In his capacity, Stayner performed technical and housekeeping duties, everything from fixing electrical and mechanical breakdowns to delivering extra towels and bedding to guests. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. 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. 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. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. He was convicted of four brutal murders in 2002. 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. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. 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. I guess seven years changed him, too. 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. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. 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 At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. For years, Parnell traveled around California with Steven. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, said his son was deprived of a fair trial by a kangaroo court and a judge who ignored defense arguments. Knives were used in the slayings and the weapon suspected in Ms. Armstrong's death was recovered.". Initially, the police didn't have any solid leads as to who killed them. Cary didnt emerge as a suspect during the initial investigation, and the FBI actually believed they had the people responsible for the killings in custody. And he wanted the same treatment. 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. 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 relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. 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. Campbell, when first arrested on mail fraud charges, had in her possession Carole Sund's checking account and automated teller machine numbers. On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. Cary Stayner, now 57, was convicted of the murders of Armstrong, the Sunds and Pelosso, and sentenced to death for all except Armstrong's. Still, the Bureau intensified its search, recruiting the use of more high-tech equipment and air support. . I wish I could have controlled myself and not done what I did. The revelation came in a six He loved his brother. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Cary Stayner, also known as The Yosemite Killer, was convicted nearly 20 years ago in the murders of four people in 1999 while he was working as a hotel But, to no avail. Cary Stayner went from being the brother of child abductee Steven Stayer to a full-blown serial killer. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. Hastings rejected new defense claims that juror misconduct prevented a fair trial. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. According to court documents filed Monday, Cary Stayner told the FBI he assaulted Silvina Pelosso and Juli Sund before killing them. WebCary Stayner was convicted of the 1999 Cedar Lodge Killings near Yosemite National Park. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. Steven Stayner was just seven-years-old when he was abducted a few blocks from his home in Merced, Billy Joe Strange, 39, an El Portal parolee who worked at the Cedar Lodge lounge and restaurant, where the murdered women were last seen. 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. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. The trivia item below may give away important plot points. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. I never recognized either one of them.". In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. And in 1999, the Stayner family was back in the news but this time, for a less than positive reason. He was charged with attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation in 2004, that he was sentenced to 25 years to life. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. Connections That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. He received the death penalty for killing four women, three of whom had been staying at the Cedar Lodge, where Stayner was employed as a handyman. 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. He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. "He was spunky. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. He had talked his way into the room under the guise of fixing a leak, and then sexually assaulted both girls and brutally murdered Carole Lund and Silvina Pelosso in the room. Steven and Cary Stayner: The tale of two brothers' horror - ABC The issue of whether his confession was coerced seemed to be resolved when on July 24, the court heard the recorded demands that Stayner made to the FBI agents that he wanted to be satisfied before he would give them his confession. Then Carole's wallet turned up in Modesto, which included money and credit cards. They no longer want you.. Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. WebThe story of Steven and Cary Stayner will leave you in absolute disbelief. 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. "Her mother, sisters, and a family friend had been missing for a month by the time Gina Sund read her poem in front of a thousand or so people who gathered in Modesto," writes Time. Then all of a sudden it's gone. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" There was a movie made about his brother, Steven Stayner, and he wanted the same and for the world to take notice. "I've struggled with that issue for the last 24 hours and continue to do so," he confessed. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. 'I try to stay strong because I know that's what you'd want your baby to be, but, Mommy, I don't want you to leave me.'". In 1972, Stayners In 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and Juli's friend, Silvina Pelosso, 16, went missing while visiting Yosemite Park. But, says Delbert, puberty-aged Cary endured some emotional hardships because of that incident. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. Cary Stayner Span of crimes FebruaryJuly 1999 Country United States State (s) California Date apprehended 1999 7 more rows 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. "We never really got along that well after he came back All of a sudden Steve was getting all these gifts, getting all this clothing, getting all this attention. 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. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. The trio stayed at the lodge in February 1999, during which time Cary talked his way into their room, where he sexually assaulted and murdered all of them. 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. | "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. That evening, the group grabbed some videos from the lodge's service desk to watch in their room. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. 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.