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And in Northern California
this morning...
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00:00:04,244 --> 00:00:07,814
It may be one of the most
unusual kidnap cases ever...
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00:00:08,448 --> 00:00:11,568
A 14-year-old boy who had been
missing for seven years...
4
00:00:12,292 --> 00:00:14,622
...began telling authorities
an incredible story...
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00:00:14,615 --> 00:00:16,775
...an unusual story...
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00:00:20,621 --> 00:00:24,341
14-year-old Steven Stayner
has been missing since 1972.
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00:00:24,344 --> 00:00:25,914
The suspect drove up in a car,
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00:00:25,906 --> 00:00:28,186
offering to give the boy
a ride home.
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00:00:28,188 --> 00:00:30,188
ANCHOR: This is how
Steven Stayner looked
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00:00:30,190 --> 00:00:33,430
when he disappeared at age 7
seven years ago.
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00:00:33,433 --> 00:00:34,683
This is Steven today.
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00:00:34,675 --> 00:00:36,755
Steve's mother was quoted
as saying,
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00:00:36,757 --> 00:00:38,277
"I told everyone from
the beginning..."
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00:00:38,278 --> 00:00:41,158
"...that he would
come back to us."
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00:00:41,161 --> 00:00:43,761
ANCHOR: Just about everyone
is calling it a miracle.
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00:00:45,926 --> 00:00:48,126
ANCHOR: This was a story
that just had to be told.
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00:00:48,128 --> 00:00:50,848
C camera, mark!
18
00:00:50,851 --> 00:00:53,051
Now the bizarre story
of Steven Stayner
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00:00:53,053 --> 00:00:55,663
is the subject
of an upcoming mini series.
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00:00:55,656 --> 00:00:56,896
TVM DELL: Kay,
is that really Stevie?
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00:00:56,897 --> 00:01:00,457
Yeah, it's him.
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It's Stevie.
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00:01:03,103 --> 00:01:05,473
It's called "I Know
My First Name is Steven"...
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00:01:05,465 --> 00:01:07,425
...and it is a thought-provoking
mini series
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00:01:07,427 --> 00:01:10,827
about a California
kidnap victim.
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00:01:10,831 --> 00:01:12,431
ANCHOR:
If someone had written a script
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00:01:12,432 --> 00:01:14,272
with all the elements
of your story,
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00:01:14,274 --> 00:01:17,884
it probably would be rejected
because it's so incredible.
29
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I know my first name is Steven.
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00:01:20,681 --> 00:01:22,561
This is a storybook ending.
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I think we all can agree
with that.
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A bizarre story
with a happy ending.
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00:01:31,011 --> 00:01:33,331
Well, everybody wants
a happy ending.
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00:01:36,497 --> 00:01:40,897
And not very many true stories
are a happy ending.
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00:01:43,183 --> 00:01:47,393
You would definitely think
something like this is made up.
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00:01:47,387 --> 00:01:50,187
It's unreal to find out
that somebody
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00:01:50,190 --> 00:01:53,150
that is your blood
could do something like that.
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00:01:54,354 --> 00:02:00,804
How much more can happen
in one lifetime in one family?
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00:02:04,284 --> 00:02:08,454
You can't make a movie about
something like this happening.
40
00:02:08,448 --> 00:02:12,128
It doesn't...
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00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:13,412
Mm.
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[ Theme music plays ]
43
00:03:02,422 --> 00:03:05,432
[ Somber music plays ]
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00:03:28,088 --> 00:03:31,288
TVM CARY: Stevie!
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Stevie!
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[ Music stops ]
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00:04:31,712 --> 00:04:36,402
ASHLEY: We have two boxes filled
with my dad's stuff.
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00:04:38,759 --> 00:04:42,879
I've never really wanted
to look through them.
49
00:04:42,883 --> 00:04:45,893
Oh, clippings.
50
00:04:45,886 --> 00:04:47,646
Steven Stayner.
51
00:04:47,648 --> 00:04:49,328
Look at his pictures.
52
00:04:51,411 --> 00:04:55,181
I'm scared there's a lot
of personal things in there.
53
00:04:55,175 --> 00:04:57,295
I feel like I have to be
in the right state of mind
54
00:04:57,297 --> 00:04:58,937
in order to do it.
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00:04:58,939 --> 00:05:04,629
Ad I just haven't really been
in that state of mind.
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00:05:04,625 --> 00:05:08,465
[ Somber music plays ]
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00:05:08,468 --> 00:05:10,748
WOMAN: This is scene Ashley,
Take 1 marker.
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00:05:13,514 --> 00:05:15,964
My name is
Ashley Lewella Stayner,
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00:05:15,956 --> 00:05:19,596
and I am the daughter
of Steven Stayner.
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00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,840
The original, Ash.
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00:05:22,843 --> 00:05:24,573
Oh, wow.
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00:05:24,565 --> 00:05:26,045
That's the one they used.
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00:05:26,046 --> 00:05:29,326
STEVEN JR.:
That is the one they used, yup.
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00:05:29,329 --> 00:05:30,689
ASHLEY: I didn't grow up
around people
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that talked about my Dad to me.
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00:05:32,853 --> 00:05:34,623
Stories, things like that.
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00:05:34,615 --> 00:05:40,375
So my dad was just kind of
my dad that died.
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00:05:42,503 --> 00:05:45,033
STEVEN JR.:
I don't remember my father much.
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00:05:45,025 --> 00:05:47,105
Actually, I don't
remember him at all.
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00:05:50,230 --> 00:05:54,800
Northstar Trailer Park,
Santa Rosa Avenue.
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00:05:54,795 --> 00:05:57,155
Ew, look at that creepy house.
72
00:06:00,841 --> 00:06:06,411
I have recordings and I have
pictures and newspaper articles.
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00:06:06,406 --> 00:06:08,806
If it wasn't for those things,
74
00:06:08,809 --> 00:06:11,809
I probably wouldn't have
much of him, you know?
75
00:06:11,812 --> 00:06:14,452
But I know there's a lot more
out there that I don't --
76
00:06:14,454 --> 00:06:15,664
that I don't know about.
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00:06:15,656 --> 00:06:18,656
And I want to know about it.
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00:06:20,701 --> 00:06:24,991
I think that a lot of people
have their thoughts
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00:06:24,985 --> 00:06:29,105
about my family
and who we are as people.
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00:06:29,109 --> 00:06:31,309
And I think they have it wrong.
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00:06:31,311 --> 00:06:33,071
ASHLEY: Everyone knows him as
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00:06:33,073 --> 00:06:36,843
the boy who was taken
and returned.
83
00:06:36,837 --> 00:06:39,837
That story has been told
many many times.
84
00:06:42,162 --> 00:06:46,972
But it always feels like
there's something missing,
85
00:06:46,967 --> 00:06:51,007
because the family
was never involved.
86
00:06:51,011 --> 00:06:55,821
As so, I wanted to make
something that wasn't
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00:06:55,816 --> 00:07:00,216
just, like, third parties
saying what they thought.
88
00:07:00,220 --> 00:07:02,620
We have our own stories.
89
00:07:04,745 --> 00:07:07,265
KAY: [ Sighs ]
90
00:07:09,229 --> 00:07:12,429
Yeah, I'm okay, I'm okay.
91
00:07:12,432 --> 00:07:15,042
I got myself psyched up
for this.
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00:07:15,596 --> 00:07:18,596
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
93
00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:21,720
We've told the story
so many times,
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00:07:21,722 --> 00:07:25,092
I keep saying, "Why don't you
all know this already?"
95
00:07:25,085 --> 00:07:30,525
It's because I've lived it
and relived it and relived it.
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00:07:30,531 --> 00:07:32,811
And I feel like
everybody should know it.
