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But shortly after that encounter, FBI investigators compared tire tracks at the crime scene with photographs of Stayner's treadsand got a perfect match. All rights reserved. The decapitated body of Joie Ruth Armstrong, 26, was discovered in Yosemite National Park on July 22, 1999. Stayner ditched the car a few hundred yards down a little-used logging trail off California 108, walked two miles into Sierra Village, and telephoned for a cab after dawn. 4. Will it get $36 million back. Women were never subjected to physical or sexual abuse. The trio of tourists had spent a long day admiring El Capitan, Half Dome, and other granite monoliths, ice skating in Curry Village in the Yosemite Valley, and taking snapshots along the Merced River Gorge. You couldn't have told him anything different. The affectless way that Stayner talked about the creature made it difficult to know whether he feared it or identified with it. In a letter to the Fresno Bee that he sent from his jail cell in mid-August, Stayner wrote that I truly am very sorry for the pain he had caused and said that he hoped to sell the rights to his story to Hollywood to compensate the victims' families. (Earlier, in what seemed a twisted bid to match his late brother's celebrity, he had told the San Jose TV reporter that he wanted a bidding war for a movie of the week about his crimes.) "We didn't have any known missing people from the immediate area," said Tucker, "so it was very difficult to think, well, what is the next thing we should do?". Suspicious, Carole Sund looked around and confirmed that there was no sign of a leak. His parents were overjoyed, recalled former Modesto Bee photographer Ted Benson. His cousin Ronnie Jones, a camping companion and perhaps his closest friend, recalled how Stayner would often doodle pictures of naked girls in a notepad. Between February and July 1999, Cary Staynerkilled four women near the majestic park in brutal fashion -- highlighting the contrast between him and his deceased younger brother, who was lauded as a hero in life. There is no jail in Yosemite. I love it here in this house, she wrote to a friend in Florida earlier in the summer. Stevens abduction and subsequent captivity for years after have never been fully resolved. The National Park Service, an Interior Department division, is in charge of managing the parks. But this time Stayner's victim was able to attempt an escape. On March 19, 1999, police found the bodies of Carole and Silvina in the trunk of the burnt vehicle. He returned a few days later to set the car on fire. He rented a room above the Cedar Lodge Restaurant & Lounge, a 1950s-themed diner with red Naugahyde banquettes and a vintage jukebox, and did odd jobs around the motel. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? While the number of murders in Yosemite has decreased in recent years, the park still has a higher rate of crime than other national parks. He talked about Bigfoot all the time, recalls Kathy Amey, Stayner's cousin. Several miles away, in El Portal, Cary Stayner was apparently enjoying the fear and confusion he had created. The second season of Wild Crime is titled Murder in Yosemite and is available on Hulu and Disney Plus. The National Park Service, in addition to managing the visitor centers, campgrounds, and other facilities at national parks, provides public services at other sites. The Muir Wall is a 33-pitch line just left of the famed Nose.. The entire survey and results can be viewed at the Yosemite National Park Visitor Study: Winter 2008 [638 kb PDF]. It stated, We had fun with this one, according to ABC News. They were crimes that grabbed headlines around the world and stunned America. In four one-hour episodes, the series chronicles the work of investigators Don Coelho and Kim Tucker through the decades. Environment | Download the app. Lisa Hansell, then Cedar Lodge restaurant general manager, told SFGate.com. He seemed like too nice a guy, too ordinary, they said. Months later, however, another body turned up. Forecast map: California rivers bulge with snowmelt, but no major floods expected. A man was arrested, Community Health System board chair Farid Assemi steps down, but many members still tied to him. I love the big meadow with all its daisies and incredible history.. The girls body lay near a stream, and her head was in the water she and her friends drank from. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. This is throwing them a big lifeline, said Jon Rosenfield, a biologist with conservation advocacy group San Francisco Bay Keeper. He didn't get very far. In Canada, homicides represent a fraction of the total number of police-reported violent Criminal Code offences each year. Delbert and Kay Stayner sat motionless, hand in hand, eyes fixed on their son as he stood before the federal magistrate, clad in a yellow prison jumpsuit, his wrists and ankles shackled, and entered a plea of not guiltya strategy that left the door open for an insanity defense. The three tourists had last been seen on February 15 at the Cedar Lodge, just outside the park, and evidence at the motel indicated that they had been abducted. There are quite a few creepy stories involving Yosemite Park, and Stayner's crimes certainly add to that list. It wasnt the first time the Stayner family name had been in the news, however. On El Portal Road, a few miles short of the Cedar Lodge, his vehicle broke down, and he flagged down a ride from a passing Yosemite park ranger. May 1974. I probably felt jealous at the time. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Parnell had abducted Steven after offering him a ride home. Having decided to begin their search in the immediate area, the squad split up into five groups. I guess I was jealous. By his midtwenties, Stayner had settled into a job repairing windows for Merced Glass and Mirror, sharing a house with Jerry Stayner, his father's brother, a truck dispatcher for a hay company. 