After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five, less time than he held Steven captive. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. Her head was later discovered in a stream - a stream she and her friends used to drink . The next day, in the same place, the police found twenty-six-year-old Joie Armstrong's headless body half underwater in a creek. Hed been living under investigators noses for five months. According to an affidavit, during an interview with FBI agents, Stayner "made statements to the agents in which he admitted killing Joie Ruth Armstrong" last Wednesday. All of sudden, it's here again.". Joies head sat nearby. Armstrong led nature tours in Yosemite National Park. 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. Officials there were not available for comment Friday morning. Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. based on information from your browser. Cedar Lodge, 9966 CA-140, El Portal, CA 95318. Soon after, Steven Stayner later went to police with Timmy. The dramatic story was told in the 1989 television movie, I Know My First Name Is Steven.. Listen to Yosemite serial killer's never-before-broadcast confession tapes, "It seemed like she was alone. "The girl I was seeing and her daughters were my original intended targets.". Thats when I pulled out the gun and put it to her head. After graduation from Merced (California) High School, Stayner worked as a window installer at a glass company. Maria Ledbetter, 24, of Modesto, an admitted methamphetamine addict and former girlfriend of Dykes, about whom she was questioned extensively. 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. Now, 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong was missing. Arrested on an unrelated drug charge, he has been questioned about the Yosemite case. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. Both boys were reunited with their families shortly after arriving at the police station. Rangers found her body at about 1 p.m. Thursday near the living quarters she shared with a man and a woman at employee housing units just west of the Crane Flat campground. His mother became cold and distant towards her children and the father was openly devastated by the loss of his favorite son. "[The judge] sentenced Cary to death, and they took him out of the courthouse. July 26, 1999 They had been hosting Silvina, who was a foreign exchange student from Argentina and a friend of Juli's, She was spending three months with the family. Search above to list available cemeteries. See also. Add to your scrapbook. The death-penalty trial of Cary Stayner was moved from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, CA. She also worked at the Yosemite Institute with Kidd, and though the two weren't friends, they did know each other. One colorful sign decorated with red hearts read "Let Foresta Heal." 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 National Park. I guess I was jealous. It was badly decomposed and her throat had been cut. Stayner, clad in a red jail jumpsuit, bowed his head but showed no emotion as Judge Hastings sentenced him to death three times, once for each murder, after returning to the courtroom. Neither the head nor the murderer has ever been found. On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. Her body was found 27 feet away from her head in a drainage ditch. Unofficially, Jens Sund offered a $250,000 reward for information that would lead to the return of the missing women. Vacuum sweepings were taken from inside Joies house, where Stayner claims to have bound her with duct tape, yielded hair evidence. More than a thousand leads, they confessed, produced nothing. Stayner eventually brought Rinek and Boles to the places he discussed during his confession and the evidence they would be able to find there. What were you feeling? Billy Joe Strange, 39, an El Portal parolee who worked at the Cedar Lodge lounge and restaurant, where the murdered women were last seen. How can one family, contain two completely contrasting children? Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. 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. After a couple of weeks, he upped the sum to $300,000. They began searching the area. 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. You can always change this later in your Account settings. They had stayed at the motel where Stayner worked. Make sure that the file is a photo. He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. During the session, an unexpected event occurred. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". But, says Delbert, puberty-aged Cary endured some emotional hardships because of that incident. Parnell worked at the Yosemite Lodge, located about two hours away from the Stayner home. Local police and Yosemite Park Rangers began to search the area where the missing three were last seen. He also struggled in high school where he was bullied for the abuse he had endured. Yosemite West, Mariposa County, California, USA. "That house had her prints all over it," said family friend Ken Skalitzky of Atlanta, who had known Joie Armstrong since she was a baby. There is a problem with your email/password. The search team split up into five groups, searching nearby and far afield. His distraught parents undertook a veritable quest to find him. July 26, 1999. Weve updated the security on the site. Suddenly, Kidd spotted a key ring glinting in the sun. 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. In his interview, Stayner claimed that hair from his body was left on the bedspread in their motel room, but he returned later and changed the bed. He paid a local kid to ride with him to the town of Ukiah, California and he told to go and find him a boy. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. Movies. But unbeknownst to them, the real killer, Cary Stayner, was still working at Cedar Lodge, living on the premises and was an active member of the community. Her head wasn't found until later. Eventually, investigators found Armstrong's body near a stream in the woods about a half mile away from the cabin. How could something so inhuman happen someplace so idyllic and far from the corruption of modern society? 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. The Stayners put up billboards, passed out leaflets, and even consulted psychics to find him to no avail. Oops, something didn't work. A week later, the FBI received an anonymous tip that led to Julis corpse. The Stayner family was made up of two brothers, three sisters, and parents Kay and Delbert. "He was spunky. "Had we not gotten Stayner, they could've been next," said Boles. English There was a dramatic period of silence after Rinek invited Stayner to continue opening up, Rinek said. 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. He also explained that he worked as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Her decapitated body was found near a wilderness stream the next day. 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. She turned around and freaked out.". It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. There, they got a room with a plan to stay for a few days. