What would you do if your brother was kidnapped? Walking only miles away from his home in Merced, California, Steven Stayner was abducted. Steven was kidnapped on December 4, 1972 at the age of seven and didn’t escape until 1980 at the age of fourteen. Kenneth Parnell, the man responsible for Cary’s years of horror was already a registered sex offender when he lured Cary into his car. Innocent Steven got into Kenneth’s car thinking he was part of a church taking donations. After seven years Parnell kidnapped a boy named Timothy White, in February of 1980. Parnell gave the boys limited rules after brainwashing them into thinking their parents no longer wanted them. The boys realized anything he said was a lie and took action. Parnell was working a night shift as a security worker and the boys took the opportunity to escape. The boys hitchhiked over 40 miles to Timothy’s house, Timothy often being carried by Steven. Timothy could no longer recall where he lived so instead they decided to walk to the local police station. A police officer approached the boys and Parnell was taken to court eventually charged with the kidnapping of both boys.

Cary Stayner, Steven’s brother, was said to be jealous of all the attention his brother was getting when he returned home. After Steven died in a motorcycle accident in 1989 Cary took a job as a handyman at Cedar Lodge, a motel just outside a portal entrance to Yosemite National Park. While staying at Cedar Lodge Carole Sund, her 15 year old daughter, Juli, and Silvina, Juli’s friend went missing. Cary told Carole there was a leak to gain access to the room. He then strangled Carole and Silvina and stuffed their bodies in the trunk of Carole’s car. He forced Juli to ride with him for hours while searching for a place to dump the body. He then slit Juli’s throat so badly she was almost decapitated and left her body near a creek and returned later to burn the car.  Police found the burnt vehicle as well as Carole and Silvina’s bodies in the trunk on March 19, 1999. The only way to identify the burned bodies were dental records. Although Carole and Silvia’s bodies had been found, Juli’s was still in question. Police were searching for the body and doing what they could when they finally got a lead. The police received a letter stating, “We had fun with this one,” referring to Juli’s killing. Stayner was questioned for these killings but nobody really suspected him considering his clean record. Juli’s body eventually turned up but Cary had gotten away with it and the crimes didn’t end there.