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00:07:32,813 --> 00:07:35,583
They don't need it told again.
98
00:07:35,576 --> 00:07:38,696
But a lot of people haven't,
I guess.
99
00:07:40,140 --> 00:07:43,220
[ Sighs ]
100
00:07:43,223 --> 00:07:44,873
You gotta get the whole story.
101
00:07:48,468 --> 00:07:54,148
Dell and I, we always planned
on having a family.
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00:07:54,154 --> 00:07:59,004
We had Jody and Cary,
and Cory's the baby.
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And Steve.
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00:08:01,321 --> 00:08:05,211
You know, five was perfect.
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00:08:05,205 --> 00:08:06,485
That was enough.
106
00:08:09,009 --> 00:08:10,529
They were all different.
107
00:08:10,531 --> 00:08:12,051
Some were little helpers
108
00:08:12,052 --> 00:08:16,342
and some were little guys
that got into trouble.
109
00:08:16,336 --> 00:08:19,536
We lived on a street that
happened to have tons of kids
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00:08:19,540 --> 00:08:20,820
all the same age.
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00:08:20,821 --> 00:08:23,901
And they just played basketball,
baseball,
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00:08:23,904 --> 00:08:26,354
rode their bikes
and their big wheels
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00:08:26,346 --> 00:08:27,986
up and down the street.
114
00:08:27,988 --> 00:08:32,028
Yeah, it was a great little
street to grow up on.
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00:08:37,958 --> 00:08:41,558
Steve was second grade, 7,
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00:08:41,562 --> 00:08:44,002
He was a helpful little guy.
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00:08:44,004 --> 00:08:47,134
You know, he always
wanted to help people.
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And, um, he trusted people.
119
00:08:53,894 --> 00:08:55,744
Uh, and we always told him,
you know,
120
00:08:55,736 --> 00:08:58,096
be respectful of your elders,
and blah blah blah.
121
00:08:58,098 --> 00:09:01,058
And that basically got him
into trouble.
122
00:09:13,994 --> 00:09:16,724
I was supposed to pick him up
from school,
123
00:09:16,717 --> 00:09:20,037
but I had been kind of delayed
because it was...
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00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:23,640
MAN: Here you go, ace.
You're all set.
125
00:09:23,644 --> 00:09:26,094
What was it?
126
00:09:26,086 --> 00:09:29,326
I was picking something up
for Dell at the parts store.
127
00:09:29,329 --> 00:09:33,209
And I got to the school
and Steve was already gone.
128
00:09:34,655 --> 00:09:38,775
I got home and he wasn't there.
129
00:09:38,779 --> 00:09:41,579
It probably took a couple hours
before we really,
130
00:09:41,582 --> 00:09:45,232
really panicked
and then called the police.
131
00:09:47,067 --> 00:09:48,707
And we searched.
132
00:09:48,709 --> 00:09:52,149
And the police, they did
a canvass all up and down.
133
00:09:55,395 --> 00:09:58,235
He had to cross
Yosemite Parkway,
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00:09:58,238 --> 00:10:02,798
which was the access
to Yosemite National Park,
135
00:10:02,803 --> 00:10:04,693
uh, 80 miles away,
136
00:10:04,685 --> 00:10:07,925
but still, it was the way
everybody got into Yosemite.
137
00:10:07,928 --> 00:10:10,928
[ Dramatic music plays ]
138
00:10:18,218 --> 00:10:21,058
Hey, where are you going?
139
00:10:21,061 --> 00:10:24,751
I was stopped by a man
on the street
140
00:10:24,745 --> 00:10:28,625
just a few blocks from my house,
141
00:10:28,629 --> 00:10:31,229
and he asked me
142
00:10:31,231 --> 00:10:35,001
if my mother wanted
to donate something to a church.
143
00:10:34,995 --> 00:10:36,995
It's all about Jesus and stuff.
144
00:10:41,882 --> 00:10:45,932
I had told him that my mother
would probably want to,
145
00:10:45,926 --> 00:10:48,126
and so he offered me
a ride home.
146
00:10:48,128 --> 00:10:51,048
This is Reverend Parnell.
147
00:10:51,051 --> 00:10:52,731
Hop in, son.
148
00:10:52,733 --> 00:10:55,943
The preacher here,
he'll drive you home.
149
00:10:55,936 --> 00:10:59,576
They passed the road
that I lived on
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00:10:59,580 --> 00:11:01,500
and they said that
151
00:11:01,502 --> 00:11:03,662
"We'll just call your parents
152
00:11:03,664 --> 00:11:05,274
and see if you can
stay the night."
153
00:11:10,711 --> 00:11:13,151
The second night, they said that
they had called them again
154
00:11:13,153 --> 00:11:16,323
and said that
I could stay another night.
155
00:11:16,316 --> 00:11:19,796
Then one them went to --
went out,
156
00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,520
and then came back and said that
he went to court
157
00:11:22,523 --> 00:11:27,213
and had gotten possession of me
and said that I was his.
158
00:11:30,410 --> 00:11:33,530
KAY: We started sending out
flyers to the schools,
159
00:11:33,534 --> 00:11:38,064
sending out flyers to television
stations, radio stations
160
00:11:38,058 --> 00:11:40,098
asking for help.
161
00:11:40,100 --> 00:11:43,460
And asking if they would, you
know, be on the lookout for him.
162
00:11:43,463 --> 00:11:45,753
MAN: Young Stevie always
walked home from school
163
00:11:45,746 --> 00:11:47,186
through this service station.
164
00:11:47,187 --> 00:11:49,987
One afternoon, he disappeared
without a trace.
165
00:11:49,990 --> 00:11:52,750
Stevie's mother says the only
thing that makes him different
166
00:11:52,753 --> 00:11:55,323
from other little boys
in this part of the world
167
00:11:55,315 --> 00:11:58,795
is that he just plain
didn't like to fight.
168
00:11:59,399 --> 00:12:03,319
You called him -- I've been told
that you called him Dad.
169
00:12:03,323 --> 00:12:05,493
How long before you started
calling him Dad?
170
00:12:05,485 --> 00:12:07,285
Do you have any idea
when that started?
171
00:12:07,287 --> 00:12:12,447
That started about a week
after my abduction.
172
00:12:13,493 --> 00:12:16,423
I also got your named changed.
173
00:12:16,416 --> 00:12:19,776
Your new name is Dennis.
174
00:12:19,780 --> 00:12:21,740
Dennis Gregory Parnell.
175
00:12:21,742 --> 00:12:26,752
Parnell was working in
Yosemite National Park
176
00:12:26,747 --> 00:12:31,747
I think as a bookkeeper
or something to that effect.
177
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A little boy.
178
00:12:34,154 --> 00:12:36,804
They finally took Steve
and, uh...
179
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...they proceeded --
180
00:12:42,563 --> 00:12:44,693
you know,
they did what they did.
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00:12:44,685 --> 00:12:47,685
[ Somber music plays ]
182
00:13:16,156 --> 00:13:18,076
[ Indistinct whispering ]
183
00:13:18,078 --> 00:13:19,838
TVM STEVEN: Leave me alone.
184
00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:22,960
I want to go home.
185
00:13:36,697 --> 00:13:38,297
MAN: Were you afraid?
186
00:13:40,741 --> 00:13:42,581
Not that much.
187
00:13:42,583 --> 00:13:44,223
I was a little bit.
188
00:13:52,593 --> 00:13:54,393
KAY: When Steve disappeared
189
00:13:54,394 --> 00:13:59,204
and we were trying to get all
this information out there,
190
00:13:59,199 --> 00:14:02,879
television stations
and newspapers,
191
00:14:02,883 --> 00:14:04,043
they said they would help.
192
00:14:04,044 --> 00:14:05,934
We tried to keep it in the news,
193
00:14:05,926 --> 00:14:08,966
but then it was like,
yeah, old news.
