Cary was convicted in 1999 of the murders of four women and sentenced to death in 2002. In addition to believing his parents no longer wanted him, The Famous People reports Stayner was simply unsure how to get out of the situation he was in. Powered by. Within days, he's on 'Good Morning America,'" Flynn said. But tragedy struck in December 1972 when Steven disappeared while returning from school. The top global causes of death, in order of total number of lives lost, are associated with three broad topics: cardiovascular (ischaemic heart disease, stroke), respiratory (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections) and neonatal conditions - which include birth asphyxia and birth trauma, neonatal sepsis and infections, and preterm birth complications. The Merced Police Department launched an extensive investigation and search effort. . One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White." [14] Death [ edit] Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008 [15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. On December 4, 1972, seven-year-old Stayner was abducted in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. Jan. 23, 2008. In 1981, he was. Kenneth Eugene Parnell was born in Amarillo, Texas[1][2] to Cecil Frederick and Mary Olive (ne Pollard) Parnell, during the region's dust bowl era during the Great Depression. Although Stayner told the younger boy to go inside by himself and tell the officers he had been kidnapped, White refused to leave Stayner's side. Age at Death: 24. From 2010 to 2014, the number of accident-related . Delbert Stayner passed away in 2013. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. After her friends reported her missing, police found signs of a struggle at her cabin and half a mile away, they found her body. Is Mayra Rosales Still Alive? Flynn said his sexuality was "constantly under attack.". And so Steven made it home, Timmy was returned to his parents, and two families could breathe again. Parnell posed as Stayner's legal guardian and moved him around the state of California for the next eight years. Cary Stayner was convicted in the 1999 murders of 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, their 16-year-old family friend Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old Yosemite naturalist, according to History. Steven Stayner biography timelines. He reunited with his family and later attended college. Here is all you want to know, and more! According to The Press Democrat, Kay Stayner said she "never did lose [her] hope" of finding her missing son. In January 2003, Parnell was arrested again after trying to coerce his caregiver's sister, Diane Stevens, into buying him a four-year-old boy for $500. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse,'" Duke said. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was accused of sexually abusing his daughters, and Rinek wrote sexual abuse went back at least five generations in the family. 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. Stayner was walking home from school December 4, 1972, when the men lured him into their vehicle, saying they had just talked to his parents and they no longer wanted him, ABC reported. According to the psychiatrists report, Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was ordered into therapy for molesting his own daughters. The story of steven stayner and timothy white Birth and family Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. Parnell, 76, died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville on Monday night, corrections officials said Tuesday. However, he only served three years in prison for that offense. The kidnappings exacted a heavy toll on the Stayner family. 5h ago. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. Hulus Captive Audience tells the tragic story of two Stayner brothers: Steven, who was kidnapped by a pedophile as a child, and Cary, who later became a serial killer. But on Sept. 16, 1989, Stayner died in a motorcycle crash. He was kidnapped when he was a child but was eventually able to escape after seven years. Then, Del served in the US Army for four years until 1957 as a Staff Sergeant. The brother of convicted murderer Cary Stayner was kidnapped as a young child and was missing for seven years. One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. Kenneth Parnell is most notoriously known for the kidnapping of Steven Stayner, but he was an active child sex predator long before that 1972 abduction. He had been under hospice care for some time. When he returned, he told the boy that he called his parents and they said they did not want him anymore. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. A cousin said that Stayner spied on her and his sisters and a neighbor girl, hiding under their beds and secretly videotaping them in the bathroom and bedroom. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek wrote. When Steven Stayner returned home, all he really knew about himself was his first name he wasn't even sure how his last name was spelled. Parnell went on to tell Stayner that his parents couldn't afford to keep him any more, that a judge had given Parnell legal custody of him, and that his new name was "Dennis". Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. The harrowing true account of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped by a perverted pseudo-priest and his lackey during the 1970s. The contrast between the two brothers is "surreal," Flynn said. The cause of his death is still unknown at this time. After White had been with Stayner and his captors for 16 days, Stayner realized he needed to save White from the same abuse he had endured (via the Los Angeles Times). While working at the Yosemite Lodge, Kenneth Parnell befriended his coworker Ervin Murphy. Accident or not, someone lost their life. Stayner was lured into the vehicle and abducted. After several weeks, the bodies of all three women were discovered. The officers soon realized that both of the boys had actually been kidnapped, and the one identifying himself as Dennis Parnell was actually Steven Stayner. He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. The incident was declared a hit-and-run after the car sped away, leaving Stayner on the highway with severe injuries (via The Spokesman-Review). In February 1999, Carole Sund, 42, was on vacation with her daughter Juli, 15, and Silvina Pelosso, a 16-year-old Argentinian exchange student. Maybe if he hadnt fled the scene then Steven could have gotten help sooner and