He attempted to evade the death penalty by pleading guilty to attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death, felony first-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and premeditated first-degree murder. His father, Delbert, admitted that he had taken Cary to a psychiatrist as a child, but no treatment was administered, becuase he didnt want to go to group therapy. She got to her feet and took off running, back to the cabin. Though she tried to get more information from them, all she got was a piece of paper with a phone number on it. 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 Cary Stayner was born on August 3, 1961 in Merced, California. His brother, Steven Stayner, is kidnapped Dec 4 th by pedophile Kenneth Parnell. Mr. Stayner's arrest has prompted sheriff's detectives in Merced County, where Mr. Stayner lived until moving to El Portal in 1997, to announce that they were re-examining the unsolved 1990 death of his uncle, Jerry Stayner, who was shot to death in what authorities had considered a botched burglary. The bodies of Carole Sund and Miss Pelosso were found in the trunk of their charred rental car more than a month after they disappeared. The driver asked if he remembered the three tourists that had been murdered about four months ago. For Joie he was sentenced to life in prison. 1979 18 Classmates vote Stayner the most creative student in graduating class at Merced High School. . In the bedroom, as he had done with Carole, he assaulted the teenage girl before strangling her to death. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Nothing until a month later, on March 18. WebBiography. Magazine: Cary Stayner - Dr. Mike Aamodt - Radford University. All they found was the wet towels on the bathroom floor which was completely normal. This time, Stayner became a suspect based on a car seen at the scene. Proudly powered by WordPress He had never seen his dad cry before this day. Viewers are wondering what happened and whether or not Cary has been executed yet. In Arizona, however, he did not find them waiting for him at the airport. 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 July 23 rd Stayner was questioned and released and Stayner fails to show up for work for the first time in a year and a half. Captive Audience tells the story of Cary Stayner. But when tomorrow came, he called the police. Cary Stayner considered keeping Joie Armstrongs head, but then decided to hide it in the bushes. Frantically, her mother asked, Did you check her hair? Walking alongside the creek they noticed a bunch of trampled ferns and saplings. Mr. Stayner was questioned about Ms. Armstrong twice on Thursday, a day after his sport utility vehicle was spotted near her cabin about an hour after she was last seen. In 1999, Cary Stayner murdered four people: 42-year-old Carole Sund, 15-year-old Juli Sund, 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso, and 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong. As of February 2021, more than 28 inmates had died. They broke into 5 groups and began their search. Captive Audience is a Hulu documentary that follows Cary Stayner and the bizarre story of his family. FBI officials would not publicly confirm that Stayner has confessed to all of the killings. On Valentines Day weekend, 1999, three women checked into Cedar Lodge. He even made an appearance on Good Morning America. Gifts came for him in the mail, including clothes and toys. Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren. Immediately, the public began to question whether this murder was related to the previous murders of Carole Sund, Julie Sund, and Silvina Pelosso. Now I had to compete with a brother and three sisters.. According to the television station, Stayner said he acted alone and was driven by "voices in his head.". That does not mean family doesnt visit, rather if they do they have not made it public knowledge. With two suspects in custody, Cary thought for sure he had gotten away with murder. He and several neighborhood boys stripped naked and ran back and forth in front of several girls. He pushed her down the hillside where she tumbled until she came to an abrupt stop underneath some bushes. Cary slammed on the brakes, and took off after her. Like all other residents living near the Cedar Lodge, Mr. Stayner, who had rented a room above the restaurant adjacent to the motel for two years, was questioned at the time of the sightseers' disappearance. Unfortunately, they found nothing. They noticed, and didnt recognize, the blue SUV outside of her cabin as belonging to anyone they knew. Cary and his siblings had endured neglect in his absence, and in his return, all the focus was back on him. affidavit filed today in Federal District Court in Fresno, Calif. But The Modesto Bee, quoting unidentified sources, reported that such evidence had been found in Mr. Stayner's room and that Juli Sund's throat had been slashed almost to the point of beheading, like Ms. Armstrong's. A few months later, Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong was also found murdered. They had an amazing day seeing the snow capped mountains, huge sequoia trees, and beautiful meadows. He stood her, facing him, back toward the overlook and the lake. Cleaning up, he grabbed the blanket and made his way back to the car. Stayners family was cast into the spotlight once again in 1999 when Stevens brother Cary was arrested for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, in Yosemite, California. has called unofficial suspects. He continued to make small talk, about random things, including bigfoot. 