Case 154

Steven Stayner

When seven-year-old Steven Stayner fails to return home from school on December 4 1972, life changes irrevocably for the Stayner family. As the years pass by with no sign of their beloved son and brother, they do their best to adjust to life without him. 

Years later, another young boy named Timmy White goes missing under similar circumstances. Although there’s nothing to link the two disappearances, a connection soon emerges that no one could have seen coming.

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research – Jessica Forsayeth

Writing – Elsha McGill

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

RESOURCES

 

BOOKS:

I know my first name is Steven – by Echols, M. (1999), Pinnacle Press: Ohio

From victim to hero: The untold story of Steven Stayner – by Laughter, J. (2010), Buoy Up Press

 

COURT DOCUMENTS:

Parnell v Superior Court (People) (1981)
[Civ. No. 50913. Court of Appeals of California, First Appellate District, Division Two. May 21, 1981.]

The People v Kenneth Parnell A106798
(Alameda County Super. Ct. No. C144699)

 

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES:

Vast hunt on for missing Merced boy – (AP) for the Oakland Tribune, published 8 December 1972, retrieved 9 February 2020

Merced boy still missing – (AP Merced) for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, published 10 December 1972, retrieved 10 February 2020

Stevie’s Yule gifts still unopened – by Larry Carroll, for the Los Angeles Times, published 28 December 1972, retrieved 10 February 2020

Reward upped – (UPI) for The Napa Valley Register, published 15 May 1973, retrieved 10 February 2020

Boy’s family’s hopes stay alive for Stevie’s return home – by Larry Carroll, for the Fresno Bee, published 12 December 1973, retrieved 10 February 2020

Parents believe Stevie alive after two years – by William Schiffman, for The Indiana Gazette, published 5 December 1974, retrieved 10 February 2020

Friend calls hostage case figure ‘poor, sick, creature’ – by Anne Richards for The Bakersfield Californian, published 19 August 1977, retrieved 10 February 2020

An emotional homecoming in Merced – (UPI) for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 3 March 1980, retrieved 10 February 2020

Kidnap case has happy ending – by Steve Hart for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 3 March 1980, retrieved 10 February 2020

Kidnap suspect a personable guy – author unknown for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 3 March 1980, retrieved 10 February 2020

Neighbours suspected nothing – (AP) for The Berkeley Gazette, Berkeley, California, published 3 March 1980, retrieved 10 February 2020

Suspect is held in Ukiah – author unknown for The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 3 Match 1980, retrieved 11 February 2020

Strange tale of a drifter and his ‘son’ – by Lewis Leader and Peter H. King for The San Francisco Examiner, published 3 March 1980, retrieved 17 February 2020

After 7 years of agony, a family is whole again – by Grahame L. Jones for The Los Angeles Times, published 4 March 1980, retrieved 17 February 2020

Missing boy, life in the one-room cabin described as ‘boring’ – by Steven Capps for The Hanford Sentinel, California, published 4 March 1980, retrieved 17 February 2020

Kidnapper in notorious 1972 case faces new charges – by Kim Curtis (AP) for The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, California, published 5 January 2003, retrieved 17 February 2020

Parnell admits attempt to buy boy – (AP) for The Californian, Salinas, California, published 10 January 2003, retrieved 17 February 2020

Timmy White case, Kenneth Parnell arrest revives memories of 1980 abduction – by Glenda Anderson for The Ukiah Daily Journal, Ukiah, California, published 11 January 2003, retrieved 17 February 2020

Stayner kidnapper back in court on boy buying charge – by Michelle Locke (AP) for The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, published 3 February 2004, retrieved 17 February 2020

Molester gets life term for attempt to buy a boy – (AP) for The Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles, California, published 16 April 2004, retrieved 18 February 2020

Kidnap accomplice released – by Bob Klose for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 2 June 1983, retrieved 19 February 2020

Suspect enters not guilty plea in Stayner’s hit and run death – by Ken Chavez for The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 21 September 1989, retrieved 20 February 2020

Man sentenced to 3 months jail in Stayner hit-run case – author unknown for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 5 January 1990, retrieved 20 February 2020

Parnell case molestation filed again – (Merced UPI) for the Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 30 April 1980, retrieved 9 March 2020

Parnell hearing testimony unveiled – (Merced UPI) for the Hanford Sentinel, Hanford, California, published 3 May 1980, retrieved 9 March 2020

A second look/kidnapping nightmare seems like a dream now – by Carol Pogash and Mike Lassiter for The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, California, published 26 May 1980, retrieved 9 March 2020

Parnell doubts his chance for a fair trial – by Brian Clark for The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 7 August 1980, retrieved 9 March 2020

Timmy White: ‘no scars’ – by Susan Schwartz for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, published 8 February 1981, retrieved 10 March 2020

DA raps Parnell ‘smoke screen’ – by Jim Wood for The San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco, California, published 29 June 1981, retrieved 10 March 2020

Kidnap victim’s brainwashing stressed – (Hayward AP) for The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 18 December 1981, retrieved 10 March 2020

Parnell’s friend admits he has ‘no excuse’ – by Jim Wood for The San Francisco Examiner, published 23 December 1981, retrieved 10 March 2020

Stayners say Steven recovering from ordeal – by Catherine Wilson (Merced AP) for The Press Democrat, Santa Rosa, California, printed 2 March 1985, retrieved 10 March 2020

Merced DA suggests second Parnell trial – by Peter Page for Ukiah Daily Journal, Ukiah, California, published 9 April 1985, retrieved 11 March 2020

Kidnapping fades in Stayner’s mind – by Travis Brown for The Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, California, published 22 April 1986, retrieved 11 March 2020

 

ONLINE ARTICLES:

Timothy White, victim of a notorious 1980 kidnapping, dies at 35 – (AP) for The New York Times, published 10 April 2010, retrieved 17 February 2020

Timmy White, 1980 Ukiah kidnap victim, dead at 35 – by Glenda Anderson for The Press Democrat, published 8 April 2010, retrieved 17 February 2020

Statue honors Steven Stayner’s legacy – by Victor Patton for The Merced Sun Star, published 30 August 2010, retrieved 17 February 2020

24 years after Ukiah abduction, White again faces Parnell – by Glenn Chapman for the Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California, published 5 February 2004, retrieved 11 March 2020

 

VIDEOS:

20/20 Evil in Eden, Pt 1 – Two brothers tied to Yosemite, one a hero, the other a monster – by ABC News 20/20. Uploaded 26 January 2019, retrieved 9 February 2020

California 101: Mendocino County road trip – by Visit California. Uploaded 9 January 2020, retrieved 9 February 2020

20/20 Evil in Eden, Pt 2 – Steven Stayner’s abduction changes family’s life forever – by ABC News 20/20. Uploaded 26 January 2019, retrieved 11 February 2020

Steven Stayner Interview – March 14, 1980 – by ABC News. Uploaded 31 January 2019, retrieved 13 February 2020

E.T. report on ‘I know my name first name is Steven’ – by Entertainment Tonight. Uploaded 17 January 2018, retrieved 13 February 2020

20/20 Evil in Eden, Pt 3 – Steven Stayner escaped captor, returns home after seven years – by ABC News 20/20. Uploaded 26 January 2019, retrieved 17 February 2020

20/20 Evil in Eden, Pt 4 – Cary Stayner takes refuge in Yosemite – by ABC News 20/20. Uploaded 26 January 2019, retrieved 17 February 2020

KMST News Nightwatch – 4/9/85 – pt 1 of 3, by 80sCommercialVault. Uploaded 14 July 2009, retrieved 17 February 2020

 

 

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