steven stayner cause of death

Parnell was arrested that day,[14] subsequently telling authorities "I wanted a family". The story of steven stayner and timothy white Birth and family Stayner was the third of five children born to Delbert and Kay Stayner in Merced, California. Cary Stayner "was a very, very good cartoonist," and was voted "most creative" at school, according to Purdy. He was not wearing a helmet because someone had stolen it from him two months prior (via the Los Angeles Times ). The Big Conn | Official Trailer | Apple TV+, https://i.ytimg.com/vi/M88ZzxKyrTg/hqdefault.jpg. Tragically, Stayner was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident in September 1989 while returning from a Pizza Hut shift. Stayner was taken to Catheys Valley. Soon after, he confessed to murdering Carole Sund, Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021. ***WARNING: Captive Audience spoilers ahead***. But they. "His idea of serenity was to maybe smoke a little pot and to sunbathe naked.". Carey Stayner is currently sitting on death row in San Quentin. ABC News reports it was a "sleety, wintery day," and Stayner willingly followed Murphy into Parnell's car, as he expected the man to take him home. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse, Lori Duke, Stayners high school girlfriend, told ABC News. Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life under California's "three strikes" law. Hulus latest documentary, Captive Audience, revisits the tragic story of Steven Stayner in 1972 what happened to the young boy and where is the perpetrator now? ", "The first year was kinda hectic," Steven said on GMA in 1983. However, he allowed him to keep the middle name "Gregory" and his original birthdate. Flynn said his sexuality was "constantly under attack.". Stayner became known as a hero and inspired a television miniseries, I Know My First Name is Steven.. Del died at his home in Winton, California, on April 9, 2013. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Steven Stayner Death Obituary: On April 23rd, 2022 Todeath.net received news about the passing of Steven Stayner through a Social Media post. Prosecutor Tim Wellman had largely argued his case before the jury by showing a slideshow of Stayner marked "1", then of White marked "2", and a blank screen marked "3" to show the nonexistent child that would have been abducted had police not been notified. Steven Gregory Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 in Merced, California, to Delbert and Kay Stayner. [16] [17] According to prison officials, Parnell died of natural causes. Stayners father, Delbert Stayner, was accused of sexually abusing his daughters, and Rinek wrote sexual abuse went back at least five generations in the family. In January 2003, Parnell was arrested again after trying to coerce his caregiver's sister, Diane Stevens, into buying him a four-year-old boy for $500. Stayner was walking home from school December 4, 1972, when the men lured him into their vehicle, saying they had just talked to his parents and they no longer wanted him, ABC reported. According to Crime Investigation, the boys hitchhiked more than 40 miles to reach Ukiah, California, where White was abducted from. Hulus latest three-part documentary recalls the devastating kidnapping of Steven Stayner, a seven-year-old boy living in Merced, California. The cause was a pulmonary embolism, said his stepfather, Roger Gitlin. "I think Cary after high school seemed a little lost, like he didnt know where he was going," Bungart said. According to The Famous People, Parnell also enrolled Stayner in school. According to SFGate, his friends and coworkers described him as being impulsive and prone to seemingly abrupt and violent fits of rage. molesting an 8-year-old boy in Bakersfield, California in 1952 when he kidnapped Stayner. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "I went to ask if Cary wanted to talk. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Jan. 23, 2008. Currently, Cary, 60, is being held in San Quentin State Prison on death row. A third brother, Cary Stayner, is seen in a ball cap in the background between his brothers Steven and Delbert. It was also difficult for his parents to adjust to having a teenager after remembering their son as a 7-year-old boy. It is California's oldest correctional institution and has the largest death row in the . [13] Parnell was, by this time, 71 years old and suffering from diabetes and emphysema, as well as other ailments brought on by an earlier stroke, requiring near 24-hour-a-day nursing care in his cluttered apartment in the 2600 block of Mathews Street in Berkeley. A cousin said that Stayner spied on her and his sisters and a neighbor girl, hiding under their beds and secretly videotaping them in the bathroom and bedroom. Steven Stayner was born on April 18, 1965 and died on September 16, 1989. And