I Know My First Name Is Steven

by Echols, Mike

  They [Steven's parents] are confused about how to handle Steven's irresponsibility and, either out of guilt or fear, are confused as to whether they should be more firm with their discipline or more patient.

  Steven, on the other hand, presents himself as a rather happy-go-lucky, easygoing, agreeable young man with a ready smile. However, this sunny disposition is frequently punctured when he is pressed to deal with various areas of his experience with Mr. Parnell. This is especially true as his face reddens as the subject of the sexual encounters with Mr. Parnell are brought up.

  The results from the psychological tests administered provide a picture of Steven as a young man with average intellectual ability who is depressed, experiencing a great deal of emotional conflict, and who has a tendency to either act out or live out his very intense internal and conflicted experience. On the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Steven obtained an extremely high score on the L Scale. This is a scale designed to identify persons who attempt to give overly perfectionistic views of themselves; that is, to present a positive picture.

  Steven's response to Card #6 [of the Rorschach Test] indicates that he has a tremendous amount of conflict about sexual matters.

  While Steven attempted to fend off his abductors by initially declining their invitation, he appears to have been completely taken in and overwhelmed by their persistence and persuasiveness. I would note that in this connection, that I believe any seven-year-old child would be much moved by this persuasion, but that Steven appears especially vulnerable in as much as he was a rather trusting child who had been raised to respect the influence of adults.

  San Francisco psychiatrist Robert A. Wald prepared a much briefer evaluation of Steven, stating in part:

  Steven [was] essentially trapped and bound within the unconscious mind of Dennis. When Dennis saw the active distress of the younger child, Timmy White, his satisfaction with the myth [of being Dennis] began to deteriorate. When he saw that Timmy was treated with kindness and concern by the officer, the mythic person was subordinated to the real person, and the young man spoke his true name. It is my absolute belief that with the acknowledgment of his true identity, Steven Stayner freed himself from his state of being kidnapped. From a psychological point of view, he was still in a state of kidnap until he spoke his name, thus ending a psychic capture that lasted two thousand, six hundred forty-four days.

  Before and after Doctors Hamm and Wald introduced their evaluations from the stand, the State presented a lengthy list of witnesses: school officials, teachers, and some of Parnell's and Murphy's acquaintances. Following a redirect examination of Steven, several police officers gave evidence about his school attendance, the arrests of Parnell and Murphy, and Steve's frequent moves with Parnell. Then, on December 22, the State rested and the defense began its presentation, including testimony by Murphy, Steve, Sean Poorman, and Ukiah Police Officer Bob Warner.

  From the stand Murphy told of his troubled childhood, his coming to California, his going to work in the kitchen at Yosemite Lodge, and his meeting and subsequent befriending by Parnell. It was exactly as he has always told it: simply, honestly, and matter-of-factly. And he patiently repeated the same honest story—indeed, it was the only one he knew—when he was cross-examined by Hallford.

  At this trial, Parnell did not take the stand. Testimony ended two days before Christmas of 1981 and because of the approaching holidays Judge Sabraw dismissed the jury until January 4, 1982, but asked the attorneys to meet with him in chambers on New Year's Eve to deal with various motions and agree on his instructions to the jury.

  With the jury back in place on January 4, Hallford made his previously reserved opening statement on behalf of the people. When he finished, Morse spoke on Murphy's behalf before Ellery stood and spoke in defense of Parnell.

  As is legal custom, the tall, dignified Hallford then rose again and gave the State's closing argument. It was short and to the point, ending with, "Any verdict that's not kidnapping and kidnapping for conspiracy I think would be a cruel joke on Steven, and it would be a sad and tragic day for justice in Merced County and Alameda County, and any other county in this state."

  After the lunch recess the jury, attorneys, witnesses, news reporters, cameramen, and anyone else still around a month after the trial had begun were witness to Judge Sabraw's hour-long jury instructions. At 3:12 the jury retired to begin deliberations, a formidable task, since they had to decide not just Murphy's and Parnell's separate guilt or innocence on the kidnapping charges but also on the highly complicated conspiracy-to-kidnap charges.

  Also, as expected with two defendants with such apparently differing levels of involvement and culpability, the jury was sufficiently confused that it spent the balance of that day, all of the next, and nearly all of a third pondering the fate of Ervin Edward Murphy. Indeed, the jury repeatedly sent requests to Judge Sabraw for clarification of the detailed charges against Parnell's accomplice and rereadings of Murphy's testimony and the law, all of which the judge promptly responded to during the panel's nearly fourteen hours of deliberations.

  At 3:25 the afternoon of the third day, the jury, having finally reached a verdict on one of the charges for both men, entered the courtroom. Parnell was first to learn that he had again been found guilty of second degree kidnapping, followed immediately thereafter by the pronouncement of Murph's guilt for an identical charge. But Judge Sabraw had already known the jury had been unable to reach a decision on the conspiracy-to-kidnap charges, and that to do so they needed additional, definitive information from him. Before the twelve returned to the jury room the judge furnished them with the requested information, but it was insufficient, for they were back in the courtroom fifteen minutes later for further clarifications.

