A large search turned up nothing. He usually ate lunch and dinner at the motel restaurant. Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. I was the oldest and all that. < 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'. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous - one experienced horror in the hands of a child molester, Steven, and the other, Cary, the serial killer in Yosemite. Steven Stayner died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 at the age of 24, and not long after, Steven and Carys uncle, whom Cary was close with and living with at the time, was killed. Her body was next to a stream and head within the water that she and her friends used for drinking water. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. But, says Delbert, puberty-aged Cary endured some emotional hardships because of that incident. July 26, 1999. 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. Chief James Maddock said he himself questioned whether the Bureau could have done anything to prevent Armstrong's killing. Parnell and Murphy were driving towards town when Stephen was lured into their vehicle and abducted. 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. "The only time Steve would kill anything like a fish is because we were gonna eat it. And now so had Joie Armstrong. He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. The bodies of Carole Sund and Pelosso were later found burned beyond recognition in the trunk of Carole Sunds rental car. She also worked at the Yosemite Institute with Kidd, and though the two werent friends, they did know each other. Two days later, they took him into custody while he was eating at a clothing optional resort near Sacramento. He was arrested on Saturday and has provided details about the killing of Armstrong, 26, that only police knew about, the affidavit said. "Everybody thought it was over with the other case," said a cashier at Cedar Lodge, the El Portal motel-restaurant where Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and family friend Silvina Pelosso from Argentina were last seen alive in February. The next day, in the same place, the police found twenty-six-year-old Joie Armstrong's headless body half underwater in a creek. "We're not used to this stuff around here. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. She is remembered as a young woman who had a tremendous enthusiasm for life and a deep desire to give of herself . Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. 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. "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Armstrong's body was found nearby. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. "I'd been gone for most of the day off the property. Almost immediately, a park employee came forward with information on a blue and white 1979 International Scout that had been parked near Joies house on the night of her disappearance. 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. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. . In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. July 26, 1999 Trending. "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. ", 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. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. She was later killed by Cary Stayner, a worker at Cedar Lodge outside of Yosemite National Park. The phone at Headlands Institute in Marin went unanswered. "And in order to do that, part of doing that is to not be judgmental, not respond when he says things that repulse me, not to show the emotion thats coursing through me. Mr. Stayner said on Monday. 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. Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. Rinek feels the car ride was truly pivotal in terms of bonding with Stayner, as he believes Stayner was searching for intimacy and somehow found it with Rinek during that conversation. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Her headless body was found . For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Cary Stayner is led into a van by a U.S. 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. Joies white pickup truck was still parked in the driveway when park rangers and police arrived. Steven Stayner testifies about his abduction in 1972 by Kenneth Parnell and his seven years in captivity in this 1981 photo. Slain Naturalist's Relative in Same Jail as Stayner Armstrong's head was later found near her body. He recalled the abducted tourists case in sharp detail. I do that when I go home to my wife, and I break down and I start crying and I tell her then.". He at some points was shuddering, with crying and tears, but for the purposes of what I wanted him to do," Rinek said. Her roommates were away on business, Thompson said. As a naturalist, her job . Some 80 people live in 35 shared units in the area. In the exclusive, never-before-broadcast audio of Stayners confession, obtained by ABC News, Rinek said you can hear him ask Stayner to "do it again" after having Stayner go through his outline of what happened when he murdered Armstrong. 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. 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. FRESNO The half-brother of slain Yosemite naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong is being held at the same jail where his sister's confessed killer is in custody. She was reported missing by a friend in Sausalito about 3 a.m. Thursday when she failed to show up there for a planned visit. In late March, a taunting letter and a map were sent to an FBI agent in the Modesto, California, office, giving investigators a big clue into where Juli Sund was. Cary Stayner kills his fourth victim The day Armstrong disappeared, Cary Stayner was driving his car to Foresta when he saw the young woman. