On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, Steven Stayner was approached by "Reverend" Kenneth Parnell while walking home from school. Parnell asked Steven if his mother might make a donation to his church. Although Steven had been told not to speak to strangers, he thought the man was nice, and believing Parnell to be the pastor of a church, he believed it was safe. Steven accepted an offer of a ride home. Steven questioned Parnell when they drove past Steven's home, but Parnell ignored the boy. Parnell took Steven to his cabin which, unknown to Steven, was located several hundred feet from Steven's grandfather's residence. Steven found several toys in the cabin, and
told Parnell he was going to give them to his sisters and brothers when he went home. Parnell's accomplice in the abduction was Edward Ervin Murphy, known as "Uncle Murph" to Steven. Parnell molested Steven that first night.
Parnell began calling the boy Dennis Gregory Parnell, telling people that he was his son. "Dennis" and Parnell moved frequently around California, with Parnell enrolling him into a series of schools. He allowed Steven to begin smoking at a young age. One of the few positive aspects of Steven's life with Parnell was his dog, a Manchester Terrier whom Steven named Queenie. This dog had been given to Parnell by his mother, who was not aware of "Dennis's" existence during the period Steven was living with Parnell.
Parnell repeatedly molested the boy, starting with oral sex and moving onto sodomy. Parnell also babysat for the parents of one of Steven's friends, Kenny. Kenny's mother, Barbara, who was always fighting with her alcoholic husband Bob, eventually moved in with Parnell and "Dennis". One evening, "Dennis" was invited into bed with Parnell and Barbara, and the nine-year-old boy was forced to have sex with her. Eventually, Parnell and Barbara separated, and Parnell began sexually abusing Steven again. As Steven grew older, Parnell allowed him to start drinking alcohol. As Steven entered puberty, Parnell began to look for a younger child to kidnap. On February 14, 1980, Parnell and Sean Poorman, one of Steven's high school buddies, kidnapped five-year-old Timmy White in Ukiah, California. Motivated in part by the young boy's distress, Steven decided to escape with him, intending to return the boy to his parents and then escape himself (Steven believed that Parnell had legal custody of him). On March 1, 1980, while Parnell was away at his night security job, Steven left with Timmy and hitchhiked into Ukiah. Unable to locate Timmy's home address, he decided to have Timmy walk into the police department to ask for help, before escaping himself. Before he could successfully escape, the police spotted the two boys and took them into custody. Steven immediately identified Timmy White and then revealed his own true identity and story.
By daybreak on March 2, 1980, Parnell had been arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. After the police checked into Parnell's background they found a previous sodomy conviction from 1951. Both children were reunited with their families that day. In 1981, Parnell was tried and convicted of kidnapping Timmy and Steven in two separate trials. He was sentenced to seven years but was paroled after serving five years. Parnell was not charged with the numerous sexual assaults on Steven Stayner and other boys, as most occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Merced county prosecutor or were by then outside the statute of limitations. The Mendocino County prosecutors, acting almost entirely alone, decided not to prosecute the sexual assaults that occurred in their jurisdiction. This is likely due to the prosecutors believing they were "protecting" Steven because "rape and molestation victims" were seen as "damaged goods" as well as the Stayner parents not wanting him to talk about Parnell's crimes. Murphy and Poorman who had helped abduct Timmy White were convicted of lesser charges. Both claimed they knew nothing of the sexual assaults on Steven. Barbara was never arrested. Steven remembered the kindness "Uncle" Murphy had shown him in his first week of captivity while they were both under the influence of Parnell's manipulation, and believed Murphy to be as much Parnell's victim as Steven and Timmy were.
Parnell's prison sentence for the abduction of Steven and Timmy was considerably less than the seven years he had kept Steven prisoner. Steven's kidnapping and its aftermath prompted California lawmakers to change state laws "to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases.''