194
00:14:12,412 --> 00:14:16,462
I think Steve...
195
00:14:16,456 --> 00:14:18,576
I can't remember.
196
00:14:18,579 --> 00:14:22,339
It seems to me he saw something
about him being missing.
197
00:14:22,342 --> 00:14:26,632
But, um -- And he tried to
get away from Parnell.
198
00:14:26,627 --> 00:14:27,987
I mean, he did.
199
00:14:27,988 --> 00:14:31,668
He left the apartment,
wherever he was.
200
00:14:31,672 --> 00:14:34,152
He left it, and he was leaving.
201
00:14:34,154 --> 00:14:37,404
And he got out on the street.
202
00:14:37,397 --> 00:14:39,997
And he got scared.
203
00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,320
Because he didn't know
where he was.
204
00:14:43,323 --> 00:14:48,013
He had no way of finding
anything, so he went back.
205
00:14:48,008 --> 00:14:51,008
[ Somber music plays ]
206
00:15:04,745 --> 00:15:07,025
[ Indistinct conversations ]
207
00:15:07,027 --> 00:15:10,027
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
208
00:15:15,355 --> 00:15:18,675
TVM YOUNG MAN: Hey, Dennis.
209
00:15:21,842 --> 00:15:23,522
KUZMA: Would you prefer
that I refer to him
210
00:15:23,524 --> 00:15:25,214
as Dennis or Steven?
211
00:15:28,729 --> 00:15:31,369
That's how I knew him.
Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
212
00:15:35,095 --> 00:15:37,015
Oh, I do.
213
00:15:37,017 --> 00:15:38,537
He kept a very low profile.
214
00:15:38,539 --> 00:15:40,379
You know, he was --
he was quiet.
215
00:15:41,822 --> 00:15:43,462
MARIE:
I met Dennis in eighth grade.
216
00:15:43,463 --> 00:15:45,313
He sat behind me.
217
00:15:45,305 --> 00:15:47,185
He was really shy.
218
00:15:47,187 --> 00:15:50,307
Almost I would have to say
kind of painfully shy.
219
00:15:51,832 --> 00:15:56,562
He was shy at first, but you
could get him out of his shell.
220
00:15:56,557 --> 00:15:59,517
Yeah, he was definitely
my first boyfriend.
221
00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,040
Crush. As a teenager.
222
00:16:02,042 --> 00:16:04,122
He was a great kid.
He -- He was free.
223
00:16:04,124 --> 00:16:06,054
He was -- We were all free.
224
00:16:09,289 --> 00:16:14,489
KUZMA: Comptche is one of those
special pieces of heaven.
225
00:16:14,494 --> 00:16:19,744
You come here and the community
just brings you in.
226
00:16:19,740 --> 00:16:22,180
We were very remote.
227
00:16:22,182 --> 00:16:23,862
What little television
I had back then
228
00:16:23,864 --> 00:16:27,594
was an antenna wired
to the top of a redwood tree.
229
00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:31,590
It was a different time.
230
00:16:34,154 --> 00:16:35,924
KHAMOOR: The culture of kids
in Comptche
231
00:16:35,916 --> 00:16:38,156
was just a little pack of kids,
232
00:16:38,158 --> 00:16:40,998
sitting on the store bench,
walking to the pond,
233
00:16:41,001 --> 00:16:43,361
walking to the swimming hole.
234
00:16:43,363 --> 00:16:46,773
We had the run of this town.
We did whatever we wanted.
235
00:16:46,767 --> 00:16:49,287
And our parents didn't worry
about us.
236
00:16:49,289 --> 00:16:51,249
You know, the words that we used
237
00:16:51,251 --> 00:16:53,931
were the hippies
and the straights.
238
00:16:53,934 --> 00:16:56,664
Certainly Kenneth Parnell
was a straight.
239
00:17:01,181 --> 00:17:03,421
PATRICIA: From the start,
I did not care for him.
240
00:17:06,146 --> 00:17:10,186
I just had that feeling,
that instinct a woman has.
241
00:17:10,190 --> 00:17:12,470
A mother has.
242
00:17:12,472 --> 00:17:14,152
And I told my daughter
"Don't ever,
243
00:17:14,154 --> 00:17:17,764
ever go up to his house
by yourself."
244
00:17:17,758 --> 00:17:20,798
Truthfully, I thought
Ken spoiled Dennis.
245
00:17:20,801 --> 00:17:23,881
He let him smoke,
he let him drive the car,
246
00:17:23,884 --> 00:17:25,614
just on the property,
247
00:17:25,606 --> 00:17:27,686
like through the fence
and stuff like that.
248
00:17:27,688 --> 00:17:31,168
I remember he didn't have
very many clothes.
249
00:17:31,171 --> 00:17:33,651
Like, he had like two pairs
of pants, or three or something,
250
00:17:33,654 --> 00:17:36,344
so I think there was some
teasing about that, you know?
251
00:17:36,336 --> 00:17:39,696
Really dirty fingernails.
252
00:17:39,700 --> 00:17:42,980
Shoes with holes, no socks.
253
00:17:42,983 --> 00:17:45,953
Dirty ankles, you know,
with no socks.
254
00:17:49,149 --> 00:17:51,549
MARIE: You know, I do remember
when we picked Dennis up,
255
00:17:51,552 --> 00:17:53,072
we never went to his house.
256
00:17:53,073 --> 00:17:54,843
He'd always meet us
at the end of the road
257
00:17:54,835 --> 00:17:59,155
'cause it was just kinda known
that you didn't go to his house.
258
00:17:59,159 --> 00:18:01,199
And at the time,
I didn't think a lot of it,
259
00:18:01,201 --> 00:18:03,801
because, you know, a lot of
people had weird parents.
260
00:18:03,804 --> 00:18:06,014
Like, that wasn't that unusual.
261
00:18:07,247 --> 00:18:11,727
PATRICIA: Here, you know,
your business is your business.
262
00:18:11,732 --> 00:18:14,132
That's -- [ Chuckles ]
263
00:18:14,134 --> 00:18:16,784
Wow, we were so naive.
264
00:18:16,777 --> 00:18:19,777
[ Somber music plays ]
265
00:18:24,865 --> 00:18:28,425
WOMAN: 101, Take 5 marker.
266
00:18:28,428 --> 00:18:30,948
DIRECTOR: If you could start
by telling your name
267
00:18:30,951 --> 00:18:32,591
and who you played.
268
00:18:32,593 --> 00:18:34,393
Sure.
269
00:18:34,394 --> 00:18:37,524
Well, my name is Corin Nemic,
and I played Steven Stayner
270
00:18:37,518 --> 00:18:39,358
in "I Know My First Name
Is Steven."
271
00:18:41,842 --> 00:18:44,122
Hey, Dennis. Dennis, wait up.
272
00:18:50,050 --> 00:18:51,050
Mm-hmm.
273
00:18:55,215 --> 00:18:56,495
Oh, wow. Okay.
274
00:19:13,714 --> 00:19:15,084
Yeah, yeah, it sounds like
275
00:19:15,075 --> 00:19:17,635
they're driving with
the windows down.
276
00:19:21,842 --> 00:19:23,482
Yeah, I would love to.
277
00:19:26,527 --> 00:19:27,687
Okay.
278
00:19:29,770 --> 00:19:32,170
Yeah. That's so --
This is such a trip. Wow.
279
00:19:37,978 --> 00:19:41,938
"At the beginning, he sort
of, like, brainwashed me
280
00:19:41,942 --> 00:19:44,102
into believing
that my parents didn't want me."
281
00:19:44,104 --> 00:19:45,834
I want to go home.
282
00:19:45,826 --> 00:19:48,946
Call my dad.