he wanted the same treatment. On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work when a car suddenly pulled out of a driveway onto the highway. The Seattle Times reports missing-person fliers were actually sent to schools he attended but no one recognised Steven from the picture. Unfortunately, Parnell eventually convinced another teenage boy, named Randall Sean Poorman, to help him kidnap 5-year-old Timothy White. Kenneth Parnell is most notoriously known for the kidnapping of, Parnell, a former motel clerk, had already been convicted for. If Steven was my family I would not be satisfied with that joke of a sentence. Stayner's brother, Cary, is in San. In addition to believing his parents no longer wanted him, The Famous People reports Stayner was simply unsure how to get out of the situation he was in. He sexually abused Stayner repeatedly until Stayner fled in 1980 when he was 14. As reported by The Famous People, both boys were reunited with their parents on May 2, 1980. "When Steven came home, Cary was kind of put on the back shelf. Parnell regularly raped him, and by sixth grade, Stayner was used to being beaten, smoking substances, and getting drunk. However, as they were walking toward Stayner's home, they were approached by another man, who was driving a white Buick. In 1981, he was. Unfortunately, ABC News reports authorities were eventually forced to admit "there was just nothing there." "Steven was a national hero. According to the Los Angeles Times, she said after his death, "But he's not hurting anymore. But they weren't religious leaders Kenneth E. Parnellwas a convicted pedophile. Director Jessica Dimmock also brought in Corin Nemec and Todd Andrews, who portrayed Stayner and his brother Cary respectively in TV mini-series I Know My First Name Is Steven, to read interview transcripts. dewiki Steven Stayner; 1 reference. Steven's death, along. Stevens father, Delbert Stayner, struggled in the aftermath of his sons vanishing like everyone else in the family. Everything has changed. Shulze, of Oak Park, California, earned Academic All-Big Ten honors for the 2020 and 2021 cross country seasons, as well as 2021 for track. Accident or not, someone lost their life. "They call [Merced] the gateway to Yosemite," said Ted Rowlands, a former reporter who covered Cary Stayners story at KNTV for the San Francisco Bay area. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, according to research conducted by the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and ranked in the top nine leading causes of death for people between the ages of 10 and 64, as well as . There was a "pall over" Cary, because he was "the kid who had his brother kidnapped," said Bungart. They had two kids, Ashley and Steven Jr., who both appear in Captive Audience. Hulus Captive Audience tells the tragic story of two Stayner brothers: Steven, who was kidnapped by a pedophile as a child, and Cary, who later became a serial killer. About eight years later, Steven escapeda story that drew significant media attention and was turned into a popular television miniseries, "I Know My First Name Is Steven." But in 1989, Steven died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24. Still, Stayner wanted to help his parents and asked that a $250,000 reward for information go to his family, Rinek wrote. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? By Mike Moran of the Confessional Podcast : On March 1, 1980, in Mendocino County, California, he and Timothy White, another of Parnell's victims, managed to flee. Stayner championed the cause of missing children until his untimely death at the age of 24 in 1989. There was out and out fury over the sentence," Flynn said. The Famous People reports Parnell then took the boy to a remote cabin near Catheys Valley, California. Steven Stayner cause of death Teddy April 25, 2022 1 min read Steven Gregory Stayner was born in April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989 he was a kidnapped victim from the United States. [14] He paid $100 for a birth certificate and had $400 on his person for the completion of the transaction when he was to receive the child on January 3, 2003. Many researchers suspect cancer may overtake heart disease as the leading cause of death in coming years. [8], More than a decade after the sodomy case, Parnell was convicted of armed robbery in Utah. He sustained fatal head injuries while on his way home from work when his motorcycle collided with a car in a hit-and-run accident. Delbert Stayner Cause Of Death Delbert Stayner died on 9 April 2013. The boy agreed and gave the man his address. When Stayner was 14, Parnell kidnaped another boy, 5-year-old Timmy White. According to Diane Stevens' testimony, Parnell requested that the child have a "clean" rectum, indicating sexual intentions. Carole Sund, her daughter Juli Sund and friend Silvina Pelosso were missing