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 Stayner For the other three, he was given the death penalty. Next, he went to the bathroom and took Silvina, leaving Julie behind. It is unlikely they will ever see that day though. He tackled her to the ground, and she fought back, trying to escape. The film was eventually nominated for four Emmy Awards, something Steven never got to see. Curious, he continued driving until he reached a meadow and could see better. Joie was smart though, and she tucked her chin, so no matter how hard he tried, he could not get to her throat. His battles with the church arent over, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! Though not completely confident, he convinces himself that theyre fine. He took Caroles wallet out before setting the car, with her and Silvina still in it, on fire. On December, 4, 1972, Carys 7-year-old younger brother, Steven, was kidnapped. The police called the car rental company where they learned that Carole had not yet returned her rental car. Delbert even purchased a trailer and took the family to the Grand Canyon. Around the same time as the incident at work, Cary was living with his uncle, Jerry Stayner. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. The lot was empty so he climbed back into the car and drove for about another hour north until he pulled down a logging road where he ditched the car. In the interview, Stayner also described how he tried to mislead investigators by leaving wet towels in the room of the three women to make it seem as though they had taken a morning shower and left the lodge peacefully even though he had already abducted them the previous night. Opening the trunk revealed the badly burned bodies of Carole and Silvina. She has red hair. WebIn an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, the FBI said Stayner confessed killing Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26. So when he told her to get out of the car, she refused, too scared to move. And officials in Merced, Calif., the small town where Stayner grew up, said they are reopening an investigation into the mysterious shooting death of Jesse Stayner, Cary's uncle, nearly a decade ago with his own gun. In the cabin, Cary bound her wrists and taped her mouth shut. Wearing nothing more than a blanket, Julie was sat in the front seat of the car. ), Decades of failures leave L.A. County facing up to $3 billion in sex abuse claims, Lakers vs. Warriors: What scouts expect in playoff series, Dating in L.A. is exhausting, so I asked a chatbot to flirt for me. He also admitted that he had dreamed of murdering women since he was 7 years old, before the kidnapping of his brother. Performing a records search for that vehicle turned up only two registered SUVs in the Yosemite valley. She had quite the lead, but then he caught up to her. Mr. Stayner worked as a janitor at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal at the western edge of Yosemite, where the three sightseers were last seen alive. He claimed that with his doctor-diagnosed mental illness, his family turned a blind eye. Joie Ruth Armstrong resided with two roommates, a man and a woman, both of whom were apparently out of the Yosemite area when the death occurred, Thompson said. A portion of Stayners lengthy interrogation by an FBI agent after the July 1999 murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, was ordered released Monday by a federal appeals court. But with a trial yet to come in the slaying of three Yosemite sightseers, Stayners Santa Monica lawyer, Marcia Morrissey, objected that the documents could sway a potential jury. In 1991, Cary attempted suicide but was unsuccessful. Mr. Stayner was arrested Saturday at a nudist resort near Sacramento, Calif., and charged with one count of murder in the death of Ms. Armstrong this afternoon in Federal court in Sacramento. At the airport, waiting to board the plane, she picked up a newspaper. He had no choice but to scoop her up and carry her like a baby. In 7 th grade he was placed in the gifted classes. Law enforcement officials are preparing to present more murder charges against him, but they say they have not yet dismissed the possibility that he had accomplices. do any of carey stayners family visit him? But other investigators say privately that Stayner, 37, has made similar statements during questioning that they are still trying to corroborate. Stayners attorneys fought to keep the confession sealed to protect him from prejudicial publicity before a trial in Armstrongs slaying. Borley Rectory: The Most Haunted House in England, Tracie Andrews and the Murder of Lee Harvey, Cheri Brooks and the Destruction of Vera Jo Reigle, Alexandra Wiwcharuk: The Girl in Saskatoon, Bridget Maggie Sullivan The Lizzie Borden Papers, - , Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The doors were still open. He played in the outfield on a baseball team Imagined his mother being kidnapped. At the front desk, they rented some movies and went back to their room. This episode is sponsored by LUMI: To learn more about microdosing THC go to www.microdose.com and use code: SOUTHWEST to get free shipping & 30% off your first order. If you watched Captive Audience,what do you think about Cary Stayner and the way his story unfolded? Family members of the victims also said today that investigators have told them Stayner has admitted to all four slayings. Required fields are marked *. Glenn Youngkin rules out presidential campaign while in California, Three killed in small plane crash near Big Bear airport, authorities say, 2 students stabbed near Los Angeles High; LAPD investigating, Bass budget proposal for Animal Services is far less than what department requested. had said on Sunday that evidence obtained after Ms. Armstrong's death linked Mr. Stayner to the slayings of the three sightseers. He tried to cover up the blood with branches and leaves before climbing back into his SUV