Hulu’s ‘Captive Audience’ May Be the Craziest True Crime Documentary of the Year

There are twisty true crime stories, and then there’s Captive Audience. Hulu’s latest true crime docuseries isn’t just an intimate deep dive into how one family’s darkest moments became national news. It’s also a true story that has so many unexpected twists that it will leave you with your jaw on the floor.

In 1972, Steven Stayner was kidnapped at the age of seven. That kidnapping is the first detail in a story that would come to involve Stayner’s heroic return to his family, an Emmy-nominated miniseries, and a serial killer. If you’re the type of person who likes to know how things end before you get started, consider this your guide to Captive Audience‘s shocking subject matter.

Who Was Steven Stayner?

Even if you’re an avid true crime fan, chances are you’re not ready for this story. Steven Stayner was the third of Delbert and Kay Stayner’s five children. On the afternoon of December 4, 1972, Steven Stayner was approached by a man on his way home from school. That man, Ervin Edward Murphy, had been recruited by his co-worker at a Yosemite National Park resort, Kenneth Parnell, to kidnap Stayner. Stayner was seven at the time.

Murphy was described by people who knew him as trusting and even simple-minded. He said he believed Parnell’s claim that he wanted to abduct the young Stayner so that he could raise him in a more religious environment. This was a story the media would later report, initially claiming that Parnell kidnapped Stayner because he wanted a child of his own but didn’t have one. It was also far form the truth.

In reality, Parnell had already been arrested for kidnapping and raping another young boy in 1951. He also was the biological father of three children, another glaring hole in the story that was reported before the full weight of Parnell’s crimes were exposed. On the first night of the abduction, Parnell molested Stayner. Thirteen days later he began to rape the seven-year-old boy.

Parnell told Stayner that he had legal custody over him and that his parents didn’t want him anymore. These lies are why Stayner did not initially flee. Over the next several years, Parnell and Stayner moved around California often, rarely staying long enough for Stayner to make friends. It wasn’t until Stayner entered puberty that he made his escape.

In February of 1980, Parnell, with the help of one of Stayner’s teenage friends, kidnapped five-year-old Timmy White. Stayner waited until Parnell left one night before he took White and hitchhiked to Ukiah, Calif., to return the boy to his parents. Because of his heroism, Stayner and White were reunited with their families. As emotionally difficult as this story is, it’s only a third of the saga that Captive Audience captures.

What Happened to Kenneth Parnell?

On March 1, 1980, Stayner saved White and brought him back to his hometown. On March 2, Parnell was arrested on suspicion of abducting both boys. Despite this quick arrest, Parnell’s sentence was disturbingly short. Over his two separate trials, Parnell was tried for kidnapping but not sexual abuse because most of the incidents occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Merced County prosecutor or the statute of limitations. Parnell was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released on parole after only serving five.

In 2004, Parnell was arrested again. At the age of 71, he tried to convince his caregiver to buy him a four-year-old boy. The caretaker, who knew of Parnell’s past, worked with police to orchestrate a sting operation. He was convicted on charges of attempting to purchase a child and attempted child molestation. Under California’s “three strikes” law, he was sentenced to 25 years to life.

Parnell remained in prison until his death in 2008. It’s been reported that he died of natural causes.

What Is I Know My First Name Is Steven?

Shockingly, this is the part of the story that gets weird. After saving Timmy White, Steven Stayner became a media darling. Though he initially had a hard time adjusting, he created a life for himself. Stayner married Jody Edmondson, and the couple had two children together. He also worked with child abduction groups and would give interviews about his kidnapping.

Because of his passion for advocacy, when Stayner was approached about a possible TV adaptation of his case, he said yes. I Know My First Name Is Steven was a two-part NBC miniseries that premiered on May 22 and 23, 1980. The series was hugely popular. Captive Audience compares its ratings success to Super Bowl numbers. It was also critically successful. I Know My First Name Is Steven received a Golden Globe nomination as well as four Emmy nominations.

Can You Watch I Know My First Name Is Steven?

No. The two-part series isn’t currently available on streaming.

Is Steven Stayner Alive Today?

Sadly, no. While driving home from work, Stayner’s motorcycle collided with a car, and the crash proved to be fatal. Stayner passed away on September 16, 1989, a day before I Know My First Name Is Steven lost the Emmy to War and Remembrance. He is survived by his wife and kids.

Who Is Cary Stayner?

There’s one final part to this stranger-than-fiction story, and it goes by the name of Cary Stayner. Steven Stayner’s older brother, Cary Stayner is convicted killer who murdered four women. Those murders occurred around Yosemite — the same place where his brother was kidnapped.

All of his murders took place between February and July of 1999. Cary Stayner’s first two victims were 42-year-old Carole Sund and 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso. Their charred remains were found in the back of Sund’s rental car. But it was a note that led police to the third victim, Sund’s daughter, the 15-year-old Juli. Cary Stayner’s final victim was 26-year-old Joie Ruth Armstrong, who was found decapitated.

Captive Audience makes the argument that Cary Stayner’s murder spree was a cry for attention to differentiate him from his kidnapped brother. But Stayner told the FBI and a San Jose TV reporter that he started fantasizing about murdering women at the age of seven.

What Happened to Cary Stayner?

Because his crimes happened on federal land, Stayner’s case was tried in federal court. In an attempt to avoid the death sentence, he pleaded guilty to premeditated first degree murder, felony first degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death. It didn’t work.

In 2002, Stayer was sentenced to death. As of April 2022, he is still on death row at the San Quentin Penitentiary in California. But because there have been no executions in California after a 2006 court ruling, it’s possible that he will live out the remainder of his life in prison.