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK - Joie Armstrong's grieving family and friends returned to her cabin here for the first time since she was brutally slain and beheaded. Steven Stayner helped another child escape from a pedophile, after enduring years of abuse and not wanting to see the child experience the same fate. Officials there were not available for comment Friday morning. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. Campbell, when first arrested on mail fraud charges, had in her possession Carole Sund's checking account and automated teller machine numbers. The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. Then Carole, Juli, and Silvana arrived and he went off the deep-end. Six Lives Remembered / Joie Armstrong - SFGATE Weve updated the security on the site. For months, law enforcement officials were stumped by the deaths of three tourists: Carole Sund, her teenaged daughter Juli, and a family friend, Silvina Pelosso. Resend Activation Email. ", "Jeff was very empathetic, and he was saying, 'I can already see a change in you. The complex is located in a fairly wooded area with a few large meadows. Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. You know what I mean? Despite the natural beauty of that part of the world, the murders revived a long-dormant fear about our national parks; they were no longer safe. It proved to be a great place for him to get his head on straight. Cary was questioned but never charged. She called the FBI to alert them of Stayners location. Investigators brought a cadaver dog to the area and quickly found Juli Sunds body. Agents arrived at the scene early on the 19th and upon opening the trunk, investigators found two charred bodies. What were you thinking? While he attended his meeting, the women were to tour the Grand Canyon. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. "Now, we had been going through, not details, but the emotional impact this had on him. Correspondent Don Knapp contributed to this report, Co-workers say Yosemite suspect not known for violence, FBI arrests motel worker in Yosemite murder, FBI questions man after Yosemite naturalist slain, Slain Yosemite visitors fund offers reward in other death, All 3 missing Yosemite sighteers identified, officials say, Yosemite Online : The Yosemite Association. The police were not without leads, however. They began searching the area. "He successfully binds her with duct tape, and he binds her to the point that all she can pretty much do is walk," said Rinek. Search above to list available cemeteries. Try again later. He became obsessed with the legendary half-man, half-ape and talked about it all the time. After Hiker Goes Missing Police Discover Bigfoot-Obsessed Culprit He, along with his three sisters and younger brother Steven, were the children of hard-working, middle-class parents. Murder At Yosemite by Carlton Smith - Anna's Archive "As soon as it got light (Thursday), we were able to begin mounting a search where her residence is," National Park Service spokesman Kendell Thompson said. She also had been a field instructor for the institute's sister organization, the Headlands Institute, in Marin County. 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." Armstrong, a graduate of California State University at Chico, had worked for the institute for two years. Serial killer confessed to his crimes after bonding with FBI agent Hed been living under investigators noses for five months. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. 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, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, 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. "Privately, some members of the Sund-Pelosso task force were saying the same things to the media. "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. As winter merged into spring in March of 1999, a cloud of terror was hanging over Yosemite National Park. Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. 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. 0 cemeteries found in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, USA. At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. Juli Sund, one of the earlier victims, was cut so deeply across her throat. 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. Why did you do that?'" Release Calendar Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. 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. July 24thCary Stayner is arrested at Laguna Del Sol Nudist Camp. Armstrong led nature tours in Yosemite National Park. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. No one at the institute or at the park service would comment Friday morning. English He was sentenced to death in December 2002 and remains on death row. In the fall of 1997, Stayner, then in his 30s, took refuge in Yosemite, where he landed his job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge. Yosemite Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty - ABC News He has been questioned about any involvement. The 38-year-old then proceeded to confess to not only Joie Armstrongs murder, but the murders of Carole, Juli, and Silvina. What followed turned out to be one of the most shocking crimes in both National Park and American history, involving a man whose family had already been involved in a notorious crime, literally the two faces of evil. "It says, 'We had fun with this one.' Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. "Who would go into an FBI office and ask two FBI agents to see child pornography? Her decapitated body was found near a wilderness stream the next day. Joies head sat nearby. Thats not your everyday request, and he said not just a couple, three to four images," said Boles. I was at a girlfriend's house, and I guess it's this girlfriend and her two daughters that were my original intended victims," Stayner told the agents during his interrogation. 