might still be alive. He loved his brother. Stayner and White were not Parnell's only victims. "Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, 'Your parents, I just spoke to them. Los Angeles, Calmes: Heres what we should do about Marjorie Taylor Greene, David Lindley, guitarist best known for work with Jackson Browne, dies at 78, ICE detainees allege retaliation for speaking about medical conditions at Otay Mesa center, Downtown L.A stabbing sends six to hospital; suspect arrested, San Diego Roman Catholic diocese facing yet another lawsuit from its insurance company, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls. Unfortunately, Parnell eventually convinced another teenage boy, named Randall Sean Poorman, to help him kidnap 5-year-old Timothy White. Tragically, Stayner was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in September 1989 while returning from a Pizza Hut shift. Stayner and Parnell moved often, finally settling nearUkiah, California, where Steven Stayner became Dennis Parnell, according to The New York Times. Stayner was stolen on December 4, 1972, in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. He was quoted after his "rescue" saying he blames himself and doesn't understand why his dad doesn't hug him anymore. However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. "I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.". The boys alerted the police and were finally united with their families. As Steven Stayner got older, Kenneth Parnell began planning to kidnap another, younger, boy. But they weren't religious leaders Kenneth E. Parnellwas a convicted pedophile. Stayner had been at Cedar Lodge for two years when Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and her friend Silvina Pelosso came to stay one night in February 1999. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. Stayner went on to marry his wife, Jodi Stayner, and have two children. He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. For more information, please see our When he was 24, he died in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. [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. In February 1980, Parnell kidnapped his next victim, five-year-old Timothy White. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Cary Staynar tried to protect his younger brother and looked out for him, according to ABC News. But Steven's return was only the start of the family heartache. However, his sexual abuse of the boy never stopped. Stayner died in 1989 in a motorcycle accident while driving home from work. Instead, he tried to make the best of it. I heard stories about him going out and wishing on a star, that his brother would come home.. Steven was never able to open up about the sexual abuse he suffered and get help. He also quarreled with his parents at home and drank consistently. 0 references. However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. The driver was later caught (per LA Times). Steven Gregory Stayner Sr (18 Apr 1965 - 16 Sep 1989) 0 references . However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, Lori Duke, Stayners high school girlfriend, told ABC News. A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. "Cary was very upset," childhood friend Mike Marchese told ABC News in a 1999 interview. Shulze, of Oak Park, California, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the 2020 and 2021 cross country seasons, as well as 2021 for track. As Steven got older and entered puberty, Parnell's sexual interest in Stayner waned and Parnell sought a new boy to "build his family". However, he was found guilty on all counts and sentenced to death. Then he took matters into his own hands. He was convicted of kidnapping 7-year-old Steven Stayner as the boy walked . Kidnapping On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, on his way home from school, Stayner was approached by a man named Ervin Edward Murphy, who had met convicted child rapist Kenneth Parnell while working at a resort in Yosemite National Park. He had previously been held hostage by his kidnapper in Mendocino County, California, and Mariposa County, California, both 38 miles (61 kilometers) away. On Sept. 16, 1989, Steven, then 24, was killed in a motorcycle accident while on his way home from work. Surrounded by endless complainers? 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. In a 2000 interview about his 1951 crime, Parnell said he kidnapped and molested the boy because his wife was pregnant and that he "had to find another outlet. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. He retired in 1995 from working at a canning factory in Atwater, California. SPONSORED LINKS Reviews TV Preview Lists Movie Explainers TV Explainers Anime 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. Delbert Stayner Age At The Time Of His Death At the time of Delbert Stayner's death, he was 79 years old. Stayner eventually began drinking more heavily, dropped out of high school, and left his parents' home. However, he only served five years of his sentence. It was Dec. 4, 1972. He got on with his life, his sister Cory Stayner told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This is the story of a seven-year-old boy named Steven Stayner. At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had . "At some point, Parnell and Steven together realized that Steven was growing up and that he was no longer going to be controlled by Parnell," Lunney said. He had reportedly suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts but the cause of his death remains unclear. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. "I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk. His life with Parnell lacked discipline he'd even been allowed to drink and smoke. I never recognized either one of them.". Parnell died in 2008 whilst in prison, of natural causes. Parnell married 15-year old Patsy Jo Dorton in 1949,[7] had a daughter in 1951, and divorced in 1957. Barbara Mathias, Parnell's girlfriend who lived with him and Stayner for some time, was never charged with any violation and cooperated with authorities in Parnell's trials. He has been a danger to children his entire life, prosecutor Tim Wellman said in 2004. Stayner's wife, Jodi, who The Spokesman-Review reported married Steven when she was 16, said he was her first love and the couple met in high school. During the penalty phase, Del admitted to having neglected his children after Steven went missing and said regarding Cary, I didnt socialize with him. Leave a Comment / Death-Obituary / By Elon. Hang out with friends or skateboard," Purdy told ABC News. After that time he was in and out of juvenile custody for car theft and arson.