Joie was the fourth woman murdered in the Sierras in five months. The motel is in El Portal, California, at the western edge of Yosemite. Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. Joies head sat nearby. However, there were warning signs during his younger years. That confidence evaporated on July 22, with the disappearance of another woman Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, a pretty redhead who worked for the Yosemite Institute teaching children about. Stayner, from Merced, California, was the older brother of Steven Stayner, who had been kidnapped at 7 years old in 1972, and forced to live with his captor Kenneth Parnell, who sexually assaulted the young boy over the next seven years. Concluding the interview, he addressed the victims' families: "I am sorry their loved ones were where they were when they were. On February 12, 1999, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli 15, and Silvina Pelosso 16, left their home in Eureka, California to go on vacation in the area near Yosemite National Park in the same state in the United States. Movies. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. How could something so inhuman happen someplace so idyllic and far from the corruption of modern society? Try again later. I was at a girlfriend's house, and I guess it's this girlfriend and her two daughters that were my original intended victims," Stayner told the agents during his interrogation. The agents bought some time and began questioning Stayner about Armstrong. "We still weren't sure that he had [murdered the Sunds and Pelosso]. Almost immediately, a park employee came forward with information on a blue and white 1979 International Scout that had been parked near Joies house on the night of her disappearance. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "(A witness claimed that) Stayner was angry about authorities seizing his backpack after he was questioned earlier that day. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. "We're not used to this stuff around here. She called the FBI to alert them of Stayners location. "He has entrusted in me the gift of his confession, and it is my obligation to show him that Im worthy of it," Rinek said. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Joie Armstrong (6753355)? Upon examination by the FBI Laboratory, some items have yielded trace evidence. Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, was found Thursday near a stream. Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6753355/joie-ruth-armstrong. Jens couldn't accompany them on this trip because he needed to prepare for an upcoming business trip. Acting on a tip from a caller who was worried about the whereabouts of his friend, Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, park rangers found her decapitated body on the morning of July 22, 1999. Investigators searched his truck and confiscated his backpack for examination. Some 80 people live in 35 shared units in the area. 6. "Because in the letter of apology, theres always something that I didnt think of or that I missed in the interview.". The beheaded body of a young naturalist Friday touched off a new murder investigation in the second grisly crime in this busy national park in the past five months. He told Hartman that his parents "didnt change that much," but his brother and sisters, "they changed a lot. "Theres a crude map, and the map shows Route 120. Eugene "Rufus" Dykes, 32, also of Modesto and Larwick's half-brother was arrested in March. Parnell, along with Murphy, took Steven to a cabin in Catheys Valley, where he was brainwashed to believe his parents no longer wanted him. He befriended a co-worker named Ervin Murphy to assist him in the abduction. This time, agents detained him and forced him to answer more questions. "With the recovery of the duct tape, and the watch and the knife, which was the murder weapon, now were talking evidence.". '", "In my opinion, Cary Stayner was not a psychopath. Emotionally, Cary Stayner had a tough time during his childhood. He demanded that his parents be given the reward money, that he be incarcerated at a prison near his parents home, and, to Stayners detriment, that he be given a large cache of child pornography. Steven Stayner testifies about his abduction in 1972 by Kenneth Parnell and his seven years in captivity in this 1981 photo. He originally was questioned and ruled out as a suspect in those killings. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Then there was another murder. Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY, Jan. 25 at 10 p.m. The other Sund children believed their mother and sister Juli would be returned. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. Her head wasn't found until later. But, says Delbert, puberty-aged Cary endured some emotional hardships because of that incident. Stayner caught the attention of park rangers again last week after his sport utility vehicle was seen near Armstrong's residence on Wednesday night, an hour after she was last seen there. I guess I was jealous. It proved to be a great place for him to get his head on straight. When Steven Stayner was 14, Parnell got a local kid to help him kidnap another child, 5-year-old Timmy White. Attorneys for Cary Stayner, 39, submitted a written guilty plea to charges of murder, kidnapping and attempted sexual assault in the July 21,1999, death of Joie Armstrong. He was arrested in May on an unrelated crime charge but was soon released. Rinek believes that was an attempt by Stayner to control what the agents were thinking of him. He at some points was shuddering, with crying and tears, but for the purposes of what I wanted him to do," Rinek said. The bodies of Carole Sund and Pelosso were later found burned beyond recognition in the trunk of Carole Sunds rental car. Her body was found 27 feet away from her head in a drainage ditch. I did murder Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong None of the women were sexually abused in any way.". Angelia Dale, who testified before the federal grand jury. Armstrong's body was found nearby. He usually ate lunch and dinner at the motel restaurant. View Source Suggest Edits Memorial Photos Flowers Memorials Region North America USA California Their bodies were found about five weeks later. Cary Stayner worked at Cedar Lodge for two years before he killed guests Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. He has been questioned about any involvement. Her luggage for her trip was packed in the back as if she had been ready to leave. Joie Ruth Armstrong. "She fulfilled her dreams at an early age," Ham said. Mr. Stayner said on Monday. I never did tell anybody about it, but I remember wishing on a star that my little brother would come back home. ET on ABC. They began searching the area. "He had a great personality," said Lori Duke, who dated Steven in high school but knew him as Dennis. He had talked his way into the room under the guise of fixing a leak, and then sexually assaulted both girls and brutally murdered Carole Lund and Silvina Pelosso in the room. On Monday, July 22, the court heard Stayners taped confession, which he had given to FBI agents. Drag images here or select from your computer for Joie Ruth Armstrong memorial. Hastings rejected new defense claims that juror misconduct prevented a fair trial. Compounding the mystery, Carole Sund's wallet had been found on a street in downtown Modesto, California, three days after they had disappeared. ", Steven Stayner and Cary Stayner in the baseball cap in the background. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK - Joie Armstrong's grieving family and friends returned to her cabin here for the first time since she was brutally slain and beheaded. Rinek testified at Stayners trial and was there for his sentencing. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. The California Highway Patrol verified the car's license plate as the Sunds rented vehicle and immediately notified the FBI. Parnell was convicted on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges. "I dont know how to think of it. July 26, 1999. There was a dramatic period of silence after Rinek invited Stayner to continue opening up, Rinek said. She got to spend good time with her child before she was murdered," Ham said. Armstrong recently climbed to the summit of Mount Shasta and part way up El Capitan in Yosemite. Management found him a hard worker and honest. Her mother had been dating him and he had decided to kill them on Valentines Day. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Joie Ruth Armstrong I found on Findagrave.com. Acting on a tip from a caller who was worried about the whereabouts of his friend, Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, park rangers found her decapitated body on the morning of July 22, 1999. The phone at Headlands Institute in Marin went unanswered. Things to do in Napa Valley during Bottlerock, plus hotels, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). "He asked me if I thought it was just, and I told him absolutely no," said Rinek, who is the author of "In the Name of the Children," a true-crime account of the cases he has investigated during his career with the FBI, including the Cary Stayner case. The prosecution team was headed by George Williamson and the defense team was headed by Marcia Morrissey. For two weeks, Steven watched Timothy suffer the separation from his family. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. In the fall of 1997, Stayner, then in his 30s, took refuge in Yosemite, where he landed his job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge. Stayner, 39, was sentenced in November to life without parole for Armstrong's July 21, 1999, beheading. He realizes its not much, but its all he can offer. Larry Duane Utley, 41 an associate of Dykes and Larwick, first picked up during a March parole sweep. After Hiker Goes Missing Police Discover Bigfoot-Obsessed Culprit, Man Finds Old Buried Chain, His Gut Then Tells Him To Keep Pulling, Homeless Man Sues Burger King For a Million Dollars, Over 3 Months Spent In Jail Without Proof, She Looked Like She Was Pregnant With 30 Puppies, Then Vet Gives Mom The X-Ray, 10-Year-Old Boys Sentenced To Life In Prison After Child Goes Missing, Daughter Wakes Up To Serial Killer Sitting at The End Of Her Bed, Woman In Coma for 3 Weeks Wakes Up To Learn Her Family Pulled the Plug on Her, Missing Alabama Mother Found In The Woods After Sister Discovers Her Car, NFL Star Murders Girlfriend After Heated Argument Then Pulls Trigger on Himself. Learn more about merges. Stayner was already serving a life sentence for the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong. He recalled the abducted tourists case in sharp detail. He was absolutely certain it existed and whether he feared or identified with it, the thought of this remarkable cryptid took over his imagination. He was arrested on Saturday and has provided details about the killing of Armstrong, 26, that only police knew about, the affidavit said. Best of 2022 Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. During Stayner's interrogation, the agents told Stayner he couldnt view child pornography in exchange for his confession. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. . Whatever this is that's inside you, you need to get it out. Former FBI agent Jeff Rinek, who used his refined interrogation technique, recalls what he learned from Cary Stayner's confession to killing park naturalist Joie Armstrong in 1999. Except for the Bigfoot thing, the likable, handsome man seemed perfectly ordinary. Armstrong, a naturalist at the Yosemite Institute, was slain near her Yosemite cabin last Wednesday. "He was spunky. She is remembered as a young woman who had a tremendous enthusiasm for life and a deep desire to give of herself . A few months later, Yosemite Institute naturalist Joie Ruth Armstrong was also found murdered. Make sure that the file is a photo. Why did you do that? Then in July, a teacher at the Yosemite Institute, Joie Ruth Armstrong, went missing. But, to no avail. There was Armstrong's solar-heated shower and the garden that she proudly nourished with water that she carried in heavy buckets from a nearby creek. What were you going to do next? 5-year-old Timothy White walking home from school and they quickly snatched him. FBI agent Nick Rossi said on February 26, "At this point, we have not yet uncovered evidence to allow us to determine conclusively whether this was a tragic accident or a criminal act. Two weeks later, FBI agent James Maddock, now placed in charge of the investigation, told the press, "We feel almost certain that the women were victims of a violent crime.". Four men were considered the main murder suspects in the initial inquiries. Kidd had been dispatched to this scene to help park rangers find a missing girl. "Everybody thought it was over with the other case," said a cashier at Cedar Lodge, the El Portal motel-restaurant where Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and family friend Silvina Pelosso from Argentina were last seen alive in February. Eventually, the family moved on, but one day, Cary heard on the radio that 14-year-old Steven had escaped from his abductor and was returning home. "I remember going out one night after Steve disappeared and wishing on a star that my brother would come back home," Cary reportedly told Mike Echols, author of the book I Know My First Name Is Steven. Please enter your email and password to sign in. By the end of that evening, the FBI felt it had gathered enough evidence to arrest Cary Stayner for murder, Sunday morning, they rushed him to Fresno to officially lodge a complaint, then to Sacramento on Monday where he was put before the courts. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Jens had scheduled to meet them at the San Francisco airport that evening on his way to Arizona, to where the others were to accompany him. You know, hung out with him, played with him.. You seem like you're feeling better. He loved his brother. "And I did that almost every clear night from then on until Steve finally came back home. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Jeff Rinek, a former FBI agent, is the author of "In the Name of the Children," a true-crime account of the cases he has investigated during his career with the FBI, including the Cary Stayner case. Cary always wore a hat because he was compulsively pulling his hair out. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Joie Ruth Armstrong, a naturalist at Yosemite National Park, is shown in this 1998 file photo. The Sund family's worst fears were confirmed when a hiker wandered onto the site of a burned-out red 1999 Pontiac, hidden off Highway 108, in the Stanislaus Forest region on March 18. When Armstrong's friends went to her cabin, which was in an area of the park called Foresta, they found signs of a struggle. The next day, a tip was called into park rangers about a car spotted near Armstrongs cabin. While Steven was a freshman at Mendocino High School, some 300 miles to the south, his older brother Cary was an upperclassman at Merced High School. It is the same garden that her mother, Leslie Armstrong, asked FBI agents to continue watering when they sealed off the property and searched it for evidence after Joie Armstrong's murder. A park official speaking on condition of anonymity said Armstrong had been decapitated, and that as far as he knew, she was clothed. During the session, an unexpected event occurred. "Thats when I told him, 'You need to go to a doctor, Cary.'" Ham, who has known Armstrong since she was a red-headed baby, remembered her as a vibrant woman who challenged herself daily. The large cabin that Armstrong shared with a friend and a boyfriend is located in Foresta, a tiny town just inside Yosemite park gates on Old Coulterville Road, 4 miles from El Portal. The next day, in the same place, the police found twenty-six-year-old Joie Armstrong's headless body half underwater in a creek. Tell me what you did?' One of those arrested, and later released, was Cary Stayner, who worked at the Cedar Lodge as the handyman. Stayner was arrested at a California nudist colony and soon admitted to all four killings, claiming he'd had urges to kill women for thirty years. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Ham and Skalitzky described Joie Armstrong as an adventurous environmentalist. The police were not without leads, however. He couldnt believe it. She was a vegetarian. Caroles parents, Francis and Carole Carrington, appeared on the Good Morning, America TV show, to ask for the prayers of Americans and their help in locating their daughter and the children. It was discovered beyond a campground adjacent to her living quarters in the Foresta community, a group of 30 cabins for use by park workers. There was an error deleting this problem. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Resend Activation Email. According to an affidavit, during an interview with FBI agents, Stayner "made statements to the agents in which he admitted killing Joie Ruth Armstrong" last Wednesday. Check-out had apparently been done in advance and the keys were left on the room desk. At a press conference outside the Stayner house, everyone was smiling, but Cary in his baseball cap wasnt smiling at all. They no longer want you.. They then headed out for Cedar Lodge in El Portal on February 14, which is located on Yosemite's western slope. Timothy White, the kidnap victim, was only 35 when he died. "We needed [him] to be very calm and very thoughtful and to just give us an accounting of everything that happened.". A year later, Uncle Jerry was found dead on the bedroom floor with a shotgun wound in his chest. This also includes the murder of his uncle Jerry. When it came to the interrogation of Stayner, Rinek said they had to calm him down. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. The killer had carried her away from the car and cut her throat. Stayner was arrested Saturday at a nudist colony near Wilton, California, after someone there heard news reports about the wanted man and called authorities. Sandy Cox, whose husband owned the window company where Stayner worked for in Atwater, says, "We've known Cary since he was a little boyIt just doesn't match up. They decided to take him in again after learning on Friday that he had failed to show up to work at the Cedar Lodge. They lived in the farming town of Merced, California, the Gateway to Yosemite. "When you hear these snippets, hes going to sound clinical and unemotional, but this is what I asked him to do," Rinek said. He had done this before in the past, helped lost hikers find their way, but todays journey would prove to be very different and much more unnerving. Web posted at: 3:41 p.m. EDT (1941 GMT). On December 4, 1972, at the age of seven, Steven was approached after school by Edward Ervin Murphy, who claimed he was collecting money for the church. In February 1980, Parnell decided to kidnap a new victim. Now she knew why they could not say whether the body they found had red hair. In the water several feet away, they discovered her head, which officials said had been removed from her body. Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites. Armstrong's body was found nearby. They were looking for the missing red 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix as well as the women. Something was clearly very, very wrong. By Friday, July 23rd, Stayner, in the meantime, had disappeared from the area, by the time agents came to arrest him. See the latest list of Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, See more StrangeOutdoors True Crime Stories, The horrific rape and murder of Sophie Louise Hook whilst camping in her Uncle's garden, The miracle rescue of Alan Lee Phillips at Colorados Guanella Pass - the man who turned out to be a serial killer, The chilling story of Thomas Lee Dillon - the Ohio Outdoorsmen killer, https://casefilepodcast.com/case-161-the-yosemite-sightseer-murders-part-1/, https://murderpedia.org/male.S/s/stayner-cary.htm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Stayner, https://abcnews.go.com/US/steven-cary-stayner-tale-brothers-horror-heroism/story?id=60529944, https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/me-timothy-white10-2010apr10-story.html, https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26040174/cary-stayner-steven-yosemite-murders/, https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/july-25-1999-cary-stayner-arrested-murder-yosemite-60263995, https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-recalls-moment-family-learned-target-1999-yosemite/story?id=60364987, https://www.theunion.com/news/local-news/stayner-sentenced-to-death/, Tagged: The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders, Carole Sund yosemite murders, Juli Sund yosemite murders, Silvina Pelosso yosemite murders, Cary Stayner yosemite murders, Yosemite park murders, Joie Ruth Armstrong, StrangeOutdoors.com Terms of use/Cookie notice/Privacy Policy, Sign up now for