Steven Stayner was kidnapped when he was seven years old in 1972. This kidnapping is the opening chapter in a saga that will include Stayner’s valiant return to his family, an Emmy-nominated miniseries, and a serial killer. If you’re the kind who prefers to know how anything ends before beginning, consider this your primer on Captive Audience’s startling subject matter.

Who Was Steven Stayner?

Even if you are an avid true crime fan, you are unlikely to be prepared for this narrative. Steven Stayner was the third child of Delbert and Kay Stayner. Steven Stayner was accosted by a stranger on his way home from school on the afternoon of December 4, 1972. That man, Ervin Edward Murphy, had been encouraged to kidnap Stayner by Kenneth Parnell, a coworker at a Yosemite National Park lodging. Stayner was only seven years old at the time.

Murphy was considered trustworthy and even simple-minded by many who knew him. He stated that he believed Parnell’s assertion that he desired to abduct and raise the young Stayner in a more religious setting. This was a scenario that the media later reported, initially suggesting that Parnell kidnapped Stayner because he desired but lacked a child of his own. Additionally, it was a fabrication.

Parnell had already been arrested in 1951 for kidnapping and raping another little boy. He was also the biological father of three children, another flaw in the account that was reported before the full extent of Parnell’s misdeeds were revealed. Parnell sexually assaulted Stayner on the first night of the abduction. He began raping the seven-year-old youngster thirteen days later.

Parnell informed Stayner that he had legal custody of him and that his parents were no longer interested in him. These fabrications account for Stayner’s initial refusal to depart. Parnell and Stayner traveled frequently during the following several years, rarely staying long enough for Stayner to form friends. Stayner did not make his escape until he reached adolescence.

In February 1980, Parnell abducted five-year-old Timmy White with the assistance of one of Stayner’s teenage buddies. Stayner waited until Parnell left one night before taking White and hitchhiking to Ukiah, California, to deliver the child to his parents. Stayner and White were reunited with their families as a result of their valor. As emotionally taxing as this story is, it represents only a third of the saga captured by the Captive Audience.

What Happened to Kenneth Parnell?

Stayner rescued White and returned him to his birthplace on March 1, 1980. Parnell was detained on March 2 on suspicion of abducting both boys. Despite the speed with which Parnell was apprehended, his sentence was unsettlingly brief. Parnell was tried twice for kidnapping but not sexual abuse because the majority of the instances happened outside the prosecutor’s jurisdiction or the statute of limitations in Merced County. Parnell received a seven-year prison sentence. He was paroled after serving only five years.

Parnell was arrested once more in 2004. He attempted to get his carer to purchase him a four-year-old child at the age of 71. The caretaker, who was aware of Parnell’s background, collaborated with police to stage a sting operation. He was found guilty of attempting to acquire a kid and attempting to molest a youngster. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison under California’s “three strikes” rule.

Parnell remained imprisoned until 2008 when he died. According to reports, he died of natural causes.

What Is I Know My First Name Is Steven?

Surprisingly, this is the section of the story that becomes strange. Steven Stayner became a media darling after rescuing Timmy White. Though he initially struggled, he eventually made a life for himself. Stayner married Jody Edmondson, with whom he fathered two children. Additionally, he collaborated with child abduction organizations and gave interviews about his kidnapping.

Stayner agreed to a possible television adaptation of his case due to his love for activism. I Am Steven is a two-part NBC miniseries that was broadcast on May 22 and 23, 1980. The series was a big success. Captive Audience measures its rating achievement against that of the Super Bowl. Additionally, it was a critical success. I Know My First Name Is Steven was nominated for a Golden Globe and four Emmys.

Can You Watch I Know My First Name Is Steven?

No. Currently, the two-part series is not accessible for streaming.

Is Steven Stayner Alive Today?

Unfortunately, no. While returning home from work, Stayner’s motorcycle collided with an automobile, resulting in his death. Stayner died on September 16, 1989, one day before the release of I Know My First Name. Steven was defeated by War and Remembrance for the Emmy. His wife and children survive him.

Who Is Cary Stayner?

There is one final installment to this stranger-than-fiction tale, and it is titled, Cary Stayner. Cary Stayner, Steven Stayner’s older brother, is a convicted murderer who murdered four women. These murders took place in the vicinity of Yosemite – the same location where his brother was stolen.

Between February and July 1999, he committed all of his killings. Carole Sund, 42, and Silvina Peloso, 16, were Cary Stayner’s first two victims. Their burnt bodies were discovered in the rented car’s trunk. However, it was a note that led authorities to the third victim, Sund’s 15-year-old daughter Juli. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, was discovered decapitated as Cary Stayner’s final victim.

Captive Audience argues that Cary Stayner’s murder spree was an attempt to garner attention to distinguish himself from his kidnapped sibling. However, Stayner informed the FBI and a San Jose television reporter that he began thinking about murdering women when he was seven years old.

What Happened to Cary Stayner?

Stayner’s case was tried in federal court since his crimes occurred on federal property. He pleaded guilty to premeditated first-degree murder, felony first-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death in an attempt to avoid the death penalty. It was ineffective.

Stayer was sentenced to death in 2002. As of April 2022, he remains on execution row at California’s San Quentin Penitentiary. However, because California has not carried out any executions since a 2006 court judgment, he may probably spend the balance of his life in prison.