He'll pick me up.
283
00:19:48,949 --> 00:19:50,829
No, he won't, son.
284
00:19:50,831 --> 00:19:52,231
I'm sorry.
285
00:19:52,232 --> 00:19:53,712
I didn't want to tell you,
286
00:19:53,714 --> 00:19:55,564
but your daddy's not
too happy with you.
287
00:19:57,317 --> 00:19:59,557
"And if I left,
I was afraid that
288
00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,720
maybe I might end up
in a place..."
289
00:20:02,723 --> 00:20:04,443
DIRECTOR: "Like a boy's home?"
290
00:20:04,444 --> 00:20:06,934
"Yeah. That I don't enjoy.
291
00:20:06,927 --> 00:20:09,607
So really I thought,
292
00:20:09,610 --> 00:20:12,330
'Why don't I just
leave well enough alone?'"
293
00:20:30,631 --> 00:20:31,991
We're your family.
294
00:20:31,992 --> 00:20:34,152
Your parents don't
want you anymore.
295
00:20:34,154 --> 00:20:35,764
Have you heard your parents
296
00:20:35,756 --> 00:20:37,876
talking about any kind of
problems lately?
297
00:20:37,878 --> 00:20:40,798
Yeah.
298
00:20:43,884 --> 00:20:47,334
NEMIC:
"I was always scared of him.
299
00:20:47,327 --> 00:20:52,527
A lot of times, you know, I felt
violence towards him."
300
00:20:52,533 --> 00:20:53,973
DIRECTOR:
"Violence towards him?"
301
00:20:53,974 --> 00:20:55,744
"Yeah."
302
00:20:59,900 --> 00:21:01,140
"Right."
303
00:21:32,212 --> 00:21:36,582
"I was thinking that I might
go back to my own family,
304
00:21:36,577 --> 00:21:38,137
but I wasn't sure.
305
00:21:38,138 --> 00:21:42,538
A lot can change in your family
in five years."
306
00:21:44,625 --> 00:21:48,025
"A martial divorce,
a death in the family --
307
00:21:48,028 --> 00:21:50,708
I didn't know what
I'd be facing, you know?"
308
00:22:02,643 --> 00:22:04,533
ANCHOR: With the drama of
the Patty Hearst kidnapping
309
00:22:04,525 --> 00:22:06,325
dominating West Coast
news reports,
310
00:22:06,326 --> 00:22:08,646
it's easy to forget
that some families
311
00:22:08,649 --> 00:22:13,969
have been endured that agony
of waiting for more than a year.
312
00:22:13,974 --> 00:22:19,224
I probably didn't ever
leave the house
313
00:22:19,219 --> 00:22:24,459
unattended for probably two
or three years
314
00:22:24,464 --> 00:22:27,034
because I was just sure
he was gonna call.
315
00:22:27,027 --> 00:22:29,627
So if I had to go to the store,
316
00:22:29,630 --> 00:22:31,550
I had to make sure
that there was somebody
317
00:22:31,552 --> 00:22:34,152
at the house
to answer the phone.
318
00:22:34,154 --> 00:22:37,564
CORY: When Steve went missing,
I was 4 years old.
319
00:22:37,558 --> 00:22:41,198
I didn't know how to react,
320
00:22:41,201 --> 00:22:44,361
I guess you could say,
or how to deal with it,
321
00:22:44,364 --> 00:22:45,574
I mean, you know,
I was a kid,
322
00:22:45,566 --> 00:22:48,006
so who --
323
00:22:48,008 --> 00:22:50,928
nobody's prepared
for something like that.
324
00:22:50,931 --> 00:22:52,731
Well, we feel
he's been kidnapped
325
00:22:52,733 --> 00:22:54,583
by someone who just
merely wanted a child,
326
00:22:54,575 --> 00:22:58,015
not a ransom or anything else,
just a child.
327
00:22:58,018 --> 00:23:01,018
[ Dramatic music plays ]
328
00:23:11,391 --> 00:23:13,591
Every so often, we get a lead.
329
00:23:13,594 --> 00:23:15,524
Uh, somebody will see
a recurring article
330
00:23:15,516 --> 00:23:17,476
in the newspaper
or somebody will think
331
00:23:17,477 --> 00:23:19,957
of something that
they hadn't thought of before
332
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,560
and will call us
and give us this information
333
00:23:21,562 --> 00:23:23,002
and we'll check it out
to the end.
334
00:23:23,003 --> 00:23:24,443
But we've reached dead ends
335
00:23:24,444 --> 00:23:27,254
on every lead that
we've checked out so far.
336
00:23:38,098 --> 00:23:41,698
There were a lot of, uh,
ladies of the night
337
00:23:41,702 --> 00:23:43,342
that said that they knew
338
00:23:43,343 --> 00:23:47,633
that this one person had
cut him up into little pieces
339
00:23:47,628 --> 00:23:50,868
and dumped him
into the sewer system, I think.
340
00:23:50,871 --> 00:23:55,521
Then there was a --
a man who felt sorry for us
341
00:23:55,516 --> 00:23:59,076
and thought we needed
to have closure.
342
00:23:59,079 --> 00:24:03,279
So he confessed to burying
Steve up on the hills.
343
00:24:03,283 --> 00:24:09,333
And the backhoes went out
and dug and dug and nothing.
344
00:24:09,329 --> 00:24:12,929
Each of these things
would bring up a bit of news
345
00:24:12,933 --> 00:24:16,983
and it would, you know,
flash into the headlines again,
346
00:24:16,977 --> 00:24:20,497
but it was very short-lived
and upsetting.
347
00:24:22,783 --> 00:24:25,593
There were times we had to send
the kids someplace else
348
00:24:25,586 --> 00:24:28,626
because it got so bad.
349
00:24:28,629 --> 00:24:31,109
We didn't want them to think
of their brother
350
00:24:31,111 --> 00:24:32,471
being chopped up into pie--
351
00:24:32,472 --> 00:24:33,752
I mean, you just don't --
352
00:24:33,754 --> 00:24:37,564
you don't tell
a 5- or 6-year-old
353
00:24:37,558 --> 00:24:40,038
that that could've happened.
354
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,120
You know,
it just terrifies them.
355
00:24:43,123 --> 00:24:46,813
They were terrified enough
as it was.
356
00:24:46,807 --> 00:24:48,647
CORY: I have one early memory,
357
00:24:48,649 --> 00:24:50,289
and that was
after Steven disappeared.
358
00:24:50,290 --> 00:24:54,620
And that was me asking
my grandmother
359
00:24:54,615 --> 00:24:56,935
what happened to Steven,
I guess.
360
00:24:56,937 --> 00:24:58,337
But I was elbowed
by my other sister,
361
00:24:58,338 --> 00:25:01,818
Jody, um, to shut up.
362
00:25:01,822 --> 00:25:06,512
I think it went from
oldest to youngest to be elbowed
363
00:25:06,507 --> 00:25:08,027
whenever we asked any questions.
364
00:25:08,028 --> 00:25:11,428
So we learned
not to ask anything.
365
00:25:11,431 --> 00:25:13,031
My parents were upset enough,
366
00:25:13,033 --> 00:25:14,723
which of course
my older brother,
367
00:25:14,715 --> 00:25:16,595
Cary, would know that,
368
00:25:16,597 --> 00:25:18,557
because he was, you know,
seven years older than me.
369
00:25:18,559 --> 00:25:21,159
So he was a pre-teen
when Steven disappeared.
370
00:25:21,161 --> 00:25:24,931
So he understood it more than
we did, or I did especially.
371
00:25:27,808 --> 00:25:29,808
I think Cary might have, uh,
372
00:25:29,810 --> 00:25:32,850
had hard feelings
with Steven being gone.