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. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. 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) Ive never seen anything thats so close to black and white and evil and good as Stayner and our children, said Francis Carrington, the father of Carole Sund and grandfather of Juli. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. No arrests have yet been made in that case and FBI spokesman Nick Rossi said Friday there are no new developments. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. Stayner said to investigators I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. In Yosemite, Leslie Armstrong of Orlando, Fla., reflected on the shock of the past week. By mid-April, those who had been arrested were ordered to testify in front of a grand jury in Fresno, California. Year should not be greater than current year. Make sure that the file is a photo. Something was clearly very, very wrong. Michael "Mick" Larwick, 42, of Modesto, part of a vagabond group of methamphetamine drug users and friends centered in the Modesto area. Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6753355/joie-ruth-armstrong. Please try again later. They finally caught up with him at the Laguna Del Sol nudist colony, which he frequently visited. They decided to take him in again after learning on Friday that he had failed to show up to work at the Cedar Lodge. 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.. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Investigators initially detained Steven but soon declared him a hero for escaping and rescuing Timmy. He looked into the ditch where it lay and found something else, the decapitated body of a young woman. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. He was buried Thursday in the town of Newhall, where he had worked as a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy. Why did you do this? Suspect at Yosemite Had Fantasy of Killing Women Stayner spent his downtime by the rivers, getting high and skinny dipping, police said. He went on TV, spoke to newspapers, and even had a book and miniseries about his time as a sex slave of drifter and pedophile, Kenneth Parnell, a man who incidentally also used to work at the Yosemite Lodge. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Stayner was convicted in both state and federal courts. Best of 2022 Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. A few years later, Carl had a bit of a nervous breakdown and moved further into the wilderness. Caroles charred body was stuffed in the trunk next to Silvinas. The hire car company confirmed that Carole had never returned the rented Pontiac, nor told them that they were extending their agreement. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Steven Stayners fame was short-lived. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Against the odds, he flourished there. There was a dramatic period of silence after Rinek invited Stayner to continue opening up, Rinek said. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. And then I take that, and that serves as my outline, and we go back again and then I want to hear, 'Tell me what you experienced. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. 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. I felt he was in pain and suffering, and I felt that what he was doing by telling these stories was a good thing for him and it was a good thing of course for the victims families to know," Rinek said. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. What were you feeling? Stayner, 37, was to make an initial court appearance later in the day in connection with the slaying of Joie Ruth Armstrong, whose decapitated body was discovered Thursday. Listen to Yosemite serial killer's never-before-broadcast confession tapes, "It seemed like she was alone. Her head was later discovered in a stream - a stream she and her friends used to drink . When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. GREAT NEWS! The motel is in El Portal, California, at the western edge of Yosemite. 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. There was a problem getting your location. He also exhibited some behaviors that made others uncomfortable, including, as he later admitted, exposing himself to his sister's friend. Not for himself, but so that the royalties can ultimately be used to compensate the victims families. Joie Ruth Armstrong - IMDb Failed to delete memorial. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Joie Armstrong (6753355)? The evidence gathered by the FBI indicated that they had been abducted from the Cedar Lodge and with the discovery of Caroles burned-out Pontiac a month later, the truth finally emerged. Failed to report flower. Oops, something didn't work. Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. "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. Eventually, investigators found Armstrong's body near a stream in the woods about a half mile away from the cabin. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. His attempt was foiled when other people were at the house at the time he was planning to commit the crimes. A park official speaking on condition of anonymity said Armstrong had been decapitated, and that as far as he knew, she was clothed. Rinek said his wife Lori has been his rock and feels that without the support of his family he wouldnt have been able to deal with this and the other cases he's investigated. A week later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that led to Julis corpse. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The murder of Armstrong is being pursued in federal court because the killing occurred in a national park. Stayner back in court today in Yosemite murder - August 6, 1999 - CNN Then all of a sudden it's gone.