  Twenty-seven minutes later they finally came in with guilty verdicts for both men. Sentencing for the pair was set for February 3, and both were remanded to custody of the Alameda County Sheriff.

  Just before he pronounced sentence that winter morning there were arguments before Judge Sabraw by all four counsel as to what the jury meant to do, what they did do, and how one or the other should be interpreted by him. After weighing both the State's and the defense's arguments, Judge Sabraw had Parnell stand with his attorney and then imposed sentence.

  It is the judgment of this court and it's hereby ordered, adjudged, and decreed that in punishment for said offense, that the defendant be imprisoned in the State Prison of the State of California for the term of eighty-four months. . . .*

  I note that by reason of the bizarre nature of the circumstances surrounding this crime . . . that a seven-year-old boy was taken from his home and lied to, told that his parents didn't want him anymore, presumably didn't love him anymore, told that he was separated legally from his parents by reason of obtaining a court order, thereafter permitting this boy for the next seven years to lead a loose and permissive and undisciplined life, depriving him of the training at a most critical period in his life, religious training, moral training. The resulting psychological impact, that this obviously had on this young boy, now sixteen years of age, is something that he's struggling with now and will be struggling with . . . for the rest of his life. The impact that this had on his family is difficult to measure and difficult to perceive and to fully appreciate. All this conduct was callous, deceitful, insensitive, and as far as the Court is concerned, fully justifies the imposition of the maximum sentence that's available to the Court. . .

  The judge then turned his attention to Parnell's accomplice.

  With respect to the defendant Ervin Edward Murphy, the record would reflect that I have read and considered the probation report that has been filed in this matter and have concluded, based on the circumstances of the crime, the serious nature of the crime, that the defendant's application for probation should be denied . . .

  . . . it is the judgment of this Court. . . that in punishment for said offense that the defendant be imprisoned in the State Prison of the State of California for
the period of 60 months . . .

  I am also mindful in this sentencing that the prime mover in this crime was the codefendant [Parnell]. It further is evident from the facts that the greater responsibility . . . is with the codefendant. I also have in mind that you appear before the Court without a prior criminal record. I also have in mind that it was to your credit that you acknowledged eventually your responsibility in the crime. . . . Whatever wrenching and struggling you had with that crime during the intervening years did not result in you coming forward to the authorities and permitting the child to be returned.

  For the kidnapping of Steven, Murphy received the average term allowed by law, 60 months, with an additional sentence of 60 months—to be served concurrently—for his conspiracy conviction. Thus, because of California law, for kidnapping Steven, Murphy received a prison term longer than Parnell's.

  On Wednesday, February 3, 1982, the Stayner kidnapping trial drew to a complete and final close. Of course, there was the unsuccessful appeal made by Oakland attorney Daniel Horowitz for Parnell. But when the trial finished, Parnell and Murphy were remanded to custody of the California Department of Corrections.

  Hallford was pleased with getting Parnell convicted for kidnapping Steven, but he said he wished that the sentences for the kidnapping convictions had at least been of equal length. "Consecutive sentences. Stack 'em! That is what the prisoners call them, in other words, one after the other. The second one is much less than the first.

  "Now, in kidnapping Timmy White, [Parnell] got seven years. But since Steven Stayner was the second offense [to be tried], he only got twenty months. And that looked so bad when everybody realized that he got twenty months for keeping Steven seven years. The public was outraged! So they did change that law. Now, kidnapping is like rape: you can get seven years for the second one as well."

  But under California law kidnappings like Steven's and Timmy's are still considered second-degree kidnappings . . . and the maximum sentence is still just seven years in prison.

  Wayne Eisenhart and Neil Morse felt dejected for Murphy. Said Wayne, "We were trying to portray Murphy as a victim of Parnell's manipulations, just the same as Stayner was a victim."

  Neil added, "To the extent that they found Stayner was a victim, Murph was a previous victim."

  Remembering the protection Murph had unwittingly afforded him during those first days of the kidnapping, even Steve felt sorry for "Uncle" Murphy. "I'd like to see him. The only time I ever saw him [again] was during the trial. That was sort of a sad thing to watch, especially since the judge sentenced him to five years. It was kind of heartbreaking. . . . "

  With the trials over, Hallford had still not given up trying to convince Mendocino County to prosecute Parnell for the 87 sexual assaults on Steve. "After my trial was finished, I called Mendocino County and Dick Finn came down here to talk to the Stayners and Steve. He wouldn't have come down at all except at my insistence. They were going to let it go! But after he got here, he didn't do anything other than 'Well, Steve, would you like to do this?' And that really didn't impress me.

  "I don't know that this is a case [where] they should have even allowed Steven to make the decision, because we're talking about a lot of other kids besides Steven. So there's a lot of finger pointing going on, and I'd like to point my finger at Mendocino County. The problem is, the sexual abuse did occur in their jurisdiction. And sexual abuse ought to be a crime anywhere! But they didn't press Parnell, because if they had, Parnell would be in prison for another fifty years!"