373
00:25:34,935 --> 00:25:39,455
It's really hard to say
because he didn't talk about it.
374
00:25:39,459 --> 00:25:41,859
What do you do when you're also
375
00:25:41,862 --> 00:25:45,192
the oldest of five kids
and one of them disappears?
376
00:25:45,185 --> 00:25:47,065
Go to bed, Cary.
377
00:25:47,067 --> 00:25:49,187
Can I just ask one thing?
378
00:25:49,189 --> 00:25:51,149
Damn it, Cary, go to bed!
379
00:25:51,151 --> 00:25:53,951
Get out of here.
380
00:25:56,877 --> 00:25:58,357
Yeah.
381
00:25:58,478 --> 00:25:59,998
Okay.
382
00:26:02,803 --> 00:26:04,613
[ Chuckles ] Okay.
383
00:26:04,605 --> 00:26:06,365
My name is Todd Andrews.
384
00:26:06,366 --> 00:26:10,126
I played Cary Stayner
at 18 years old
385
00:26:10,130 --> 00:26:12,930
in Part 2 of the miniseries
386
00:26:12,933 --> 00:26:15,143
"I Know My First Name
is Steven."
387
00:26:15,135 --> 00:26:16,695
Cary, no!
388
00:26:18,899 --> 00:26:20,779
-Who told you you could do that?
-TVM CARY: No one --
389
00:26:20,781 --> 00:26:22,501
You almost painted over Stevie's
name, you idiot!
390
00:26:22,503 --> 00:26:24,343
He was just trying to help,
for God's sake.
391
00:26:24,344 --> 00:26:26,314
I didn't tell you
you could paint.
392
00:26:40,761 --> 00:26:43,761
"I don't know if he was mean.
393
00:26:43,764 --> 00:26:48,534
He wasn't the dad
that he was before.
394
00:26:48,529 --> 00:26:51,449
Before Steve disappeared,
I always thought my dad
395
00:26:51,451 --> 00:26:54,981
was like the Rock of Gibraltar.
396
00:26:54,975 --> 00:26:57,895
Never trembled at all.
397
00:26:57,898 --> 00:27:05,428
All of the sudden, this one day,
December 4, 1972,
398
00:27:05,425 --> 00:27:08,305
my little brother is gone,
399
00:27:08,308 --> 00:27:13,068
my dad crying all of a sudden."
400
00:27:16,436 --> 00:27:22,116
"Never saw my dad have a tear
in his eye in my whole life."
401
00:27:23,323 --> 00:27:29,253
"And all of a sudden,
life changed."
402
00:27:29,249 --> 00:27:31,889
I just keep thinking,
403
00:27:31,892 --> 00:27:36,702
if I'd ever had the time
to play catch with him,
404
00:27:36,697 --> 00:27:38,777
maybe he wouldn't have been
out there
405
00:27:38,779 --> 00:27:40,219
playing ball all by himself.
406
00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:22,540
[ Sniffles ]
407
00:28:29,950 --> 00:28:33,110
[ Somber music plays ]
408
00:28:33,113 --> 00:28:35,243
CORY: My dad was very emotional,
409
00:28:35,235 --> 00:28:39,435
always very emotional about it.
410
00:28:39,439 --> 00:28:41,359
KAY: Dell was the one who was --
411
00:28:41,361 --> 00:28:44,811
said that he had been killed.
412
00:28:44,805 --> 00:28:46,205
Drive around the Hills,
413
00:28:46,206 --> 00:28:48,766
and he would look at
freshly dug ground.
414
00:28:48,769 --> 00:28:50,609
Always looking for graves.
415
00:28:53,053 --> 00:28:58,983
He would become very upset,
very angry.
416
00:28:58,979 --> 00:29:03,339
If we were going someplace,
417
00:29:03,343 --> 00:29:05,313
he saw something
in the back seat of a car,
418
00:29:05,305 --> 00:29:06,985
he would follow the car.
419
00:29:10,470 --> 00:29:14,270
It effects every aspect
of your life.
420
00:29:21,441 --> 00:29:24,481
DIRECTOR: What's your impression
of what your grandmother
421
00:29:24,484 --> 00:29:27,454
and grandfather
had to go through?
422
00:29:27,447 --> 00:29:29,207
I could not...
423
00:29:29,209 --> 00:29:33,289
No. I couldn't imagine it.
424
00:29:33,293 --> 00:29:35,183
I think the only thing
that got them through it
425
00:29:35,175 --> 00:29:37,175
was that they had
other children.
426
00:29:37,177 --> 00:29:39,257
So they kind of had to push.
427
00:29:39,259 --> 00:29:41,779
I think there was
a certain point
428
00:29:41,782 --> 00:29:45,152
where you just have to, like,
kind of put a straight face on
429
00:29:45,145 --> 00:29:49,465
and continue with your life,
430
00:29:49,469 --> 00:29:51,389
because
it will kill you if you don't.
431
00:29:53,594 --> 00:29:58,604
If I had thought the worst,
then it would be over.
432
00:29:58,599 --> 00:30:00,439
There's no hope.
433
00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:04,530
The only good part about
him being missing
434
00:30:04,525 --> 00:30:07,925
is there was always hope
that he would be found.
435
00:30:18,378 --> 00:30:20,978
KHAMOOR: Christmas vacation
morning, Steven pedaled up
436
00:30:20,981 --> 00:30:23,861
on his new bike and we're like,
"Oh, cool. New bike."
437
00:30:23,864 --> 00:30:25,314
"Yeah. My dad got me that."
438
00:30:25,305 --> 00:30:27,505
And I so clearly said,
I have this memory,
439
00:30:27,508 --> 00:30:31,028
"Oh, did you get to see any of
your family over vacation?
440
00:30:31,031 --> 00:30:32,471
Did you get to see your mom
441
00:30:32,472 --> 00:30:34,522
or did you get any presents
from anybody?"
442
00:30:34,515 --> 00:30:38,475
And he just looked at me
so serious and so direct
443
00:30:38,478 --> 00:30:41,598
and said,
"My mom doesn't know I exist."
444
00:30:41,602 --> 00:30:44,612
And there was a pay phone
on the store bench,
445
00:30:44,605 --> 00:30:47,685
and it was, "Oh,
let's pool our coins.
446
00:30:47,688 --> 00:30:49,048
Why don't you call her?"
447
00:30:49,049 --> 00:30:52,369
And he said
"I couldn't do that."
448
00:30:52,372 --> 00:30:55,342
LORI: We had been drinking
beers, and we were walking home.
449
00:30:55,335 --> 00:30:57,975
There was a big group of us
walking home.
450
00:30:57,978 --> 00:30:59,618
And he started crying.
451
00:30:59,620 --> 00:31:03,300
And I remember Donnie
asking him what was wrong.
452
00:31:03,303 --> 00:31:05,993
And Steven said,
"I want to go home."
453
00:31:05,986 --> 00:31:07,746
And I said, "Well,
you live right over here.
454
00:31:07,748 --> 00:31:09,508
I mean, it's not that far home."
455
00:31:09,510 --> 00:31:12,550
And he's like, "No, I want
to go home to my real home."
456
00:31:12,553 --> 00:31:15,043
I mean, we didn't know.
457
00:31:18,919 --> 00:31:20,279
LORI: I feel like
when Steve said that,
458
00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:22,080
that he was reaching out
a little bit,
459
00:31:22,082 --> 00:31:25,052
that he didn't want to
come right out and say,
460
00:31:25,045 --> 00:31:27,605
"Hey, I'd been kidnapped
so many years ago.
461
00:31:27,608 --> 00:31:29,768
I'd love to see my mom and dad."
462
00:31:33,493 --> 00:31:36,303
I know Steve was a happy kid
463
00:31:36,296 --> 00:31:38,056
when it came to
being our friends
464
00:31:38,058 --> 00:31:40,738
and hanging out with us
and living life.
