The Stayner Brothers Part 1: Steven

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In December 1972, Steven Stayner was abducted by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester and sex offender, while walking home from school in Merced, California. Parnell's plan was to raise the boy as his own, even changing his name. While in captivity, Stayner was raped by Parnell on a few occasions, even being molested by Parnell's girlfriend. As Steven grew older, Parnell would have Steven try to abduct other young boys. Steven later stated that he purposefully sabotaged the abductions On Valentine's day 1980, Parnell had Stayner's friend abduct five year old Timmy White. On the evening of March 1, 1980, while Parnell was at his night job, Steven and Timmy left the house and hitchhiked to near by Ukiah. The next morning, the boys were returned to their families and Parnell was arrested. Steven struggled to adjust to life outside of captivity, as Parnell would let the boy do basically anything he wanted. Stayner was shattered by the way his parents treated him like a teen rather than the seven year old he was when he left. He felt lost. His drinking habit continued to escalate as the mental and emotional toll had continued to weigh on him. Eventually, he got married and had two children. Unfortunately, on September 16, 1989, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was 24 years old. Steven's disappearance and escape was heavy on him and his family. This case wasn't the last time the Stayner family made national news....