  Chapter Fourteen

  Closure

  "I fought too hard for those seven years to make it to give up now. "

  In February of 1982, with the trials over, the news media's focus on Steve and his family moderated, but the teenager still had major problems to tackle, not the least of which was passing his classes so that he could graduate from Merced High School the next year. At first he missed classes for the interrogations by Merced Police and the Merced D.A.'s Office, then he was absent for appearances on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and other national and local television shows, and finally he had to be excused to testify at both trials, all of which added considerably to his already marked academic weaknesses. Furthermore, Del and Kay had still not decided whether they would treat their son as a seven-year-old—thereby trying to pick up where they had left off in 1972—or as an adolescent male standing on the very edge of manhood.

  Compounding things for Steve was his parents' continuing opposition to his receiving professional counseling. Many family friends felt it reasonable that a boy kidnapped and forced to live for seven years as a pedophile's sex partner could not help but have serious psychological problems. But the fact that the whole family was not prepared emotionally for Steve's return and reintegration into their midst caused daily problems which, though not immediately evident, held major consequences for the family years later. "I've never talked to Steve about that," Cindy Stayner said, referring to Parnell's sexual assaults. " . . . People would ask me questions, and I had to tell them that I really didn't know. I never really talked to him . . . no one talked about 'it. 'My parents really wouldn't talk about 'it.' "

  Since his return to Merced, Steve had maintained a reasonably good front . . . or so it appeared to those outside the family. But all was definitely not well, and most difficult for Steve was his inability to work through his feelings about those seven-plus years he spent with Ken Parnell as his "father". . . years he would have spent with his own family but which he had now lost forever.

  Four years after coming home, while Steve traveled around Merced and Mendocino Counties being interviewed by the author, he spoke of a desire to meet with Parnell face to face, "to ask him why he ripped me off. People are always asking, 'What would you say to Parnell if you ever saw him?' . . . 'Do you have any feelings toward him?'

  "I told them straight out: 'I spent seven years with him . . . he treated me well . . . he looked after me. I thank him for keeping me alive.' And I am grateful to him for that.

  "Then I went on to tell them that I hate him with a purple passion for stealing seven years of my life. The reason I said that is because when I got home my mom and dad, brother and sisters, told me about all the things that they did while I was gone. It's just that I hate him for stealing the time, the time that I would have been there and I would have had the experiences."

  Steve characterized his relationship with Kenneth Parnell as a genuine love/hate relationship . . . one which he has never been able to resolve in his own mind and one which he never felt comfortable talking about with his parents.

  One summer night in 1984 Steve tried to bring this up with his parents at the kitchen table and ended by telling Del and Kay that he wanted to go to Soledad Prison to talk with Ken. Del and Kay didn't even respond; they just stared off into space. Then, when they did begin to talk again, they pointedly ignored their son's statement as if he had never made it.

  Therefore, the author understood when Steve prefaced many of his revelations about his relationship with Parnell with: "I'm going to tell you something, but don't say anything about it to my parents. Let them read it in the book."

  When he returned home it was quite apparent to Steve's parents that his morality and personality had changed considerably during his seven-year odyssey with Parnell. Family members said he was much quieter and more reserved and tended to keep his own counsel more than had the seven-year-old who disappeared in 1972. "Due to my experiences with Parnell, I like to be alone with my own thoughts. In fact, I do this a lot, like I did when I was with Parnell. I'm not as easy with other people."

  As a seven-year-old, Stevie had been inseparable from Del; after his return home, they found themselves screaming angrily at each other almost daily. Steve's use of pot was the cause of many such quarrels, for that was one thing that Del refused to brook in his house. But Steve didn't want anybody, his own father included, telling him what to do. He wanted to smoke pot, drink beer and Jack Daniels, drive
cars fast and recklessly, and stay out all night if and when it suited him. In short, Steve wanted to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.

  Later, when Steve turned eighteen and received the $25,000 TV-movie option money and the $15,000 reward for returning Timmy, there were rumors about Steve dallying with harder, more expensive drugs. Perhaps this accounted for the tremendous sums he occasionally withdrew from his bank account, as much as $1,000 in a single day, said Cindy, with nothing to show for it a day later. There were many who tried to get Steve to invest some of his money. But continued Cindy, "No, no, he had to take it all out and buy a car . . . blow it on his friends. It was gone in three months!" To Steve's credit, he did loan Del $2,000 for Cindy's wedding.

  Cars—to be exact, three of them in less than a year—were a passion for Steve, but he wound up wrecking two of them. "When I was sixteen—just two weeks after I got my license—I wrecked one of my cars when I hit a parked car. I got charged with making an illegal lefthand turn. And I've gotten all kinds of speeding tickets . . . maybe about ten. I just can't remember all of them."

  When word got around Merced that Steve had been sexually assaulted by Parnell, most people failed to understand that it had been forced on Steve. Steve remarked that some asked, "Is Steve gay?" while others maliciously went around telling his classmates, "Steve is gay," and "Steve let Parnell do that stuff to him!" This provoked brother Cary, sisters Cindy and Jody, and many of his classmates to run interference for him, Steve happily recalling one incident at Merced High School: "I heard one guy say I was queer, and he almost got his ass beat. . . not by me, but the whole class got up and was ready to take him on. Having that happen felt good enough to make me forget what the guy said!"