465
00:31:40,741 --> 00:31:44,021
What happened behind closed
doors, he didn't share with us,
466
00:31:44,024 --> 00:31:47,194
so I didn't know that part of it
until it all came out.
467
00:31:57,437 --> 00:31:59,157
"Yeah, he told me."
468
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:01,520
"No, not often.
469
00:32:01,522 --> 00:32:04,362
No, I didn't have
to be reminded."
470
00:32:13,333 --> 00:32:16,343
[ Somber music plays ]
471
00:32:22,062 --> 00:32:25,952
He had kind of like a, you know,
472
00:32:25,946 --> 00:32:28,466
I guess V-shaped body, you know?
473
00:32:28,468 --> 00:32:30,028
I'm sure he grew up to be
474
00:32:30,030 --> 00:32:33,030
a really, you know,
handsome, strong man.
475
00:32:33,033 --> 00:32:37,243
But I-I do have this memory of
just the way that he walked.
476
00:32:37,237 --> 00:32:39,637
And he was just --
477
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,520
There was a stiffness to it,
478
00:32:41,522 --> 00:32:44,852
like just the way
he held his body.
479
00:32:44,845 --> 00:32:47,645
[ Voice breaking ]
It just makes me so sad
480
00:32:47,648 --> 00:32:52,688
to think that, you know,
he was in pain, you know?
481
00:32:52,693 --> 00:32:55,583
It was hard to walk right.
482
00:32:59,139 --> 00:33:02,299
Just that, you know,
you see somebody,
483
00:33:02,302 --> 00:33:04,592
and just the way
they hold themselves...
484
00:33:11,391 --> 00:33:14,921
Hey, uh, hey, why don't we
get out of here, guys?
485
00:33:14,915 --> 00:33:17,075
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
486
00:33:17,077 --> 00:33:18,637
You like motorcycles, Pete?
487
00:33:18,639 --> 00:33:20,359
TVM PETE: Yeah, sure.
488
00:33:22,683 --> 00:33:24,443
Come on, Pete.
489
00:33:24,444 --> 00:33:29,214
He didn't want the rest of us
to know what was going on.
490
00:33:29,209 --> 00:33:33,529
And so he, you know, he put --
he -- he put on a strong face
491
00:33:33,534 --> 00:33:35,144
and a good front and --
492
00:33:35,135 --> 00:33:37,215
and I think it was
for self-protection.
493
00:33:45,265 --> 00:33:47,425
Looking back on it,
494
00:33:47,427 --> 00:33:50,827
I still feel guilty
495
00:33:50,831 --> 00:33:54,071
that I didn't pick up on a clue.
496
00:33:56,597 --> 00:34:01,917
And I wish I had.
497
00:34:05,566 --> 00:34:10,926
LORI: Parnell felt Dennis
was too close to us.
498
00:34:10,931 --> 00:34:13,571
Dennis trusted us.
He trusted our parents.
499
00:34:13,574 --> 00:34:15,384
He trusted the teachers.
500
00:34:15,375 --> 00:34:18,455
And I feel like Parnell knew
that he was gonna get exposed
501
00:34:18,458 --> 00:34:20,378
if he didn't move on.
502
00:34:20,380 --> 00:34:23,820
It was time to, yes, move on
from Comptche.
503
00:34:28,228 --> 00:34:30,068
KUZMA: People like Ken Parnell,
504
00:34:30,070 --> 00:34:35,640
they go to rural communities
like Comptche to hide out.
505
00:34:36,997 --> 00:34:39,477
And so it wasn't surprising
506
00:34:39,479 --> 00:34:42,239
that he moved from here
down to Point Arena
507
00:34:42,242 --> 00:34:47,412
because it was yet another place
where he could be invisible.
508
00:34:49,489 --> 00:34:51,689
LORI: Steve was secluded out
in the middle of nowhere
509
00:34:51,692 --> 00:34:54,582
in a one-room shack.
510
00:34:54,575 --> 00:34:58,015
He went from living with a
bedroom in a house and friends,
511
00:34:58,018 --> 00:35:02,698
to no access
to the outside world anymore.
512
00:35:02,703 --> 00:35:05,753
PARNELL: Come down to Ukiah
with me Friday.
513
00:35:05,746 --> 00:35:07,866
You can help me do something
I need to do.
514
00:35:07,868 --> 00:35:10,468
Early baseball try-outs
are on Friday.
515
00:35:10,470 --> 00:35:15,280
Well, what I have to do
has to be done on Friday.
516
00:35:16,917 --> 00:35:19,517
"Oh, I forgot to mention,
this Kmart store,
517
00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:22,560
on several occasions,
Parnell tried to pick up a boy."
518
00:35:24,965 --> 00:35:26,205
"Tried to get me to help him."
519
00:35:29,369 --> 00:35:30,449
"No, I never got involved.
520
00:35:30,450 --> 00:35:32,570
I would never do anything."
521
00:35:34,414 --> 00:35:36,464
"Oh, I didn't say anything.
522
00:35:36,456 --> 00:35:38,336
I just told him
I wouldn't help."
523
00:35:44,264 --> 00:35:47,074
Yes, I remember hearing it
on the news.
524
00:35:47,067 --> 00:35:51,467
Another little boy taken
on his way home from school.
525
00:35:51,471 --> 00:35:54,961
Timmy disappeared from Ukiah
on Valentine's Day.
526
00:35:54,955 --> 00:35:56,435
KUZMA: It was a big story.
527
00:35:56,436 --> 00:35:58,236
We all heard about it.
528
00:35:58,238 --> 00:36:00,398
You can't help but pay attention
to that sort of thing.
529
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,400
[ Dramatic music plays ]
530
00:36:09,610 --> 00:36:11,210
Happy Valentine's Day.
531
00:36:16,617 --> 00:36:18,457
This is your new little brother.
532
00:36:18,458 --> 00:36:20,898
LORI:
When Timmy was brought there,
533
00:36:20,901 --> 00:36:23,741
Steve knew it was all bad.
534
00:36:23,744 --> 00:36:27,114
He just didn't want
what had happened to him
535
00:36:27,107 --> 00:36:30,947
in his younger years
to happen to this little boy.
536
00:36:30,951 --> 00:36:35,201
He knew what Parnell
was capable of, obviously.
537
00:36:35,195 --> 00:36:36,635
Look, Timmy...
538
00:36:36,637 --> 00:36:38,757
are you old enough
to keep your mouth shut?
539
00:36:38,759 --> 00:36:40,479
About what?
540
00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,280
About whatever I tell you
to keep your mouth shut about.
541
00:36:43,283 --> 00:36:44,853
Are you?
542
00:36:44,845 --> 00:36:47,845
[ Electronic music plays ]
543
00:36:57,417 --> 00:37:00,617
"When we first started,
he wanted to walk.
544
00:37:00,621 --> 00:37:04,911
And I said 'It's 39 miles.
545
00:37:04,905 --> 00:37:06,265
We're not gonna make it there
546
00:37:06,266 --> 00:37:08,506
before Parnell comes back
if we walk.'"
547
00:37:09,790 --> 00:37:13,150
[ Horn honks ]
548
00:37:13,153 --> 00:37:15,523
LORI: The night that he did it,
it was raining.
549
00:37:15,516 --> 00:37:18,436
It was stormy, it was windy,
it was nighttime,
550
00:37:18,438 --> 00:37:21,238
in the middle of nowhere.
551
00:37:21,241 --> 00:37:26,571
And it's a long road from
Point Arena to get to Ukiah.
552
00:37:26,567 --> 00:37:29,167
I mean, it's treacherous.
553
00:37:29,169 --> 00:37:33,329
And he hitchhiked.