9% of visitors were international visitors. Her body was found 27 feet away from her head in a drainage ditch. A forest fire had roared through this area in 1990, and many of the pine trees here were still blackened and skeletal. Yosemite Lakes is safer than 23% of the cities in the United States. Seasons one and two feature the elite detective squad of the National Park Service as they investigate brutal murders committed in America's most majestic wilderness. California Supreme Court rules Fresno Unifieds contract illegal. The murders were particularly unsettling, of course, because of where and how they had occurred. Honduras - 38.93 per 100k people. Stacey set off on a hike with a 77-year-old man who was on the trip; he grew tired and rested while she continued and was last seen standing on a rock. The Cary Stayner murders took place in 1999 and came to be known as the Yosemite Park Murders, a series of killings which took place over a span of four months. He could face the death penalty for the Armstrong murder and will almost certainly be charged soon in the Sund-Pelosso case. Investigators went to meet the alleged killer in the Sacramento county jail in August 1984. Steven was subjected to abuse and manipulation for seven years before he reached the age of 14. The Chilling Murders Of Three Yosemite Tourists. This can make it difficult for authorities to quickly locate and retrieve bodies, which can lead to decomposition and other issues. The park has gotten a lot more snow to add to its snowpack since then -- as has much of the high . A Towering, Terrifying Demon Horse Isnt Even the Weirdest Part, Man who lost wife, son in Texas mass shooting tells story, Gwyneth Paltrow won't recoup attorney fees in ski crash suit, 'Zombie' misinformation: 'Rape Day' hoax resurfaces on TikTok, 'Very homophobic': Teachers' union leader Randi Weingarten says House hearing crossed the line, A Complete Guide to Visiting Yosemite National Park, Yosemite Valley reopens after heat wave causes flooding concerns, Yosemite National park partially reopening Sunday after closing due to flood concerns. Cary's younger brother, seven-year-old Steven, disappeared without a trace one afternoon while walking home from school alone down the Yosemite Highway. Everything To Know Before Travelling To The Beautiful Land Of Burma! The detectives also name who they believe is the most likely perpetrator. Cary Stayner killed four women near Yosemite National Park in 1999. Eight years later, Cary Stayner took a job as a handyman at Cedar Lodge, a motel just outside the El Portal entrance to Yosemite National Park. Bundy abducted Roberta "Kathy" Parks, 20, from Oregon State University around 11 p.m. I said, 'Why don't you submit some of this stuff to colleges? In Kings County, residents in low-lying areas near the rising rivers have been placing sandbags on their properties and moving items to higher ground to prepare. Stayner would later tell both the FBI and a San Jose TV reporter that he had his first violent fantasy about women when he was seven years old: On a shopping trip with his mother, he envisioned opening fire on the supermarket cashiers, slaughtering them en masse. While there are many stories about people murdered while hiking, and people who come up missing from national parks, the crimes committed by Stayner were brutal, and not ones locals will soon forget. On December 4, 1972, Edward Ervin Murphy approached Steven as a seven-year-old after school. Her boyfriend and her other roommate were away. The victims identity wasnt widely reported, and the series will reveal who she was and what her life was like before her death. California flooding: 80% of Sierra Nevada snowpack hasnt melted yet The parks breathtaking scenery, unique geological features, and abundance of wildlife continue to attract visitors from all over the world. I love Michael with my soul and every last cell in my body. Required fields are marked *. But that wont put an end to flood concerns set off by this weeks anticipated Big Melt., The rate of melting may not be as significant, but it will continue, said Scott Roe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Sacramento. SERIAL KILLER WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED 90 MURDERS IS LINKED TO YET ANOTHER KILLING. "I knew I had to get a hold of law enforcement and get somebody up there to look at it.". or redistributed. The case would eventually be taken over by National Park Service agent Cullen Tucker, Kim Tucker's son, nearly 40 years later. How It Really Happened Yosemite Murders In the early morning hours of September 13, 1999, three women were brutally murdered in Yosemite National Park. He said, 'No, I don't think they'd like this stuff.' Cary Stayner was born and raised inMerced, CA, and his family life was rife with tragedy, which he eventually added to himself. Join Outside+ to get Outside magazine, access to exclusive content, 1,000s of training plans, and more. Legal Statement. Additionally, the alleged serial killer said in an interview with the police that he had "specifically across the United States left evidence to show I was doing the crimes.". Stacey Ann Arras was just 14 when she disappeared at Yosemite National Park on July 17, 1981. The officers faced obstacles from the outset: the crime scene was in the complete wilderness, there was no widespread DNA testing at the time and there were no clues in the surrounding area. The same week the two bodies were found, an anonymous letter was sent to the FBI with a hand-drawn map. Fresno coroner identifies her, Pedestrian, 56, killed in hit-and-run IDd by Fresno coroner. Big melt begins for Sierra Nevada snowpack Then, in 1990, police discovered Jerry Stayner sprawled dead in the bedroom of the house where he lived with Cary, with a shotgun wound to the chest. End of text box. We need to help bring justice to these people, to the families.". He then carried her corpse out to the car, and she too was placed in the trunk. The deranged woman-hating lunatic responsible turned out to be Cedar Lodge's handyman Cary Stayner. Cary Stayner later admitted that he'd told the women there was a