and heading back to Cedar Lodge. The girl was 14, and Cary hid under the bed, naked, with the intent to fondle her breasts during the night. He was sexually molested by his Uncle, Jesse Stayner, who was convicted of child 1972 11 molestation. In 1999, Stevens older brother, Cary Stayner, was arrested for murdering 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong in Yosemite, California. Back inside the room, he took Julie and forced her into the bedroom where he assaulted her. They had driven 3 hours from the University where Julie had competed in a cheerleading competition the previous day. A motel handyman who was dismissed as a suspect in the deaths of three sightseers last February at Yosemite National Park has confessed to the decapitation of a park naturalist last week and to the other three killings, according to an F.B.I. Carole and Silvina were found in the trunk of their rental car, which had been burned to bits. There were remnants of the suitcases, as well as clothing. While many people agree with the death penalty, others believe taking a life for a life isnt the answer. There, he was asked if he could help with the search for a missing person. Distraught, her mother could not understand how they could not know what color her hair was. No belongings remained in the room. The media coverage was immense, with him being declared a national hero. She At the top of the map was written, We had fun with this one.. Stayner confessed in late July to killing Carole Sund, her daughter Juli and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, as well as Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park. With the room clean, he loaded their things into the car then went back in to clean the bathroom. At his brief court appearance, Mr. Stayner, a muscular, clean-cut man dressed in an orange prison uniform, said nothing but nodded repeatedly as the Federal magistrate, Judge Peter A. Nowinski, asked him if he understood the charge and read him his rights. The person on the other end of the line told her that they were not sure if she had red hair or not, and that they would get back to her. In 1972, Kenneth Parnell kidnapped 7-year-old Steven Stayner. Finally, Cary grabbed her by the hair and hauled her into the forest behind the cabin. Cary Stayner, 37, confessed to the killing of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, and has provided details about that crime that only the killer could have known, according to the F.B.I. Cary saw the women enter the room and proceeded to watch them from the outside. He quit that job. This time, Stayner became a suspect based on a car seen at the scene. Graduates from High School. Performing this action will revert the following features to their default settings: Hooray! He confessed to the murder of Joie Armstrong, Carole Sund, Julie Sund, and Silvina Pelosso. They looked over the evidence, and the photos the police had taken of Carys tires. Cary hiked back to the highway where he caught a cab back to Cedar Lodge. Juli Sund's body was found a few days later, off a little-traveled road. Cary forced Carole into the bedroom and onto the bed where he assaulted her before strangling her to death. I love you, he told her, before pulling out a knife and hacking at her throat. Amanda Blankenship is an overcaffeinated wife and mother. Armstrong taught environmental science at the Yosemite Institute. Ms. Armstrong's body was found on Thursday, one day after she was last seen near the cabin where she lived with her boyfriend and another roommate, both of whom were away. Carole was a strong, competent woman and he would hear from her tomorrow. They followed the tracks along the creek, until, just before a ditch, one of the searchers spotted a set of car keys hanging on a little tree, glinting in the sunlight. They arrested him on the spot and took him in for questioning. They searched the surrounding area, hoping to find her, but after 2 days, their hopes were dashed. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She was an expert tour guide. He, unfortunately, died in a motorcycle accident in 1989. Bumping along in the meadow, Joie took a leap of faith, head first, out the window of the SUV. Within days, Caroles wallet turned up. Approaching the vehicle, they found no one inside it. He picked up her lifeless body and placed it in the trunk of the red rental car. In the bathroom, he pretended to check for any leaks. He did, and the driver continued to explain that while police said they had their suspects in custody, they had yet to charge anyone with the crime. He called the killing a compulsive act that happened all of a sudden after he lost control of himself and lost control of her., At one point, Stayner said, he considered keeping the head, thinking that it would have been a trophy, most likely.. Cary Stayner - Dr. Mike Aamodt - Radford University. The first request was for her to wake up the girls and when all three were together, he tied them up. Until the slaying of Armstrong, who taught at the park, FBI investigators had ruled him out as a suspect in the deaths of the other three women. The punch was so hard, his hand started to bleed. When he was 16, one of his sisters had a friend sleep over. Imagine this, you take a trip to California for a cheerleading competition. Either way, Stayner wasnt likely to be put to death in the state of California anyway. Cary Stayner, 37, confessed to the killing of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, and has provided details about that crime that only the killer could have known, according to the F.B.I. Numerous ex-convicts with either ties to El Portal or Modesto, where Carole Sund's wallet was found three days after the trio disappeared, have been held for months for various offenses while officials have tried to gather enough evidence to charge them with the slayings. So far, he has been charged with murder only in the death of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, who was found beheaded last Thursday at Yosemite. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials in three California counties said today that they want to question Stayner about a few unresolved murder cases this decade that involved decapitated victims. has refused to discuss details regarding the links among the slayings. Things got weird fast, Low wages, short hours drive many fast-food workers into homelessness, Virginia Gov. Joie Armstrong and her grandmother had grown extremely close since Leslie Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer in April, said family friend Anita Ham. Toolbox in hand, he knocked on the door and identified himself as an employee. In 1997, he was arrested for drug possession, but the charges were dropped. When Armstrong's friends went to her cabin, which was in an area of the park called Foresta, they found signs of a struggle. They began searching the area. Eventually, investigators found Armstrong's body near a stream in the woods about a half mile away from the cabin. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? In the final moments of her life, Joie Armstrong, who grew up in Orlando and graduated from Dr. Phillips High School, might have saved other lives, sources close to You knew it was wrong what you were doing? Rinek asked. He told Carole to be quiet and do what she was told. They were concerned that the police didnt have the actual killer. While in custody, Eugene made several self-incriminating remarks, leading police to believe they had their men. For seven years I have been supposedly an only child. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The trial took place in federal court because Stayner killed Armstrong on federal land, a national park. 8-11? The law-enforcement official who would speak only on the condition of not being identified said Mr. Stayner was probaby dismissed as a suspect, at least in part, because the authorities believed the slayings could not have been committed by only one person. A convoy of searchers rolled up in front of his cabin, and he jumped in. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, is shown in this 1998 file photo. Over the next several weeks, all of the roads and trails near the western entrance to Yosemite National Park, and the area around Modesto were searched. A couple of days later, FBI investigators arrived to help with the case. They conviscated his marijuana, and took pictures of his car and tires before leaving. The documentary starts talking about Carys early life. All 737 inmates at San Quentin, including Stayner, are technically awaiting their death sentence. Stayner has worked at the Cedar Lodge there for most of the past two years. I didnt feel good about it, Stayner said in the transcript, adding that its like Im a split personality. The brilliant, bubbly, strawberry-blond naturalist lived with her boyfriend and a second roommate in a cabin near Yosemite. There, he stood her up, took her blanket away and laid it on the ground, and proceeded to assault her again. On this letter was a hand-drawn map, indicating the location of where they would find the body of the third victim. KNTV quoted him as saying that he strangled two of the women -- Carole Sund and a teenage friend of her daughter, Silvina Pelosso -- inside their cabin at the Cedar Lodge, then killed a third near a mountain lake. That day she had been seen at the Institute offices, and was planning a trip to Sausalito, California to visit a friend. Their missing person was Joie Armstrong. Your email address will not be published. All rights reserved. Finally he turned off the highway and drove down the switchbacks until he pulled into the parking lot at Don Pedro lake. On the 16th, when the girls were set to checkout, the cleaning staff entered the room and found nothing amiss. On September 14, 2000, Cary Stayner pleaded guilty to the murders of Joie, Carole, Julie, and Silvina. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/27/us/confessions-are-reported-in-4-killings.html. | . 1969- 1972? being gang raped. Finding the girls, but not Julie, gave investigators some glimmer of hope. The family was devastated, and his parents focused all their efforts and attention on finding him. Media groups fought for months to unseal documents that included a government interrogation of Stayner and a brief outlining why prosecutors planned to seek a death sentence. The Stayner family made headlines again upon his return. When police learned that he was the handyman at Cedar Lodge, they had to ask if he had been anywhere near Joie Armstrongs cabin on the night she disappeared. Too tired from their drive, they decided to stay in, watch some videos, and take it easy. She was not. They decided to head down, hoping to find the driver of the SUV. He called the number and reached Park Dispatch. Authorities say that victim, Juli Sund, 15, had her throat slashed in much the same manner as Armstrong. Comparing those photos to the photos taken of the tire tracks at Joies cabin, they were sure they had a match. Searched the surrounding area with home of finding julie, Then, an anonymous, handwritten letter was received by the FBI. Just when she was starting to feel comfortable, he pulled out his gun and told her to go into the cabin. Desmond knew Joie and immediately knew something was wrong. had maintained that it believed all the people responsible for the Sund-Pelosso deaths were in custody, though on unrelated charges. This is often a hot topic among true crime lovers. Looking up, he could see the sun starting to rise over the horizon.