He took off with this child.
554
00:37:36,376 --> 00:37:37,816
NEMIC: "We got about a mile
up the road
555
00:37:37,818 --> 00:37:41,858
when a Mexican guy stopped,
picked us up.
556
00:37:41,862 --> 00:37:44,752
Timmy sat on my lap
the whole way to Ukiah.
557
00:37:44,745 --> 00:37:46,985
Never said a word."
558
00:37:46,987 --> 00:37:49,987
[ Somber music plays ]
559
00:38:16,617 --> 00:38:18,617
I know my first name is Steven.
560
00:38:22,703 --> 00:38:26,953
Well, I grew up with it
as a story, you know?
561
00:38:26,947 --> 00:38:31,067
It was always told to me
by somebody else.
562
00:38:31,071 --> 00:38:34,311
Never his own words, you know?
563
00:38:34,314 --> 00:38:38,924
Never seen it as his own words.
564
00:38:38,919 --> 00:38:42,719
So to actually see it
and hear it,
565
00:38:42,723 --> 00:38:44,933
it's pretty emotional.
566
00:38:48,248 --> 00:38:50,448
It's a real thing.
Like, it really happened.
567
00:39:00,941 --> 00:39:02,621
The quiet community of Ukiah
568
00:39:02,623 --> 00:39:05,233
has become the stage
for a bizarre drama.
569
00:39:05,225 --> 00:39:06,905
A drama which was played out
first
570
00:39:06,907 --> 00:39:09,667
in the nearby
isolated hillsides.
571
00:39:09,670 --> 00:39:11,990
It was unusual to see
a small boy
572
00:39:11,992 --> 00:39:14,962
out on the streets of Ukiah,
California, last night
573
00:39:14,955 --> 00:39:16,555
at around midnight.
574
00:39:16,557 --> 00:39:19,957
I had my Walkman on,
and listening to the radio.
575
00:39:19,960 --> 00:39:23,640
And it came over one
of the local radio stations
576
00:39:23,644 --> 00:39:26,014
that Timmy White
had been found.
577
00:39:26,006 --> 00:39:28,446
Police recognized him
as a kidnap victim,
578
00:39:28,448 --> 00:39:30,208
5-year-old Timmy White.
579
00:39:30,210 --> 00:39:33,650
The perpetrator was
Kenneth Parnell.
580
00:39:33,654 --> 00:39:37,264
...kidnapped by a man who lives
in a cabin about 40 miles away.
581
00:39:37,257 --> 00:39:43,217
And the news came on that
Parnell had taken Dennis,
582
00:39:43,223 --> 00:39:44,953
and that he was kidnapped.
583
00:39:44,945 --> 00:39:47,145
ANCHOR:
14-year-old Steven Stayner
584
00:39:47,147 --> 00:39:48,587
was reportedly kidnapped
585
00:39:48,589 --> 00:39:51,309
200 miles away
in Merced, California,
586
00:39:51,311 --> 00:39:52,991
seven years ago.
587
00:39:52,993 --> 00:39:56,523
When I heard the names,
I was -- I was dumbfounded.
588
00:39:56,517 --> 00:39:59,677
I mean, literally,
our jaws hit the ground.
589
00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:03,520
It was just a mind-blowing
thing, that this went on.
590
00:40:03,524 --> 00:40:06,214
We never knew nothing.
591
00:40:06,206 --> 00:40:08,926
Nothing.
592
00:40:08,929 --> 00:40:13,249
CORY: I think it was 3:00
in the morning
593
00:40:13,253 --> 00:40:17,183
and, um,
heard the doorbell ring.
594
00:40:17,177 --> 00:40:20,817
When my parents got up
and answered the door,
595
00:40:20,821 --> 00:40:22,621
they thought it was about Cary.
596
00:40:23,343 --> 00:40:24,633
Hello, Kay.
I know it's late.
597
00:40:24,625 --> 00:40:25,945
TVM KAY: Oh, come in.
598
00:40:25,946 --> 00:40:27,666
KAY: He said,
"It's about your son."
599
00:40:27,668 --> 00:40:30,188
-TVM KAY: What happened to Cary?
-No, nothing happened to Cary.
600
00:40:30,190 --> 00:40:33,830
I thought it was about Cary
because Cary had gone camping.
601
00:40:33,834 --> 00:40:36,044
He said, "No, no, no, no, no.
602
00:40:36,036 --> 00:40:38,316
This is about Steve."
603
00:40:38,318 --> 00:40:42,598
And I immediately decided
that it was bad news.
604
00:40:42,603 --> 00:40:46,653
I just sort of collapsed.
605
00:40:47,287 --> 00:40:49,207
What about Stevie?
606
00:40:49,209 --> 00:40:54,169
Dell got up, came out,
and "Well, is he okay?
607
00:40:54,174 --> 00:40:55,904
Did you -- Where --
Where is he?"
608
00:40:55,896 --> 00:41:00,856
And when Tony said he's at
the police station in Ukiah,
609
00:41:00,861 --> 00:41:03,261
I was flabbergasted.
610
00:41:05,506 --> 00:41:08,066
We wanted to go up
and get him immediately.
611
00:41:08,068 --> 00:41:10,188
They said, "No, no, no,
you can't do that,"
612
00:41:10,190 --> 00:41:14,230
because they had to go through
a lot of police investigation.
613
00:41:14,234 --> 00:41:16,924
They did an interview
in Ukiah with Steven.
614
00:41:16,917 --> 00:41:19,077
And that's how we first
saw Steven.
615
00:41:19,079 --> 00:41:20,679
Saw what he looked like.
616
00:41:26,887 --> 00:41:28,327
ANCHOR:
Merced detectives asked Steven
617
00:41:28,328 --> 00:41:30,088
not to talk about his own case,
618
00:41:30,090 --> 00:41:32,050
but he did tell us
how he and Timmy hitchhiked
619
00:41:32,052 --> 00:41:35,382
from the Mendocino coast
to Ukiah last night.
620
00:41:35,375 --> 00:41:39,215
So I started heading east,
621
00:41:39,219 --> 00:41:42,699
and that's how I found
the police department.
622
00:41:44,665 --> 00:41:53,265
And I sto-- I took Tim to
the police department
623
00:41:53,273 --> 00:41:56,123
and told him to go inside
and tell them his name.
624
00:41:59,279 --> 00:42:02,719
KAY: I had all this hope
for all these years,
625
00:42:02,723 --> 00:42:07,973
and at the end, I had decided
it was gonna be bad news.
626
00:42:07,968 --> 00:42:12,448
But it wasn't.
And it was a hell of a day.
627
00:42:12,452 --> 00:42:15,422
ANCHOR: Timmy, are you and Steve
good friends now?
628
00:42:15,415 --> 00:42:17,095
Yeah.
629
00:42:18,539 --> 00:42:21,299
I kinda got to like Timmy.
630
00:42:22,222 --> 00:42:25,672
[ Laughter ]
631
00:42:25,666 --> 00:42:28,026
ANCHOR: Steven Stayner will now
head home to a reunion
632
00:42:28,028 --> 00:42:29,468
with his own parents in Merced,
633
00:42:29,469 --> 00:42:32,549
whom he hasn't seen
for 7 1/2 years.
634
00:42:32,553 --> 00:42:34,113
DELL: I feel great.
635
00:42:34,114 --> 00:42:36,644
I'm nervous but great.
636
00:42:36,637 --> 00:42:39,637
I have a funny feeling
in my stomach.
637
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:41,840
ANCHOR:
What makes you so nervous now?
638
00:42:41,842 --> 00:42:44,002
I have to meet him.
639
00:42:44,004 --> 00:42:46,374
It's scary.
640
00:42:46,366 --> 00:42:48,086
We haven't seen him
for seven years.
