ago 20/20 Extra: For the first time, 20 years after the Yosemite murders, Lenna speaks out exclusively on what she learned about Cary "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. "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. where Stayner was employed as a handyman. 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. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. 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. The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. Cary Stayner went from being the brother of child abductee Steven Stayer to a full-blown serial killer. 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. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. Stayner Raped 2 Teenagers, Affidavit Says Crazy Credits 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. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. 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. The brothers, four years apart in age, shared a room, but didnt get along, Steven didn't understand the rules that he was now expected to live by. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Unsurprisingly, it didnt take long for the story to become national news, and the teenage Steven was at the center of it all. In 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and Juli's friend, Silvina Pelosso, 16, went missing while visiting Yosemite Park. Or certainly, nothing noticed by his colleagues at the motel. Carole and her husband, Jens, 43, owned a realtors business in the Stockton area. Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. Against the odds, he flourished there. Alternate Versions Stayner, 38, has been charged with murder in the July 21 death of naturalist Joie Armstrong. Stayner 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 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. I guess seven years changed him, too. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. Decades later, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, made headlines when he was arrested and convicted of the serial slayings of four females. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at the age of 24. I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk, reporter Ted Rowlands said. The Cedar Lodge hired him as a handyman in 1997 and gave him the use of a small apartment on the top floor. 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. In 1997, Stayner got a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, seven miles from the gate of the national park, where he worked for 2 years before the murders.. Then all of a sudden it's gone. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal. He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. In the end, Stayner confessed without the promise of child pornography or reward money for his parents. I wouldnt think that he would think of himself as one, but he is a hero.". The FBI pushed for Strange's arrest, but he denied any part in the triple murders. 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. William Mapother is a cousin of, The unsub bears some similarities with Cary Stayner, older brother of infamous kidnapping victim Steven Stayner (. Although the Merced police department launched a full-fledged investigation at the time of Stevens disappearance, they werent able to find any significant leads. Darrell Gray Stephens, 55, Strange's roommate. He denied any role in the Yosemite slayings. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. Heroism, tragedy and cold-blooded murder: The Stayner brothers I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. He has been questioned about any involvement. Woman recalls moment family learned they were target of 1999 Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. I never did tell anybody about it, but I remember wishing on a star that my little brother would come back home. 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. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. The initial suspicion was that they may have wandered off the main hiking paths and got lost in the park. But why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? Steven was a national hero. 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 is currently in his 60s and still on death row while incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. The boys were still in elementary school when on December 4, 1972, a man named Kenneth Parnell took seven-year-old Stephen, whilst walking home from school on Highway 140. He was convicted of four brutal murders in 2002. Part of TV News Archive. Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. He usually ate lunch and dinner at the motel restaurant. When Steven didnt return from school that afternoon, his parents sounded the alarm. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. 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 On February 12, 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli 15, and Silvina Pelosso 16, left their home in Eureka, California to go on vacation in the area near Yosemite National Park in the same state in the United States. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Management found him a hard worker and honest. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. 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. Latent fingerprints were also been lifted from the interior of Joie Armstrong's truck, which Stayner admits to touching during his encounter with her. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. 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.