for a month before their bodies were found. Stayner and White were not Parnell's only victims. Unfortunately, Kenneth was paroled after five, less time than he had Steven in his "custody." He was known to take refuge in nearby Yosemite, where hed drive up and get lost in nature. According to The Famous People, Murphy offered to walk Stayner home, as he wanted to ask his mother for a donation. Steven Stayner's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Apr 18, 1965 Death Date September 16, 1989 Age of Death 24 years Cause of Death Traffic Collision The Steven Stayner died at the age of 24. He died behind bars in 2008 from natural causes. On Dec 4, 1972 at age 7, he was abducted in California by Kenneth Parnell. At the time, Parnell was convicted for kidnapping and false imprisonment. Although Stayner told the younger boy to go inside by himself and tell the officers he had been kidnapped, White refused to leave Stayner's side. Cookie Notice He had been under hospice care for some time. I always looked very closely in hopes of spotting Steven. On the show, Kay mentioned that Del would often drive around looking for freshly dug ground because he thought Steven was dead. . On several occasions, Parnell encouraged Stayner to help him lure another boy into the home. In addition to assisting in the production of a miniseries based on his experience, Stayner became an advocate for preventing child abduction and helping victims of abuse. In 1981, he was convicted of kidnapping both boys and sentenced to seven years of state prison time. Parnells father, Cecil Frederick, died July 31, 1972 in Denver.[3]. In 2004, 72-year-old Parnell was sentenced to 25 years to life after an informant told police he expressed interest in buying a four-year-old boy for $500. He was convicted in 2004 for attempting to purchase a child for sex and died in prison. Find a Grave in 2004. #truecrime #PodernFamily #perspective #WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/IItIDruGTI, It Could Always Be Worse (@alwaysbeworse) March 21, 2018, Steven Stayner was only 7 years old when he was kidnapped by Kenneth Parnell and Ervin Murphy, according to ABC News. Police first arrested convicted pedophile, Kenneth E. Parnel immediately and went to work tracking down Ervin Murphy according to Lodi News-Sentinel, who had only been involved in the kidnapping before going his own way. #onthisday pic.twitter.com/eW5ce2QtEm Steven Stayner was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was 24 years old FBI/Wikipedia On September 16, 1989, Steven Stayner was riding his motorcycle home from work when a car suddenly pulled out of a driveway onto the highway. Her father is abduction-victim-turned-hero Steven . Birthday: April 18, 1965. He briefly attended counseling but instead considered talking to reporters as his form of therapy. "Whatever demons were clamoring around in his head, by being naked, by smoking pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed," LaLama said. MERCED . Both men were convicted. Powered by. Later that year he married again and had another daughter. ? They no longer want you.. On April 18th, 1965, he was welcomed into the world by his parents, Delbert Stayner and Kay Stayner, in Merced, California, in the United States of America. Delbert Stayner passed away in 2013. So, Steven figures the best thing to do is to take him to the police station," Flynn said. Shortly after Steven's death, an uncle with whom Cary Stayner was very close was shot and killed in a home they shared together. Mr. White was 5 years old when he was kidnapped in 1980 by Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. And if I didnt take care of it now, it would just get worse,'" Duke said. As reported by People, Stayner struck the driver's side of the car at a high rate of speed. But in 1980, the Stayners prayers were answered when Steven returned home after a seven-year disappearance. The two brothers of the Stayner family are both famous, both tied to the wonder of Yosemite National Park, and both knew unspeakable horror. Convicted sex offender Kenneth Parnell, known for the 1972 kidnapping and seven-year-long confinement of Steven Stayner, died Monday in the state prison hospital at Vacaville . Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent." Unfortunately, the entire incident was part of an elaborate plan to kidnap the boy. Fourteen when he was found. He died at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville in 2008 at the age of 76. From 2010 to 2014, the number of accident-related . Watch: The Truth Behind Our Obsession With True Crime Stories. Murphy had befriended serial paedophile Kenneth Parnell, and the two were in cahoots. Over the next four years, he worked at Pizza Hut while lecturing about personal safety at schools. Flynn said Satyner had "a couple of nervous breakdowns," one of which was "fairly violent. Like Kay, he urged the jury at Carys trial not to sentence him to death. They kicked him out of their house twice. Parnell was registered as a sex offender when he lured 7-year-old Stayners into his car as the boy walked home from his elementary school in Merced, California. Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story,, a Hulu docuseries that streams today, shows, the two boys bravely testified against Parnell at his trial. According to Rowlands, "He was wearing a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. And he was 38 when he brutally tortured and murdered 4 females in Yosemite National Parka dream he wanted to fulfill since the age of 7. Release Date! According to The Famous People, the couple eventually had two children, named Ashley and Steven, Jr. In addition to her fathers unwanted advances, one of Stayners sisters said that Cary started peeping on her and inappropriately touching her when she was ten. However, that happiness was short-lived because he had difficulty adjusting back to life with his family. He later said, I never stopped looking, every time I saw a crowd on TV or a picture of a lot of people in a magazine. Within days, he's on 'Good Morning America,'" Flynn said. He was abducted as a child and later died young. He literally said, I was not going to let that child go through what I had already been through. Biography - A Short Wiki They no longer want you,'" investigative journalist Pat LaLama said. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. To begin with the first one is on the cover of the book. And there was just nothing there," said Pat Lunney, an investigator assigned to Steven Stayners case. On Sept. 16, 1989, Steven, then 24, was killed in a motorcycle accident while on his way home from work. When Parnell kidnapped 5-year-old Timothy White that year, Stayner fled on foot along with the kindergartner and then hitchhiked to safety, a journey that thrust the two kidnapping survivors into the national spotlight. cause of death. Parnell forced Stayner to take on the name Dennis Parnell, and shuttled him from remote towns to isolated cabins all around Northern California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Stayner, the subject of an NBC miniseries in May, lived as the son of his abductor, Kenneth Parnell, a convicted child molester. "Its dark and Timmy can't remember where he lives. In addition to his fraught life at home and at school, Steven, still just a teenager by this point, also had to face Parnell in court. As Steven got older and entered puberty, Parnell's sexual interest in Stayner waned and Parnell sought a new boy to "build his family". Stayner and his wife were high school sweethearts, the article said. He had attempted another kidnapping with his mistress Barbara Mathias, but that failed to go to plan. I want a movie-of-the-week made about my story,'" Rowlands said. I Know My First Name Is Steven: With Cindy Pickett, John Ashton, Corin Nemec, Luke Edwards. He returns to Merced triumphant. Although he was. Cary Anthony Stayner (born August 13, 1961) is an American serial killer and the older brother of kidnapping victim Steven Stayner. He'd bought a brand new white and blue Kawasaki EX-500 motorcycle with money from a miniseries based on his childhood kidnapping, called "I Know My First Name Is Steven." "But he was unable to develop any sort of interpersonal relationships with any women.". One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White. According to People Magazine, on September 16, 1989, Steven was heading home on his motorcycle from his job delivering pizza when a "car pulled out of the driveway of a migrant-labor camp along the highway." Steven was only 24 but was married with two children: Ashley (3) and Steven Jr. (2). "Ken Parnell went back to what he had been doing for years. Stayner went to the police station and told them what happened to him, which included the line that later became the title of his movie: I know my first name is Steven. (Parnell was later convicted of kidnapping and false imprisonment charges, but only served five years. While Parnell was working as a night security guard, the children hitch-hiked to Ukiah, California, Timothys home town. "At some point, Parnell and Steven together realized that Steven was growing up and that he was no longer going to be controlled by Parnell," Lunney said. Later, the family also mentioned that the couple would go after any new tip that came by, with their children in tow. He reunited with his family and later attended college. On February 14, 1980, Parnell abducted five-year-old Timothy White from Ukiah with the help of Sean Poorman, a minor and an acquaintance of Stayner. He was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison. In 1999 a proposition was put forward to rename several local parks in the Merced area to honour outstanding citizens of the city. Jeff Rinek, at