Murder At Yosemite by Carlton Smith - Anna's Archive Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Creepy Stories & Legends About Yosemite - Ranker All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. After Hiker Goes Missing Police Discover Bigfoot-Obsessed Culprit, Man Finds Old Buried Chain, His Gut Then Tells Him To Keep Pulling, Homeless Man Sues Burger King For a Million Dollars, Over 3 Months Spent In Jail Without Proof, She Looked Like She Was Pregnant With 30 Puppies, Then Vet Gives Mom The X-Ray, 10-Year-Old Boys Sentenced To Life In Prison After Child Goes Missing, Daughter Wakes Up To Serial Killer Sitting at The End Of Her Bed, Woman In Coma for 3 Weeks Wakes Up To Learn Her Family Pulled the Plug on Her, Missing Alabama Mother Found In The Woods After Sister Discovers Her Car, NFL Star Murders Girlfriend After Heated Argument Then Pulls Trigger on Himself. That same day, Stayner allowed himself to be interviewed by a reporter from KNTV. Steven Stayner had a new father figure, and it was Kenneth Parnell, who by day, was his father, and by night, was his rapist. Try again later. Whites stepfather, Roger Gitlin, said White died April 1, 2010, of an apparent pulmonary embolism. He also explained that he worked as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge. A park official speaking on condition of anonymity said Armstrong had been decapitated, and that as far as he knew, she was clothed. No one at the institute or at the park service would comment Friday morning. Most experts believe that it would be unlikely for Stayner to have targeted three victims for his first killing, so he probably killed before that. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The FBI has also called Stayner the prime suspect in the murders of three Yosemite sightseers who disappeared in February. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people, he was just a creepy loner. You know what I mean? Soon enough, Park rangers spotted the vehicle parked near the Merced River Canyon, right outside the entrance to the park. 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. 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. Her decapitated body was found near a wilderness stream the next day. He had a long criminal record and had been questioned extensively by the FBI. As part of the interview, Rinek said he used his deliberate interrogation technique of getting confessions, which involved making the subject go through the event three times from various perspectives. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. "He stated that he felt like jumping in a truck, driving it through the shop and killing the boss and killing everybody in the office, and then torching the place," friend Mark Marchese said in 1999. Shortly after Stevens death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso once in custody. English At that time, Steven had been forced to endure sexual abuse by his kidnapper, whom he finally turned in to the police. But Juli Sund was still missing. Silvina Pelossos mother, Raquel, said, I just cannot understand how so many peopledidn't realize that maybe (Stayner) was the man since I heard that he was interviewed some time ago. Movies. It was the last time the women were seen alive. It was 100 miles from the Cedar Lodge. The man took a hit off the joint he had been smoking and explained to the ranger and accompanying police officer that his name was Cary Stayner. It seemed as though he had a compulsion with trying to get close to women or be sexual with them, but he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women. "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. Investigators initially detained Steven but soon declared him a hero for escaping and rescuing Timmy. I had a backpack, small green backpack. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Serial killer confessed to his crimes after bonding with FBI agent Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). In May 2002, Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the 1999 murder of Pelosso and the Sunds. The complex is located in a fairly wooded area with a few large meadows. 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.. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Armstrong, a naturalist at the Yosemite Institute, was slain near her Yosemite cabin last Wednesday. 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. The police reckoned that the killer of the three women was someone familiar with the county given the location of the Pontiac. "She fulfilled her dreams at an early age," Ham said. And now so had Joie Armstrong. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. "Cary Stayner started launching off into, 'This is going to be my last meal as a free man,'" Rinek recalled. Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns, and though he was eventually brought to a mental health center, he left after a few hours. Stayner failed to show up for work Friday _ his first absence in a year . He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. How Yosemite serial killer chose his fourth victim. 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) "We needed [him] to be very calm and very thoughtful and to just give us an accounting of everything that happened.". July 26, 1999 Police and the FBI initially focused their. ). 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. Stayner, from Merced, California, was the older brother of Steven Stayner, who had been kidnapped at 7 years old in 1972, and forced to live with his captor Kenneth Parnell, who sexually assaulted the young boy over the next seven years. A few years later, Carl had a bit of a nervous breakdown and moved further into the wilderness. But by the middle of March, their hopes faded. You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. She was subpoenaed because she is a friend of Dykes and Larwick. A naturalist with the Yosemite Institute, she was last seen alive leaving her office in Yosemite Valley about 5 p.m. Wednesday. 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. Getting Started | Contributor Zone . "Who would go into an FBI office and ask two FBI agents to see child pornography? Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He also faces trial in the murder of three tourists but has pleaded not guilty. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. Armstrong spent months with her grandmother as she underwent chemotherapy, Ham said. They confiscated the marijuana and sent him on his way. Joie Ruth Armstrong. The 38-year-old then proceeded to confess to not only Joie Armstrongs murder, but the murders of Carole, Juli, and Silvina. The idyllic setting, a grassy meadow dusted with wildflowers and roaming butterflies, contrasts sharply with the grisly details of her death. "Now, we had been going through, not details, but the emotional impact this had on him. "That was followed by him saying, 'Okay, lets do it,'" said Rinek. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. A relatively quiet, but friendly, a motel handyman called Cary Stayners only passions seemed to be nude sunbathing and hiking. Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. Search above to list available cemeteries. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" During Stayner's interrogation, the agents told Stayner he couldnt view child pornography in exchange for his confession. After several days, the bodies were identified as Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso through dental records. . He has been questioned about any involvement. 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. Stayner surprised them by saying said he would give them closure on what happened to Joie Armstrong and "more," but in exchange, he asked to see child pornography. "With the recovery of the duct tape, and the watch and the knife, which was the murder weapon, now were talking evidence.". Verify and try again. In the backpack, I had a .22 revolver," Stayner is heard saying in an audio recording of his confession to Rinek and Boles. Cary Stayner faces the death penalty for not only the Armstrong murder but the Sund-Pelosso killings as well. Neither of these things seemed to interest the cops at the time. Special agent Maddock said, "During the last 24 hours, we have developed specific information linking Stayner (also) to the Sund-Pelosso murders.". 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'. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. Something was clearly very, very wrong. Her roommates were away on business, Thompson said. 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. A week later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that led to Julis corpse. Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. In (the) interview, Stayner said he had fantasized about killing women for the last 30 years and described in detail how he murdered all the women, He had strangled Pelosso and Carole Sund in their rented cabin in the Cedar Lodge motel, then took Juli Sund to a lake, where he killed her early the next morning. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Try again later. Their bodies were found about five weeks later. Armstrong, a graduate of California State University at Chico, had worked for the institute for two years. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Cary later got into a job repairing glass and moved in with his uncle Jerry. Yosemite naturalist found beheaded - SFGATE Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. "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. She also worked at the Yosemite Institute with Kidd, and though the two werent friends, they did know each other. Eugene "Rufus" Dykes, 32, also of Modesto and Larwick's half-brother was arrested in March. I was blessed to have known and loved her. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, the FBI said Stayner confessed killing Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26. A large search turned up nothing. Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. She was a vegetarian. Stayner was arrested at a California nudist colony and soon admitted to all four killings, claiming he'd had urges to kill women for thirty years. A system error has occurred. Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. And this time I want to hear, 'Tell me what the victim perceived. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. 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. Now she knew why they could not say whether the body they found had red hair. Former FBI agent Jeff Rinek, who used his refined interrogation technique, recalls what he learned from Cary Stayner's confession to killing park naturalist Joie Armstrong in 1999. Upon his July 23 release, Stayner returned to the lodge and tried to quickly sell his belongings, police said, before he packed up and left, later arriving at the nudist colony Laguna del Sol, where he began living in a tent. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. She was working for the Yosemite Institute for the past year and had worked on education programs through a partnership with the National Park Service. Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. "She truly strived to be the best that she could be.". Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. 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 the investigation said. Her mother had been dating him and he had decided to kill them on Valentines Day. 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. Failed to report flower. It shows Vista Point. Rinek explained. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. Oops, something didn't work. Are you sure that you want to delete this flower? "It becomes clear to me that he's just this big emotionless monster, and Joie comes across as heroic 'cause she was a fighter. "Because in the letter of apology, theres always something that I didnt think of or that I missed in the interview.". Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. FBI agent Nick Rossi said on February 26, "At this point, we have not yet uncovered evidence to allow us to determine conclusively whether this was a tragic accident or a criminal act. Two weeks later, FBI agent James Maddock, now placed in charge of the investigation, told the press, "We feel almost certain that the women were victims of a violent crime.". He couldnt believe it. Stayner was arrested Saturday at a nudist colony near Wilton, California, after someone there heard news reports about the wanted man and called authorities. Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. Joie Ruth Armstrong (1972-1999) - Find a Grave Memorial Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. 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. Now, 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong was missing. Stayner said to investigators I want you to get a hold of some producers in Los Angeles. What were your feelings? The next day, in the same place, the police found twenty-six-year-old Joie Armstrong's headless body half underwater in a creek. 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. Arrested on an unrelated drug charge, he has been questioned about the Yosemite case. Yosemite West, Mariposa County, California, USA. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, was found Thursday near a stream. She was a vegetarian. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. Many of the mourners who passed through Armstrong's home Tuesday declined interviews, and someone hung handmade cardboard signs on nearby pine trees that requested. He rented a room above the Cedar Lodge and did odd jobs around the hotel. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. Through the media, authorities alerted the public to be on the lookout for Stayner. When he was picked up,. On July 21, 1999, 26-year-old Joie Armstrong, a park naturalist, was packing for a trip to join friends. 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. cemeteries found in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Stayner, a motel handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, Calif., was arrested Saturday, July. Slain Naturalist's Relative in Same Jail as Stayner Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. 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. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. After a couple of weeks, he upped the sum to $300,000. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". He did feel, however, that the FBI spared nothing to investigate the earlier killings. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. Joie was the fourth woman murdered in the Sierras in five months. Officials there were not available for comment Friday morning. Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY, Jan. 25 at 10 p.m. He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. In 1999, four women were murdered in Yosemite National Park. Out of respect for his family and the victim's family, we don't want to say anymore." He looked into the ditch where it lay and found something else, the decapitated body of a young woman. < 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'. The deranged woman-hating lunatic responsible turned out to be Cedar Lodge's handyman Cary Stayner. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. This account has been disabled. It was around this time that Carl Stayner first began to talk about Bigfoot. 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. 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. Hed been living under investigators noses for five months. Upon release, the FBI warned him not to leave El Portal. Whatever this is that's inside you, you need to get it out. When Steven didnt return from school that afternoon, his parents sounded the alarm. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. Management found him a hard worker and honest. Mariposa police arrested Stayner that same day for smoking marijuana and questioned him, but somehow due to a clerical error, he was released from custody overnight, Rinek said. Im just horrified when I think of what happened in that room, what my daughter felt when she realized she was in serious trouble, said Carole Carrington as she asked the judge to sentence Stayner to death. Stevens homecoming made him a celebrity. See also. Why did you do this? We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. The suspect, Cary Stayner, 37, had been one of the people questioned after the triple killings in February, but, at that time no evidence linked him directly to the crime and he had been released. Ham, who has known. Her head wasn't found until later. Handyman Admits to 4 Killings | AP News 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. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. They called police when she didnt show up to meet up with them as planned. He was absolutely certain it existed and whether he feared or identified with it, the thought of this remarkable cryptid took over his imagination. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Thus, his confession has seen police departments all across the region reopen a number of long-dormant murder cases that he may have been involved in. There was an error deleting this problem. ET on ABC. 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. "He was spunky. Everyone worried that something terrible had befallen her. Joies white pickup truck was still parked in the driveway when park rangers and police arrived. It was the worst and best moment of my career," Rinek said. She had planned to spend the weekend visiting friends in Sausalito but never showed. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Many local residents were convinced that no one person could have created so much horror, "'The logistics of it say it had to involve more than one person, said Letty Carolyn Barry, owner of the Yosemite Rosebud Lodge, west of Cedar Lodge. "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. Thats when I pulled out the gun and put it to her head. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. 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. 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. Cary Stayner: The Yosemite Killer | The Scare Chamber He recalled the abducted tourists case in sharp detail. The month before, Carole Sund, her teenage daughter Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso, a young exchange student from Argentina, had gone missing from their room at the Cedar Lodge just outside of the park.