Steven married Jody Edmondson on June 13, 1985, and they went on to have two children, a son and daughter.
told Parnell he was going to give them to his sisters and brothers when he went home. Parnell's accomplice in the abduction was Edward Ervin Murphy, known as "Uncle Murph" to Steven. Parnell molested Steven that first night.
Parnell began calling the boy Dennis Gregory Parnell, telling people that he was his son. "Dennis" and Parnell moved frequently around California, with Parnell enrolling him into a series of schools. He allowed Steven to begin smoking at a young age. One of the few positive aspects of Steven's life with Parnell was his dog, a Manchester Terrier whom Steven named Queenie. This dog had been given to Parnell by his mother, who was not aware of "Dennis's" existence during the period Steven was living with Parnell.
Parnell repeatedly molested the boy, starting with oral sex and moving onto sodomy. Parnell also babysat for the parents of one of Steven's friends, Kenny. Kenny's mother, Barbara, who was always fighting with her alcoholic husband Bob, eventually moved in with Parnell and "Dennis". One evening, "Dennis" was invited into bed with Parnell and Barbara, and the nine-year-old boy was forced to have sex with her. Eventually, Parnell and Barbara separated, and Parnell began sexually abusing Steven again. As Steven grew older, Parnell allowed him to start drinking alcohol. As Steven entered puberty, Parnell began to look for a younger child to kidnap. On February 14, 1980, Parnell and Sean Poorman, one of Steven's high school buddies, kidnapped five-year-old Timmy White in Ukiah, California. Motivated in part by the young boy's distress, Steven decided to escape with him, intending to return the boy to his parents and then escape himself (Steven believed that Parnell had legal custody of him). On March 1, 1980, while Parnell was away at his night security job, Steven left with Timmy and hitchhiked into Ukiah. Unable to locate Timmy's home address, he decided to have Timmy walk into the police department to ask for help, before escaping himself. Before he could successfully escape, the police spotted the two boys and took them into custody. Steven immediately identified Timmy White and then revealed his own true identity and story.
By daybreak on March 2, 1980, Parnell had been arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. After the police checked into Parnell's background they found a previous sodomy conviction from 1951. Both children were reunited with their families that day. In 1981, Parnell was tried and convicted of kidnapping Timmy and Steven in two separate trials. He was sentenced to seven years but was paroled after serving five years. Parnell was not charged with the numerous sexual assaults on Steven Stayner and other boys, as most occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Merced county prosecutor or were by then outside the statute of limitations. The Mendocino County prosecutors, acting almost entirely alone, decided not to prosecute the sexual assaults that occurred in their jurisdiction. This is likely due to the prosecutors believing they were "protecting" Steven because "rape and molestation victims" were seen as "damaged goods" as well as the Stayner parents not wanting him to talk about Parnell's crimes. Murphy and Poorman who had helped abduct Timmy White were convicted of lesser charges. Both claimed they knew nothing of the sexual assaults on Steven. Barbara was never arrested. Steven remembered the kindness "Uncle" Murphy had shown him in his first week of captivity while they were both under the influence of Parnell's manipulation, and believed Murphy to be as much Parnell's victim as Steven and Timmy were.
Parnell's prison sentence for the abduction of Steven and Timmy was considerably less than the seven years he had kept Steven prisoner. Steven's kidnapping and its aftermath prompted California lawmakers to change state laws "to allow consecutive prison terms in similar abduction cases.''
Steven married Jody Edmondson on June 13, 1985, and they went on to have two children, a son and daughter.
On September 16, 1989, just before 5:00pm PDT while riding home after his shift at Pizza Hut, his motorcycle was involved in a collision with a car that pulled out into traffic. Steven received head injuries that were to prove fatal; he died at the Merced Community Medical Center at 5:35pm. He was driving without a license (suspended for a third time due to excessive traffic violations and without his helmet, which had been stolen a few days before. Over 500 people attended his funeral, including then-14-year-old Timmy White, who helped carry Steven's coffin into the church. Steven had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just prior to his death.
he is a Patron saint in LoveTarian
saint- to Missing & Exploited Children, People who have criminals in the family,
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