the time an FBI agent handling Cary Stayners case, said the search for the women was the "largest ever mounted in Yosemite at any time." I was surprised that the doc didn't talk much about the Stayner's family own history of abuse (the mitigation specialist talked about it a bit in the Cary episode) but apparently there was an uncle in the family who allegedly molested Cary and was later murdered (idk anything about it) and the Stayner family wouldn't allow Steven to get therapy after he came home to properly deal with his trauma. One relative described child sexual abuse as like a family sickness because it had been going on for so many generations. By daybreak the following morning, Parnell had been arrested. "Kenneth Parnell stops the car and goes to a payphone, he comes back and tells Steven, 'Your parents, I just spoke to them. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family. The two brothers are both famous and both knew unspeakable horror. ET on ABC, Cary looked out for Steven, according to Cary Stayner's former classmate Jack Bungart. If you havent got three hours to spare, heres everything you need to know about the horrific story of Steven Stayner. He was held by his abductor until he was 14, when he escaped with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. In March 1951, Parnell was arrested for raping a young boy and impersonating a police officer; he was sentenced to four years in prison. He even went before the Ways and Means Committee of the State Assembly to push for a bill that could increase the penalty for kidnapping children. Stayner was stolen on December 4, 1972, in Merced, California, by child molester Kenneth Parnell. Sometimes I blame myself. Steven Stayner, Who Escaped 7-Year Captivity, Dead In Crash September 17, 1989 MERCED, Calif. (AP) _ Steven Stayner, kidnapped at the age of 7 and forced to live as the sexually abused foster son of his abductor until he escaped seven years later, has been killed in a hit-and-run traffic accident. Did Delbert Stayner Molest His Daughters? He was held by his abductor 38 miles away in Mariposa County, California, and later in Mendocino County, California, until he was aged 14, when he managed to escape with another of Parnell's victims, Timothy White. Her head, which had been removed, was found several feet away in the water. He had reportedly suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts but the cause of his death remains unclear. He was 79 years old, and from what we can tell, the cause of death has not been made public. Parnell claimed to have married a third and final time in 1968,[8] but no records were ever found to substantiate this. He was sentenced to seven years in prison but only served five -- less time than he held Steven captive. Prior to his kidnapping of Stayner, The Famous People reports Parnell had at least two criminal convictions, including armed robbery and the sexual abuse of a young boy. Stayner suffered years of abuse and claims that his parents didnt want him anymore, per the Seattle Times. He's free. Stayner left a substantial amount of evidence in and around Armstrongs cottage, but police initially started searching for him because his vehicle had been seen near her place and they thought he would be a "natural witness to interview," Rinek said. On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, 7-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school in Merced, California, when he was approached by a man passing out religious pamphlets. 3. As reported by ABC News, Lori Duke, who went to school with Stayner, but knew him as Dennis Parnell, said, "He had a great personality. Stayner and Parnell moved often, finally settling nearUkiah, California, where Steven Stayner became Dennis Parnell, according to The New York Times. Per the Spokesman-Review, Parnell told Stayner that his parents didn't want him anymore; he was beaten so viciously that he was afraid to run away. I dont know sometimes if I should have come home. I told you this was a depressing one guys, hope I didn't ruin your day. When Stayner was 14, he ran away with another kidnapped boy, Timmy White, and went to the police, ABC News reported. While working at the Yosemite Lodge, Kenneth Parnell befriended his coworker Ervin Murphy. White became a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy. He is now 59 and on death row in San Quentin State Prison, according to his prison records. Steven's parents were devastated by their son's disappearance and the lack of witnesses or any evidence in the case. "Merced was the lead police department, and so they really mounted a large effort to search. ABC 20/20 is digging into the case on a new episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Eastern time Friday, July 2, 2021. However, he was convicted in Utah and was not known as a criminal in California. number of children. Stayner waited until