Statue of Steven Stayner dedicated to missing kids

An 8-foot-tall statue now stands in a Merced park in honor of Steven Stayner, known for escaping his captor as a teenager and rescuing another young victim in 1980.|
ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

MERCED — An 8-foot-tall statue now stands in a Merced park in honor of Steven Stayner, known for escaping his captor as a teenager and rescuing another young victim in 1980.

Stayner was kidnapped by pedophile Kenneth Parnell when he was 7 years old and held captive and sexually abused for seven years. They lived in motels and trailer parks in Santa Rosa and on the Mendocino Coast in the 1970s.

When Parnell kidnapped a second boy, 5-year-old Timothy White, in 1980, Stayner decided to escape and bring the child to safety.

Stayner was hailed as a hero in the high-profile case, which landed Parnell in prison.

On Saturday, organizers unveiled a bronze likeness of a teenage Stayner leading the little boy by the hand. They said the memorial is dedicated to all missing children.

Both Stayner and White have since died. Their mothers attended the unveiling and say they were moved by the memorial.

___

Information from: Merced Sun-Star, http://www.mercedsun-star.com

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.
Send a letter to the editor