a one-time fee for access to over 55 exclusive member articles, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders and the two faces of evil, Exclusive members-only articles on StrangeOutdoors.com, The Yosemite National Park Sightseer Murders, The miraculous escape of the Brazilian and German backpackers at Salt Creek in South Australia, Robert Hansen Butcher Baker - the Alaska Serial killer who hunted his victims in the wilderness, The shocking unsolved Keddie Cabin murders, The disturbing death of Fiona Torbet in the Scottish highlands, The unsolved Williams and Winans camping murders in Shenandoah National Park, The real Wolf Creek - The Backpacker Murders in the Australian Outback, The disturbing story of David Shearing and the Wells Gray Park camping murders, The mysterious death of Carol Laughlin in Yosemite National Park, The frightening case of the Trailside Killer David Carpenter, The mysterious Koh Tao - Death Island in Paradise, The disturbing disappearance of the Beaumont children on Glenelg Beach, The Kamloops Triangle - The British Columbia murders and disappearances, The Delphi hiking murders - Abigail Williams and Liberty German, The Peter Falconio disappearance in the Australian Outback, The unsolved murder of Scott Lilly on the Appalachian trail, The disturbing case of James Jordan - The Appalachian Trail Murderer. A family had vanished into the dark, unsettled wilderness without a trace and then been violently killed by a wild woodsman. Stevens homecoming made him a celebrity. His attorney said Monday she feared the documents' release will make it tougher for Stayner to get a fair trial. It shows Vista Point. Police found her car in front of her cabin, packed for the trip. You could see that he wanted to play and be with kids and be normal. He was arrested on March 5 when he allegedly reported to his parole officer with liquor on his breath. Armstrong also spent a year in the Sierra foothills working for the Stanislaus County Office of Education's Outdoor School. Agents descended on the colony and returned him to El Portal on Saturday where he was put through a more lengthy interrogation. Soon after, Steven Stayner later went to police with Timmy. The FBI has also called Stayner the prime suspect in the murders of three Yosemite sightseers who disappeared in February. They called police when she didnt show up to meet up with them as planned. In Yosemite, Leslie Armstrong of Orlando, Fla., reflected on the shock of the past week. They had been hosting Silvina, who was a foreign exchange student from Argentina and a friend of Juli's, She was spending three months with the family. But instead of seeking mental health treatment, he moved to Yosemite. She also had been a field instructor for the institute's sister organization, the Headlands Institute, in Marin County. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Cary Stayner told a reporter from KNTV of San Jose in an off-camera jailhouse interview Monday how he killed Joie Ruth Armstrong last week and Carole Sund, her daughter Juli and family friend Silvina Pelosso last winter. Ive never seen anything thats so close to black and white and evil and good as Stayner and our children, said Francis Carrington, the father of Carole Sund and grandfather of Juli. Steven was a national hero. Shockingly, Stayner then told Rinek and Boles he had actually planned to kill three other females before he came upon the Sunds and Pelosso. On February 15, the ladies hiked into Yosemite National Park on one of the many trails. "And in order to do that, part of doing that is to not be judgmental, not respond when he says things that repulse me, not to show the emotion thats coursing through me. He walked naked and and smoked pot, he could find the peace that he so desperately needed. Joie Ruth Armstrong had been working for the Yosemite Institute for the past year and had worked on education programs through a partnership with the National Park Service. See also. The brilliant, bubbly, strawberry-blond naturalist lived with her boyfriend and a second roommate in a cabin near Yosemite. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Its manager had seen a story on television, recognized Stayner's photo as one of his guests, and notified the FBI. English They finally caught up with him at the Laguna Del Sol nudist colony, which he frequently visited. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. She turned around and freaked out.". "Its difficult for me to picture what Cary has done and knowing Steve because their personalities are completely opposite," Duke, Stevens former girlfriend, said. As winter merged into spring in March of 1999, a cloud of terror was hanging over Yosemite National Park. Because we all, in law enforcement, when we look at somebody whos killed someone else, we think to ourselves at least I do that that face was the last thing our victim saw before they died. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Still, people were suspicious. After Steven said his mother would be interested in donating, Murphy offered to take the boy home. Oops, something didn't work. On Good Morning America in March 1980, Steven shared with host David Hartman that it felt "great" to be home.
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