[4][5]. Years later in interviews, Stayner admitted to intentionally sabotaging the kidnappings. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. But Stayner had issues with readjusting to family life, with a tumultuous teenagehood. He was kidnapped. [14] He paid $100 for a birth certificate and had $400 on his person for the completion of the transaction when he was to receive the child on January 3, 2003. Steven Stayner was the middle child of five siblings living with their parents in Merced, CA. Losing perspective? Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work the night before the Emmys when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. [3] Parnell was raised mostly without his father, who abandoned the family when Parnell was six. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. However, Crime Investigation reports Stayner sabotaged Parnell's efforts, as he did not want another boy to suffer through the abuse he had endured. In addition to participating in the abuse of Stayner, she attempted to help Parnell kidnap a boy who was a member of the Santa Rosa Boys' Club. Parnell, a former motel clerk, had already been convicted for molesting an 8-year-old boy in Bakersfield, California in 1952 when he kidnapped Stayner, SF Gate reported in 2008. On March 1, 1980, Stayner waited until Parnell was at work and fled with White 40 miles back to Ukiah. At the time, Stayner had been missing for more than seven years. Stayner once told press that he vigilantly watched his kids, and they werent even allowed out on the porch unless they were in sight of him or their mom. The two brothers are both famous and both knew unspeakable horror. He was convicted of kidnapping 7-year-old Steven Stayner in 1972 and keeping him . Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. In 1972, at the age of 7, Stayner was kidnaped while walking home from school. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" Rowlands said. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. Hours after Steven Stayner reported Parnell's crimes, . He was abducted as a child and later died young. . According to the Los Angeles Times, by 1989 Staynerwas married with two small children and was working at Pizza Hut. Stayner had been driving his new Kawaksaki motorcycle when the driver pulled out in front of him on a rain-soaked highway. In the time after Stevens disappearance, Del dealt with depression and suicidal thoughts. He'd been convicted in 1951 for molesting a 9-year-old boy in. "Steven didn't understand the rules that he was now expected to live by. Parnell died of natural causes on January 21, 2008, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, while serving a sentence of 25 years to life. Steven Stayner Death - Obituary, Cause Of Death. What Was The Cause Of Death For Steven Stayner? He was remembered at a service at his church, the Merced Stake Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, where his pastor and family members gathered to pay their respects. Witnesses later recognized the alleged driver of the automobile. Parnell worked at a nearby lodge, and on Dec. 4, 1972, he convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to accompany him into Merced, per ABC News. According to a psychiatrist who would later evaluate Stayner for his defense team, the Stayner family tree was riven with mental illness and sexual abuse going back five generations. Cary Stayner was convicted in the 1999 murders of 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, their 16-year-old family. "Working at Cedar Lodge gave Cary access to his beloved Yosemite," Rowlands said. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. According to the Los Angeles Times, she said after his death, "But he's not hurting anymore. The second man, who was later identified as Kenneth Parnell, offered to give Murphy and Stayner a ride. Parnell remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 at the California Medical Facility, where he died of natural causes. Kenneth Eugene Parnell (September 26, 1931 January 21, 2008) was an American convicted sex offender, child rapist, and kidnapper infamously known for perpetrating the abductions of 7-year-old Steven Stayner and 5-year-old Timothy White in Merced, California. [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. READ MORE: Tales Of Demons And Gods Chapter 377: The Audience Awaited The New Chapter! Her head, which had been removed, was found several feet away in the water. Steven Stayner died due to head injuries caused by a motorcycle accident In late 1989, Steven was riding his new Kawasaki motorcycle home from his job as a pizza delivery man when a car pulled out of the driveway just ahead of him. I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. Parnell was tried for kidnapping Stayner and White, but not for sexual abuse. In 2003, he was once again arrested in connection with a kidnapping, when an elderly and sickly Parnell tried to get his caretaker to buy a 4-year-old boy for him in Berkeley, California, the Associated Press reported in 2004. Police first arrested convicted pedophile, Kenneth E. Parnel immediately and went to work tracking down Ervin Murphy according to Lodi News-Sentinel, who had only been involved in the kidnapping before going his own way. "You have one brother who's been subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances he's a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. He was 76. If Steven was my family I would not be satisfied with that joke of a sentence. He also joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ? Kenneth Parnell was ultimately convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy to steal a child. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Stayner died in 1989 of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.[12]. Its a good substitute.. He was sentenced to death in 2002 and remains on death row. Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, The Subject Of This Netflix True Crime Doc Is Now Guilty Of Murdering His Wife & Son, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal.". 2. However, he was convicted in Utah and was not known as a criminal in California. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. By age 19, Stayner had amassed $1,100 in unpaid traffic tickets, which led to his drivers license being suspended, according to the Los Angeles Times. As Parnell was working the night shift, Stayner fled the home with White in the middle of the night. Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. Many researchers suspect cancer may overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death in coming years. According to Diane Stevens' testimony, Parnell requested that the child have a "clean" rectum, indicating sexual intentions. Shortly after Steven's death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. As he never had any rules, he rebelled when his parents forbade him from drinking alcohol and smoking. Her father is abduction-victim-turned-hero Steven . By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast : in 2004. After serving in the Army, Del worked at several sawmills and then moved to be employed in the canning industry. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. But on Sept. 16, 1989, Stayner died in a motorcycle crash. In 1972, seven-year-old Steven Stayner was kidnapped by a pedophile named Kenneth Parnell in Merced, California and held captive for the next seven years. Stevens high-school girlfriend, who knew him as Dennis, told ABC News he told her he wasnt going to let that child go through what I had already been through, adding if he didnt take care of it now, it will just get worse. Find a Grave Steven Stayner, Who Escaped 7-Year Captivity, Dead In Crash September 17, 1989 MERCED, Calif. (AP) _ Steven Stayner, kidnapped at the age of 7 and forced to live as the sexually abused foster son of his abductor until he escaped seven years later, has been killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident. By this point, Cary Stayner was suffering. "He literally said, 'I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Date of Death: September 16, 1989. 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. Did Delbert Stayner Molest His Daughters? Starcasm Staff July 2, 2021 20/20, True Crime. Meanwhile, his captors had renamed Steven as Dennis Parnell and he was enrolled in schools as Parnells son during seven years of abduction and sexual abuse, as reported by the LA Times. He was charged and convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment, sentenced to seven years in prison. However, none of them panned out. In a motorcycle accident that occurred on September 16, 1989, in Merced, California, the United States of America, Steven Gregory Stayner was killed. When Parnell kidnapped 5-year-old Timothy White that year, Stayner fled on foot along with the kindergartner and then hitchhiked to safety, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight. Del was born in New Mexico in May 1933 and moved to Merced County, California, in 1951. cause of death. In 2005, Timothy landed a job as a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, according to the New York Times. Read More: Where is Kay Stayner Now? He wanted the world to take note. Director Jessica Dimmock also brought in Corin Nemec and Todd Andrews, who portrayed Stayner and his brother Cary respectively in TV mini-series I Know My First Name Is Steven, to read interview transcripts. While Steven was grappling with life after his escape, his brother was out of high school with his own troubles. I suspect this death is what caused Cary to snap, too, so theres more lives ruined because of the hit and run driver. By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Steven eventually married and had two children. Steven Stayner (Steven Gregory Stayner) was born on 18 April, 1965 in Merced, CA, is an American child kidnapping victim. . 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. On GMA in March 1980, Steven shared with former host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home. However, his brother Cary also suffered throughout the entire ordeal. Parnell was convicted on February 9, 2004, on the charges of attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation, even though no child had been targeted. The Famous People reports Parnell then took the boy to a remote cabin near Catheys Valley, California. I returned almost a grown man and yet my parents saw me at first as their 7-year-old, he told Newsweek in 1984. Steven disappeared while returning from school, Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women. His grades faltered, and he dropped out, per the Los Angeles Times. dewiki Steven Stayner; After he was brought in for questioning, he confessed 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. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. Cary Stayner is now 57 years old. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people. Like Kay, he urged the jury at Carys trial not to sentence him to death. Parnell forced Stayner to take on the name Dennis Parnell, and shuttled him from remote towns to isolated cabins all around Northern California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. "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," Rowlands said. As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. Stayner, who was held captive by Parnell for seven years, died in a 1989 motorcycle crash. [16] [17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. The Famous People reports Stayner had a difficult time adjusting to returning to his parents' home. He was arrested again in 2004 for attempting to buy a child, and died in a state prison hospital in California in 2008.). Hulus latest documentary, Captive Audience, revisits the tragic story of Steven Stayner in 1972 what happened to the young boy and where is the perpetrator now? "Parnell wanted another kid that he could sexually assault.". #truecrime #PodernFamily #perspective #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/IItIDruGTI, It Could Always Be Worse (@alwaysbeworse) March 21, 2018, Steven Stayner was only 7 years old when he was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and Ervin Murphy, according to ABC News. Stayners parents withdrew emotionally after Steven went missing, Rinek wrote. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I Know My First Name Is Steven: With Cindy Pickett, John Ashton, Corin Nemec, Luke Edwards. Cary Stayner. Then-7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school on Highway 140 when Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town. They kicked him out of their house twice. Steven Stayner captured the heart of a nation when he helped another child escape from a pedophile, after enduring years of abuse and not wanting to see the child experience the same fate.