641
00:42:48,088 --> 00:42:49,768
He's gonna be different.
642
00:42:49,770 --> 00:42:51,850
He's a man almost.
643
00:42:51,852 --> 00:42:54,412
And we're gonna have to change.
644
00:42:54,414 --> 00:42:56,624
[ Police radio chatter ]
645
00:43:03,504 --> 00:43:07,034
I don't even remember
going to sleep the next night.
646
00:43:07,027 --> 00:43:08,507
Steven didn't get home until
647
00:43:08,509 --> 00:43:12,709
like 1:00 in the morning
the next night.
648
00:43:12,713 --> 00:43:14,273
If I remember right.
649
00:43:15,355 --> 00:43:17,915
[ Crowd clamoring ]
650
00:43:31,251 --> 00:43:33,851
KAY: What more can you ask for?
651
00:43:33,854 --> 00:43:35,624
He came home.
652
00:43:35,616 --> 00:43:38,616
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
653
00:43:50,270 --> 00:43:55,240
There was probably a couple
hundred people on our street.
654
00:43:55,235 --> 00:44:00,315
All friends, neighbors,
people we didn't even know.
655
00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:01,720
CORY: We had a lot of people
in that house.
656
00:44:01,722 --> 00:44:04,772
I'd never seen such a crowd.
657
00:44:04,765 --> 00:44:07,405
And then he was introduced
to all of us, uh,
658
00:44:07,407 --> 00:44:09,407
right in the street.
659
00:44:12,653 --> 00:44:14,253
It was emotional.
660
00:44:20,701 --> 00:44:23,221
And of course, you know,
"Yeah, I remember Cory,"
661
00:44:23,223 --> 00:44:24,593
and, uh, you know,
662
00:44:24,585 --> 00:44:27,105
kind of patted me
on the head or something.
663
00:44:27,107 --> 00:44:28,307
It was funny.
664
00:44:28,308 --> 00:44:30,908
I was like, "Okay,
665
00:44:30,911 --> 00:44:32,951
still the little pain
in the butt sister."
666
00:44:37,477 --> 00:44:39,797
His story was a miracle.
667
00:44:39,800 --> 00:44:42,960
There was no other really
miracles like that back then.
668
00:44:44,284 --> 00:44:47,414
KAY: Good news stories
are not happening very often.
669
00:44:47,407 --> 00:44:50,847
Even back then they didn't.
670
00:44:50,851 --> 00:44:55,141
Every news outlet around
was there, I think.
671
00:44:55,135 --> 00:44:58,575
I was just so happy
that he was safe.
672
00:45:01,381 --> 00:45:04,751
Not totally unharmed,
but at least safe.
673
00:45:04,745 --> 00:45:07,025
ANCHOR: As he walked through
the door, Steven said,
674
00:45:07,027 --> 00:45:10,347
"Please, I want to be
alone with my family."
675
00:45:10,350 --> 00:45:13,310
He was was scared spitless.
676
00:45:13,313 --> 00:45:15,643
All the TV cameras,
677
00:45:15,636 --> 00:45:18,796
and we had news people
up on our roof
678
00:45:18,799 --> 00:45:21,199
shooting pictures
through the windows.
679
00:45:21,201 --> 00:45:25,291
And it was -- it was mayhem.
680
00:45:25,285 --> 00:45:30,925
I wanted to share Steve's
homecoming with the world.
681
00:45:30,931 --> 00:45:36,061
I wanted to share the happiness
that we had,
682
00:45:36,056 --> 00:45:38,176
the good outcome.
683
00:45:38,178 --> 00:45:41,258
But then that had a --
had a bad side too.
684
00:45:41,261 --> 00:45:43,101
ANCHOR: This morning, Steven
and his mom and dad
685
00:45:43,103 --> 00:45:46,153
appeared before the press
to face a barrage of questions.
686
00:45:46,146 --> 00:45:48,666
REPORTER: Can you tell us about
the cabin that you lived at?
687
00:45:48,669 --> 00:45:51,789
It was just a one-room cabin...
688
00:45:51,792 --> 00:45:54,312
ANCHOR: And told reporters that
the memory of his parents
689
00:45:54,314 --> 00:45:56,044
never went away.
690
00:45:56,036 --> 00:46:01,196
I remember quite a bit
about them, since I was 7.
691
00:46:01,201 --> 00:46:05,691
I tried to remember as much as I
could about them over the years.
692
00:46:05,686 --> 00:46:07,006
REPORTER:
So you might have shown up here
693
00:46:07,007 --> 00:46:08,847
without the help of the police?
694
00:46:08,849 --> 00:46:10,009
Yes.
695
00:46:10,010 --> 00:46:11,450
KAY: It was scary.
696
00:46:11,451 --> 00:46:13,891
It was just absolutely
terrifying for him.
697
00:46:13,894 --> 00:46:16,144
ANCHOR: Policemen stood by
Steven's side today,
698
00:46:16,136 --> 00:46:18,576
refusing to let him
go into details
699
00:46:18,579 --> 00:46:20,899
about the seven years
he spent with Parnell.
700
00:46:20,901 --> 00:46:23,061
REPORTER: Did you believe
your family didn't want you?
701
00:46:23,063 --> 00:46:24,873
OFFICER: Don't answer that.
702
00:46:24,865 --> 00:46:27,265
I can't answer that.
703
00:46:27,267 --> 00:46:29,547
CORY: People want interviews.
704
00:46:29,550 --> 00:46:30,950
It's nerve wracking.
705
00:46:30,951 --> 00:46:32,591
Another interview,
another interview,
706
00:46:32,593 --> 00:46:36,723
another, I mean, it was nonstop
and it didn't stop.
707
00:46:36,717 --> 00:46:38,957
ASHLEY: When the media gets
a hold of something
708
00:46:38,959 --> 00:46:42,079
that is a good story,
709
00:46:42,082 --> 00:46:43,722
you don't know
how they'll take it
710
00:46:43,724 --> 00:46:45,414
or how they'll run with it.
711
00:47:07,628 --> 00:47:10,628
[ Somber music plays ]
712
00:48:10,410 --> 00:48:15,300
At first, it was smiles
and laughter -- a good feeling.
713
00:48:15,295 --> 00:48:17,295
KAY: That's when the media
started getting
714
00:48:17,297 --> 00:48:19,817
more mean about it.
715
00:48:19,820 --> 00:48:24,060
I'd been hoping that
people would just forget.
716
00:48:24,064 --> 00:48:26,794
A lot of other kids
were jealous of the attention.
717
00:48:26,787 --> 00:48:29,147
My older brother, Cary, was off.
718
00:48:29,149 --> 00:48:32,069
KAY: There's a lot of things
I wish we'd done differently.
719
00:48:32,072 --> 00:48:34,922
There's another twist
in that story.
720
00:48:34,915 --> 00:48:37,315
Terrible things
start all up again.
721
00:48:37,317 --> 00:48:40,917
A fourth woman was killed
near Yosemite Park last week.
722
00:48:40,921 --> 00:48:42,521
MAN: When he opened
the trunk of the car,
723
00:48:42,523 --> 00:48:44,933
there were two burned bodies.
724
00:48:44,925 --> 00:48:47,685
MAN #2: It's no longer the story
you thought it was.
725
00:48:47,688 --> 00:48:49,568
REPORTER: Many are trying
to find answers
726
00:48:49,570 --> 00:48:51,610
to the haunting question "Why?"
727
00:48:51,612 --> 00:48:55,302
The monster that did that
was your own family.
728
00:48:55,295 --> 00:48:56,935
KAY: You got to get
the whole story.
729
00:48:56,937 --> 00:48:58,337
There are many sides to it.
730
00:48:58,338 --> 00:48:59,978
Many, many, many sides.
52546
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