Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. She had planned to spend the weekend visiting friends in Sausalito but never showed. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. ", "Jeff was very empathetic, and he was saying, 'I can already see a change in you. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. He, along with his three sisters and younger brother Steven, were the children of hard-working, middle-class parents. On Saturday, July 24, FBI agents announced at a press conference that a man was in custody on strong suspicion of murder and that a "significant announcement" would be made shortly. In his interview, Stayner claimed that hair from his body was left on the bedspread in their motel room, but he returned later and changed the bed. PDF Stayner, Cary - 2005 Then there was another murder. At that time, the Bureau stated that, while no one had yet been charged, it felt that those responsible for killing the three women at Yosemite were already behind bars. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. In the water several feet away, they discovered her head, which officials said had been removed from her body. How a nudist colony helped FBI agents find a Yosemite serial killer and Year should not be greater than current year. 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. Her slaying was a federal case because her body was found in the national park. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. He realizes its not much, but its all he can offer. They called police when she didnt show up to meet up with them as planned. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. Justice Story: Twisted trail of 'Yosemite murders' leads to resort There was a dramatic period of silence after Rinek invited Stayner to continue opening up, Rinek said. He couldnt believe it. "He was spunky. Once the three of them got back to the field office, Stayner was ready to reveal the naked truth. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. I was blessed to have known and loved her. Oops, something didn't work. Then, in the summer of 1999, Joie Armstrong, a 26-year-old woman running educational programs at Yosemite for children, was reported missing by her friends and later found decapitated in the park. The killer had carried her away from the car and cut her throat. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Serial killer confessed to his crimes after bonding with FBI agent They had stayed at the motel where Stayner worked. Chief James Maddock said he himself questioned whether the Bureau could have done anything to prevent Armstrong's killing. Yosemite Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty - ABC News Though hundreds of FBI agents, California Highway Patrol officers, and National Park Service rangers had combed Yosemites rugged backcountry with dogs and helicopters for weeks afterward, it was a lone hiker who eventually found them. Murder At Yosemite by Carlton Smith - Anna's Archive Arrested on an unrelated drug charge, he has been questioned about the Yosemite case. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. 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. No one at the institute or at the park service would comment Friday morning. She had probably been murdered on the evening of Wednesday, July 21. Ham, who has known. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. "She truly strived to be the best that she could be.". Because we all, in law enforcement, when we look at somebody whos killed someone else, we think to ourselves at least I do that that face was the last thing our victim saw before they died. It shows Vista Point. Stayner spent his downtime by the rivers, getting high and skinny dipping, police said. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Now, 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong was missing. July 21stJoie Ruth Armstrong is decapitated after Cary ties her up and rapes her. 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. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Joies head sat nearby. In his capacity, Stayner performed technical and housekeeping duties, everything from fixing electrical and mechanical breakdowns to delivering extra towels and bedding to guests. You seem like you're feeling better. Cary Stayner: The Yosemite Killer | The Scare Chamber Kidd had been dispatched to this scene to help park rangers find a missing girl. based on information from your browser. Five months earlier, Kidd had become involved in the search for three missing female tourists who had vanished from their room at the Cedar Lodge, a hotel at Yosemites entrance. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, a German native who grew up in California, was found Thursday near a stream running by the housing area where she lived near Crane Flat in the west end of Yosemite. While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "(A witness claimed that) Stayner was angry about authorities seizing his backpack after he was questioned earlier that day. Learn more about managing a memorial . The FBI is assisting in the investigation because the park is federal property.< Dubs fans picking apart video of possible Poole-Draymond incident, Destructive landslide closes historic California institution, Bay Area mom influencer found guilty of lying about kidnapping, More rain, 'unseasonably chilly' temperatures coming to Bay Area, Horoscope for Monday, 5/01/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Bay Area preschool teacher suspected of dumping body along road, 49ers out in full force at Warriors-Kings Game 7, Shock, fear as 2 killings in 3 days rock quiet Davis, Sold-out Berkeley crowd gets rowdy at country star's concert, Steph Curry killed off the Kings with a smile, Draymond Green rips Domantas Sabonis: 'Lost a lot of respect', Klay Thompson calls Warriors-Lakers series 'a dream come true'. Jeff Rinek, a former FBI agent, is the author of "In the Name of the Children," a true-crime account of the cases he has investigated during his career with the FBI, including the Cary Stayner case. During Stayner's interrogation, the agents told Stayner he couldnt view child pornography in exchange for his confession. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. "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. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. He demanded that his parents be given the reward money, that he be incarcerated at a prison near his parents home, and, to Stayners detriment, that he be given a large cache of child pornography. Rinek said it was important for him to not show judgment or emotion. Cary Stayner told a reporter from KNTV of San Jose in an off-camera jailhouse interview Monday how he killed Joie Ruth Armstrong last week and Carole Sund, her daughter Juli and family friend Silvina Pelosso last winter. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. Her luggage for her trip was packed in the back as if she had been ready to leave. The complex is located in a fairly wooded area with a few large meadows. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. The police reckoned that the killer of the three women was someone familiar with the county given the location of the Pontiac. Shockingly, Stayner then told Rinek and Boles he had actually planned to kill three other females before he came upon the Sunds and Pelosso. "I'd been gone for most of the day off the property. In mid-July of 2002, the trial began in Judge Thomas C. Hastings courtroom. The Yosemite Institute is a nonprofit group that runs education programs through a partnership with the park service. Joie Ruth Armstrong. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. "Had we not gotten Stayner, they could've been next," said Boles. 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. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. "He took us to all the spots, and he knew exactly where everything was," said Boles. There was an error deleting this problem. Nevertheless, he seems to feel some remorse about what he has done and hopes to sell the rights to the story to Hollywood. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). ET on ABC. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. Armstrong's head was later found near her body. "[The judge] sentenced Cary to death, and they took him out of the courthouse. According to an affidavit, during an interview with FBI agents, Stayner "made statements to the agents in which he admitted killing Joie Ruth Armstrong" last Wednesday. Something was clearly very, very wrong. And this time I want to hear, 'Tell me what the victim perceived. Then he took action. 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. Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. The beheaded body of a young naturalist Friday touched off a new murder investigation in the second grisly crime in this busy national park in the past five months. In the end, Stayner confessed without the promise of child pornography or reward money for his parents. Steven got married and had two kids, but sadly died in a motorcycle crash sometime later. Knives were used in the slayings and the weapon suspected in Ms. Armstrong's death was recovered.". By the end of the car ride, Rinek had developed a connection with Cary Stayner. SACRAMENTO - Handyman Cary Anthony Stayner has confessed to murdering Yosemite naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong, according to an FBI affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in . or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. Her headless body was found . "Who would go into an FBI office and ask two FBI agents to see child pornography? FBI investigators had compared tire tracks at the crime scene with photographs of Stayners treads and found that it was a perfect match. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. She was a vegetarian. She nagged them about recycling and using Styrofoam, they said. Carole and her husband, Jens, 43, owned a realtors business in the Stockton area. Try again later. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. "He said he took the roll of duct tape and the knife and he threw it out there as far as he could," Rinek said. Stayner, a motel handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, Calif., was arrested Saturday, July. Then on March 25, Juli Sunds body was discovered near Lake Pedro in Tuolumme County. After first flying to San Francisco, where Carole rented a red 1999 Pontiac Gran Prix, they stopped in Stockton, where Juli took part in a cheerleading contest at the University of the Pacific. The FBI task force investigating Yosemite issued a federal warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear in Stanislaus County drug court in June. There was Armstrong's solar-heated shower and the garden that she proudly nourished with water that she carried in heavy buckets from a nearby creek. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA California "My wife Lori and I, were at our best when were helping people, and we dont necessarily decide who were going to help and who were not going to help.". Stayner caught the attention of park rangers again last week after his sport utility vehicle was seen near Armstrong's residence on Wednesday night, an hour after she was last seen there. And we think that fun means something of a sexual nature thats not good for the victim," former FBI agent Jeff Rinek told ABC News. 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. A few months later, Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong was also found murdered. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Caroles charred body was stuffed in the trunk next to Silvinas. Rinek recalled the moment Stayner took them to where he disposed of evidence in both murder cases. The Yosemite Murders - CBS News After Hiker Goes Missing Police Discover Bigfoot-Obsessed Culprit By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. "That was followed by him saying, 'Okay, lets do it,'" said Rinek. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. Park rangers found the body of Joie Ruth Armstrong about 4 miles from Cedar Lodge, where Stayner had worked August 6, 1999 Web posted at: 9:18 a.m. EDT (1318 GMT) Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. Cary Stayner was a native Californian who had lived outside of Yosemite most of his life. 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. This is a carousel with slides. Management found him a hard worker and honest. Eventually, investigators found Armstrong's body near a stream in the woods about a half mile away from the cabin. In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, the FBI said Stayner confessed killing Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. 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. FBI agents swarmed into the valley after the body was found, a scene familiar to many agents who were still working on the kidnap-murders of a Eureka mother and daughter and their friend earlier this year. He would use his position to gain access to his victims. SACRAMENTO, California (CNN) -- Motel handyman Cary Stayner has confessed to the beheading of a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, the FBI said in an affidavit filed Monday in a federal court in Sacramento. Soon after, Steven Stayner later went to police with Timmy. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. Joie Ruth Armstrong was one of my dearest friends. Cary Stayner kills his fourth victim The day Armstrong disappeared, Cary Stayner was driving his car to Foresta when he saw the young woman. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. Compounding the mystery, Carole Sund's wallet had been found on a street in downtown Modesto, California, three days after they had disappeared. It was both heartbreaking and a joy to walk through the green cabin with white trim that so brightly reflected the 26-year-old naturalist's life, one family friend said. In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. Over the next few weeks, a task force including FBI agents and law enforcers from four surrounding counties, arrested several known sex offenders, drug users, and ex-convicts with a record of violence from within a 75-square-mile area between Modesto and Sonoma. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. He had a long criminal record and had been questioned extensively by the FBI. 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. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. Stayner was convicted in both state and federal courts. He loved his brother. But where was Juli? Her head wasn't found until later. Darrell Gray Stephens, 55, Strange's roommate. I guess I was jealous. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, a German native who grew up in California, was found Thursday near a stream running by the housing area where she lived near Crane Flat in the west end of Yosemite National Park. Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Cary was questioned but never charged. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Stayner then detailed the murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. Rinek and Boles decided to bring Stayner in for questioning. 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." How Yosemite serial killer chose his fourth victim. Juli Sund, one of the earlier victims, was cut so deeply across her throat. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. They said he was cooperative and agreed to talk with them. Armstrong, a graduate of California State University at Chico, had worked for the institute for two years. And he was a coward," said Boles. The idyllic setting, a grassy meadow dusted with wildflowers and roaming butterflies, contrasts sharply with the grisly details of her death. At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. At the time of the murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso, investigators didnt see him as a suspect, and he even opened rooms at the motel for the FBI to gather evidence. ", FBI sources claimed that he had already confessed his guilt during the Saturday evening interrogation. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. . Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. Stevens homecoming made him a celebrity. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. When Armstrong's friends went to her cabin, which was in an area of the park called Foresta, they found signs of a struggle. The FBI also seized clothing stained with blood from her body. FBI agents have wondered whether they could have prevented Armstrong's murder by linking Stayner to the three earlier killings. Stayner also is a suspect in the killings of Carole Sund, 42, her 15-year old daughter Julie, and Silvina Pelosso, a 16-year old exchange student from Argentina. Joie Armstrong, a NatureBridge educator at Yosemite National Park in 1999, was a bright light to all who knew her. This account has been disabled. It was the worst and best moment of my career," Rinek said. 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. Then all of a sudden it's gone. On days off he would escape to Laguna Del Sol, a nudist colony in Sacramento County. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. All of sudden, it's here again.". I never did tell anybody about it, but I remember wishing on a star that my little brother would come back home. Then Carole's wallet turned up in Modesto, which included money and credit cards. "I dont know how to think of it. ", 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 attorney said Monday she feared the documents' release will make it tougher for Stayner to get a fair trial. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. Failed to delete memorial. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. "See the good that comes out of evil sometimes. By the end of June, the FBI had reviewed the testimonies and the evidence linked to the suspects in custody. Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. One colorful sign decorated with red hearts read "Let Foresta Heal." Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Joie Armstrong (6753355)? Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. 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. The two hitchhiked to Ukiah, California. He was absolutely certain it existed and whether he feared or identified with it, the thought of this remarkable cryptid took over his imagination. He had given the FBI details "only the killer would know in such specificity that agents were able to recover evidence confirming his confession. On the drive to the FBI field office, Rinek asked Stayner if he was related to Steven Stayner. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Stayner, from Merced, California, was the older brother of Steven Stayner. But when they found the decapitated body and head of 26-year-old naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong, they were led to one man: 37-year-old handyman Cary Stayner. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. The other Sund children believed their mother and sister Juli would be returned. 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 eventually brought Rinek and Boles to the places he discussed during his confession and the evidence they would be able to find there. Cary Stayner became emotional discussing how his brother had been held captive for so long, while his abductor was only sentenced to seven years in prison. "I could not believe what I'd just heard. Stayner said to investigators I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. I do that when I go home to my wife, and I break down and I start crying and I tell her then.". 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. Cary Stayner, a handyman from El Portal, was in custody in Sacramento Tuesday charged with her murder. 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. 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. The motel is in El Portal, California, at the western edge of Yosemite. Thats not your everyday request, and he said not just a couple, three to four images," said Boles. Steven was told his new name was Dennis Parnell and was enrolled in school. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6753355/joie-ruth-armstrong. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, is shown in this 1998 file photo. Eventually, the family moved on, but one day, Cary heard on the radio that 14-year-old Steven had escaped from his abductor and was returning home. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. A week later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that led to Julis corpse.