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. "We needed [him] to be very calm and very thoughtful and to just give us an accounting of everything that happened.". The FBI Laboratory has also found possible bodily fluid stains on a bed sheet taken from her residence. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. 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. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. The judge said there was overwhelming evidence against Stayner and that the devastating emotional toll justified execution. When Steven Stayner was 14, Parnell got a local kid to help him kidnap another child, 5-year-old Timmy White. He did feel, however, that the FBI spared nothing to investigate the earlier killings. Stayner is suspected in the killings of Julie Sund, left, and Silvina Pelosso FBI agents had questioned Stayner after. In the Bureau's mind, this time it had the right man. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Thanks for your help! All of its been bad, Delbert Stayner said of his familys life. The bodies of Carole Sund and Pelosso were later found burned beyond recognition in the trunk of Carole Sunds rental car. "I'm confident we've done everything that could be reasonably done.". It was buried in the underbrush near the Don Pedro Reservoir, a few miles away from the logging trail where the car had been found. 6. Management found him a hard worker and honest. This account has been disabled. How Yosemite serial killer chose his fourth victim. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. When Steven didnt return from school that afternoon, his parents sounded the alarm. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. 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. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. The large cabin that Armstrong shared with a friend and a boyfriend is located in Foresta, a tiny town just inside Yosemite park gates on Old Coulterville Road, 4 miles from El Portal. Try again later. Joie Ruth Armstrong's decapitated body was found in July 1999 close to Yosemite. cemeteries found in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. By this point, Cary Stayner had a couple of nervous breakdowns. 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. Armstrong, a graduate of California State University at Chico, had worked for the institute for two years. 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. 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. Despite this, he never appeared to behave lewdly nor perversely in public. A woman named Lenna learned in 1999 that her mother, her sister and her had nearly been murdered by Cary Stayner. This is a carousel with slides. Stayner spent his downtime by the rivers, getting high and skinny dipping, police said. . Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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. 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.. This time, Stayner became a suspect based on a car seen at the scene. 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. Im so proud of the way Carole and Juli lived, and Im so ashamed of Stayner.. He was also angry about how his truck had been searched. Juli Sund, one of the earlier victims, was cut so deeply across her throat. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA California It is the same garden that her mother, Leslie Armstrong, asked FBI agents to continue watering when they sealed off the property and searched it for evidence after Joie Armstrong's murder. 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. In 1999, four women were murdered in Yosemite National Park. Jeffrey Wayne Keeney, 32, of Modesto. One afternoon, Steven Stayner disappeared without a trace as he was walking home from school down Yosemite Highway. That evening, the group grabbed some videos from the lodge's service desk to watch in their room. She was a vegetarian. Joies white pickup truck was still parked in the driveway when park rangers and police arrived. And now so had Joie Armstrong. Her decapitated body was discovered Thursday near her home in the. Previously, the defense had maintained that the FBI had coerced the confession. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. The complex is located in a fairly wooded area with a few large meadows. 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. 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. A system error has occurred. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. He would use his position to gain access to his victims. Not for himself, but so that the royalties can ultimately be used to compensate the victims families. Or certainly, nothing noticed by his colleagues at the motel. But where was Juli? Cary Stayner is escorted by Mariposa County Sheriff's deputies to a transport van, Jan. 23, 2002, at the Mariposa County Courthouse in Mariposa, Calif. Cary Stayner is shown in a 1979 Merced High School yearbook photo. 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. 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. Kenneth"Soldier" Stewart, 24, a former cellmate of Dykes who was charged with attempted murder. By the end of June, the FBI had reviewed the testimonies and the evidence linked to the suspects in custody. In the following months, the FBI announced that they believed the people responsible for the murders were in custody. July 24thCary Stayner is arrested at Laguna Del Sol Nudist Camp. Armstrong spent months with her grandmother as she underwent chemotherapy, Ham said. He has admitted to the crime, saying in a television interview Monday that he had a longtime fantasy about killing women and that voices in his head prompted him to slay Armstrong during a chance meeting. 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. Thats not your everyday request, and he said not just a couple, three to four images," said Boles. 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. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" "My wife Lori and I, were at our best when were helping people, and we dont necessarily decide who were going to help and who were not going to help.". 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. Soon enough, Park rangers spotted the vehicle parked near the Merced River Canyon, right outside the entrance to the park. Cary Stayner kills his fourth victim The day Armstrong disappeared, Cary Stayner was driving his car to Foresta when he saw the young woman. Stayner was convicted in both state and federal courts. Friends would say the younger Stayner never got his life back together after his ordeal. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. ", 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. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Cary was questioned but never charged. "It becomes clear to me that he's just this big emotionless monster, and Joie comes across as heroic 'cause she was a fighter. Stayner, a motel handyman at the Cedar Lodge in El Portal, Calif., was arrested Saturday, July. One brother was subjected to just unspeakable horror for years, but by all appearances, he was a happy-go-lucky, jovial kid with a girlfriend. The 38-year-old then proceeded to confess to not only Joie Armstrongs murder, but the murders of Carole, Juli, and Silvina. Armstrong recently climbed to the summit of Mount Shasta and part way up El Capitan in Yosemite. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. A naturalist with the Yosemite Institute, she was last seen alive leaving her office in Yosemite Valley about 5 p.m. Wednesday. 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. Little does he realize, the true monster was him all along. At that point, Rinek said he feared Stayner would refuse to continue to confess. Eventually, the family moved on, but one day, Cary heard on the radio that 14-year-old Steven had escaped from his abductor and was returning home. In Yosemite, Leslie Armstrong of Orlando, Fla., reflected on the shock of the past week. Sorry! 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. He had no criminal record and his only encounter with the law was for marijuana use in 1997. She and I were neighbors and co-workers at the Headlands Institute in Marin. Chief James Maddock said he himself questioned whether the Bureau could have done anything to prevent Armstrong's killing. On days off he would escape to Laguna Del Sol, a nudist colony in Sacramento County. Her headless body was found . Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY, Jan. 25 at 10 p.m. The car described was known to people in the area as Stayners car, and the FBI began looking for him as a potential witness to interview about Armstrongs murder. Resend Activation Email. He usually ate lunch and dinner at the motel restaurant. A park official speaking on condition of anonymity said Armstrong had been decapitated, and that as far as he knew, she was clothed. Latent fingerprints were also been lifted from the interior of Joie Armstrong's truck, which Stayner admits to touching during his encounter with her. The idyllic setting, a grassy meadow dusted with wildflowers and roaming butterflies, contrasts sharply with the grisly details of her death. She nagged them about recycling and using Styrofoam, they said. Try again. Why did you do that? Through the media, authorities alerted the public to be on the lookout for Stayner. "He asked me if I thought it was just, and I told him absolutely no," said Rinek, who 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. At that time, the Bureau stated that, while no one had yet been charged, it felt that those responsible for killing the three women at Yosemite were already behind bars. Rinek said it was important for him to not show judgment or emotion. He died in jail in 2008 at the age of 76. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. When he was picked up,. It was 100 miles from the Cedar Lodge. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Joie Armstrong and her grandmother had grown extremely close since Leslie Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer in April, said family friend Anita Ham. He at some points was shuddering, with crying and tears, but for the purposes of what I wanted him to do," Rinek said. 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. "'Deep in my heart I know something my mind does not want to learn,' said Gina,13. What were your feelings? Stayner failed to show up for work Friday _ his first absence in a year . "I'd been gone for most of the day off the property. FBI agents had questioned Stayner after the body was found -- even searching his backpack for her head -- but let him go. Web posted at: 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT). Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6753355/joie-ruth-armstrong. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Verify and try again. Teresa Kay Gray, 36, of Modesto. Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites. A large search turned up nothing. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. Still, people were suspicious. She was later killed by Cary Stayner, a worker at Cedar Lodge outside of Yosemite National Park. Please reset your password. She called the FBI to alert them of Stayners location. "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. When she did not appear as planned, her would-be host had phoned the park. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. In an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, the FBI said Stayner confessed killing Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26. Investigators brought a cadaver dog to the area and quickly found Juli Sunds body. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Brady Schwartz, 18, is accused of. In a voice that seemed relieved to be unburdened from its depth a long-kept secret, Stayner blurted, "I am guilty. On the way to his police interview he confessed to a detective in the car to murdering Joie Armstrong, describing the brutal killing "as if he was reading a soup label," said John Boles, another FBI agent on the case. "He has entrusted in me the gift of his confession, and it is my obligation to show him that Im worthy of it," Rinek said. Rinek recalled the moment Stayner took them to where he disposed of evidence in both murder cases. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. She got to spend good time with her child before she was murdered," Ham said. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. They no longer want you.. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Stayner, from Merced, California, was the older brother of Steven Stayner. 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'. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. "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. 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. 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. Stevens homecoming made him a celebrity. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. He looked into the ditch where it lay and found something else, the decapitated body of a young woman. What were you going to do next? Although most of the stains were likely to include Armstrong's blood, Stayner was observed to have a laceration on his hand during his interrogation, and therefore may have been cut and bled during the attack. They found no sign of the missing woman but did discover footprints, broken saplings, and the trampled evidence of what appeared to be a recent chase through the woods. Her slaying was a federal case because her body was found in the national park. Year should not be greater than current year. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Stayner then detailed the murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. To use this feature, use a newer browser. The Yosemite Institute is a nonprofit group that runs education programs through a partnership with the park service. They said he was cooperative and agreed to talk with them. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. 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. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. "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. Carole Sund's and Pelosso's bodies were found on March 19 in their burned-out rental car on the Sonora Pass highway; Juli Sund's body was found near Don Pedro Reservoir a week later. Menu. In this, he calmly reviewed how he strangled 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the motel bathtub and how he sexually assaulted Juli Sund for hours before brutally cutting her throat.
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