Parnell had gone to his night shift job as a clerk at a local motel on March 1, 1980 and, carrying White on his back, hitchhiked 40 miles to Ukiah. Age at Death: 24. If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. He later moved with his mother, his two half-sisters, and a half-brother to Bakersfield, California, where his mother operated a boarding lodge. As he was not wearing a helmet, he suffered massive head trauma, which led to his death less than one hour after the accident occurred. Barbara Mathias, Parnell's girlfriend who lived with him and Stayner for some time, was never charged with any violation and cooperated with authorities in Parnell's trials. The devastation of losing their son twice within 10 years was excruciating for Steven Stayner's parents. He was 18 when his brother escaped his imprisonment and returned home. During the penalty phase, Del admitted to having neglected his children after Steven went missing and said regarding Cary, I didnt socialize with him. Steven Stayner Death - Obituary, Cause Of Death. The contrast between the two brothers is "surreal," Flynn said. That night, he talked his way into their room under the guise of fixing a leak, and then sexually assaulted both girls and brutally murdered all three. Overnight, Steven Stayner became a national hero, especially as Kenneth Parnell was arrested the very next day March 2, 1980. He also conscripted Stayner into aiding him in kidnappings, but Stayner had always failed to grab the targeted child to the point Parnell stopped using Stayner as an accomplice, berating him for being an "incompetent". At the age of seven, Steven Stayner was kidnapped on the afternoon of December 4, 1972 by Kenneth Parnell, who had . Steven Gregory Stayner (April 18, 1965 - September 16, 1989) was an American kidnapping victim. Stayner died at the Merced Community Medical Center at just 24 years old, in what was sadly one of multiple tragedies for him and his family. You have the other brother who's left at home. He was 35. One last Steven Stayner, one last Timmy White." [14] Death [ edit] Parnell remained incarcerated until his death, at age 76, on January 21, 2008 [15] at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California. The Stayners were in the news yet again after Cary, Stevens older brother, confessed to murdering four women, including two teenagers. And so Steven made it home, Timmy was returned to his parents, and two families could breathe again. However, Timothy could not remember his address, so Stayner took him to a police station instead. When 14-year-old Steven Stayner turned up at a police station, more than seven years after he was kidnapped while walking home from . Parnell, who was in hospice care, died of natural causes at 9:10 p.m. Monday, according to the department of corrections. Yes, they're related because Cary is Steven's older brother; they're also related because Steven's bumpy return to the Stayner family, as well as his untimely death in 1989, could have . Tragically, Steven Stayner was killed in a 1989 motorcycle accident at age 24. Sean Poorman, Stayner's schoolfriend who abetted Parnell in the White kidnapping, was sentenced to a term in a juvenile work camp. Not long after Steven Stayner died, Cary Stayner's uncle was fatally shot in a home . He also felt more directly responsible. Against the odds, he flourished there. Why doesnt my dad hug me anymore? As he gets older, he realizes that he needs to try to make an escape and get back home. ", "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. As the older brother, Stayner felt a natural if undeserved sense of responsibility for not protecting Steven from harm. Stayners captor, Kenneth Parnell, convinced co-worker Ervin Murphy to lure seven-year-old Steven into their van on 4 December 1972, telling the boy: Your parents, I just spoke to them. Parnell had lured the child through use of a deputy sheriff's badge he bought at an army-navy surplus store. . From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. READ NEXT: Cary Stayner Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? However, he only served three years in prison for that offense. In 2003, he was once again arrested in connection with a kidnapping, when an elderly and sickly Parnell tried to get his caretaker to buy a 4-year-old boy for him in Berkeley, California, the Associated Press reported in 2004. Cary Stayner will forever be known for marring Yosemite's reputation as a peaceful retreat with the brutal murders of four innocent women. Steven was 24 years old at the time of death. Had no interest in girls, had no interest in people. [10] Unfamiliar with the city, Stayner decided the best option was to seek out the local police, who originally considered him a delinquent, until an exhaustive search of missing child posters and a piecemeal interrogation confirmed he was a missing child as well.