leak to gain . He drove west along the Merced River Canyon, unclear about his exact destination, making small talk with his captive. Cary Stayners trial has been relocated from Mariposa County to Santa Clara County, California. He then slit Julis throat and left her body near a creek before returning to burn the car. "It was pretty obvious it was a human hand," said Tom Day, who stumbled upon the crime scene. Ten years after his Stevens death, Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli, 15, and 16-year-old Silvina Pelosso, a family friend from Argentina, went missing while touring Yosemite. Stayner told investigators that he hadnt initially intended to murder Armstrong, but when he saw her alone outside her cabin, he could no longer resist the temptation to kill again. He later admitted that he would have kept killing until he was caught. Her throat had been slashed so fiercely that she was nearly decapitated. Stayner wanted a movie about his story to air once a week, so he spoke with a producer about it. They found beer cans, wrapped-up tin foil, a canteen and what seemed like a piece of fabric that could have been from the victim's jacket. She still didn't know her mother and Silvina had been killed, Stayner told the FBI. According to the March arrest report, Eugene Rufus Dykes, 32, of Modesto, and Larwicks half-brother, was arrested. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The high temperatures, which have broken 80 degrees across the Sierra Nevada mountains, were expected to subside by Monday. However, it is safe to say that a significant number of bodies are found in national parks each year, as these areas are often remote and difficult to access. Cary simmered, silently. Air date: Oct 24, 2022. I cant go to prison for the rest of my life and be happy without seeing it.. Environment | Then, one day in 1996, a coworker went out into the yard of Merced Glass and Mirror to find Stayner slamming his fist against a piece of wood and bleeding from cuts on his hand. Stayner, 38, confessed to the murder of Joie Ruth Armstrong and then dropped a bombshell: He had also abducted and murdered Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso. In the spring of 1984, when the case had gone cold, investigators were contacted by the California Department of Justice, who gave them a tip that an alleged serial killer was confessing to murders across the country, including one that could fit the profile of the Yosemite case. Between February and July 1999, Cary Stayner killed four women near the majestic. The bodies of Silvina and Carole were discovered inside the rental car he abandoned with the group. "This unidentified skeleton has a name," said Cullen Tucker. The Fresno State counselor spent 19 years on the Fresno school board, advocating for bilingual staff and Latinos in leadership positions. The Yosemite InstituteJoie Armstrong was just 26 years old when she was murdered by Cary Stayner in July 1999. Authorities found tire tracks from his truck as well as a red mechanics hat that belonged to him. At Amistad National Recreation Area, a woman was found floating in a reservoir in about 5 feet of water. Sources at the FBIwhich has come under intense criticism for its work in the Sund-Pelosso investigationsay that the Bureau still considers the case open and that investigators are still not completely convinced that Stayner acted alone. Pelosso was taken into the bathroom, where Stayner strangled her. The task force arrested several people with histories of sexual abuse, drug use, or past convictions. The previous day, Cary Stayner had noticed her while walking through the area and decided to kill her. Legal Statement. Cary Stayner became known for killing four women around Yosemite National Park in California. Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, attracting over four million visitors each year. Toddler in roadway hit, killed by car near Visalia, CHP says. Public DomainCary Stayner killed four women near Yosemite National Park in 1999. The motel is where Cary Stayner worked as a handyman and on February 15, 1999, Stayner knocked on Sund's door. [1] Early life [ edit] Cary Stayner was born and raised in Merced, California. For five months, it now appeared, the killer had been living under the noses of investigatorsfixing leaks and handing out bed linens at the Cedar Lodge until the urge to murder had struck again. Conditions at The Green House were primitivethey chopped their own firewood for heat and hauled water up from Crane Creekbut Armstrong was content. Cary, who was 11 when his brother disappeared, would sometimes find his father rummaging through Steven's dresser drawers, weeping. He showed me his cartoons, Miller says. Kay, a Roman Catholic who raised her family as Mormons, became cold and distant, seldom displaying physical affection toward her children. Despite its reputation, Yosemite is still one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. The body of Juli Sund was discovered near Lake Pedro in Tuolumme County. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. In El Portal, just west of Yosemite National Park, he found a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge, a sprawling complex of rustic pine bungalows that straddle the Merced River. Stayner was questioned several times by law enforcement and eventually confessed to the 1999 murders of 42-year-old Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, their 16-year-old family friend . . Stayner was sentenced to death for the four murders and remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California. Market data provided by Factset. But the more significant flood danger is in the Tulare Basin of the Central Valley, where the long-dry Tulare Lake once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River has been replenished after reservoirs failed to contain this winters rains. From the time Cary was a small boy, the Stayner family vacationed together in Yosemite and the surrounding high countrypiling into the family van and driving 60 miles east to camp, fish, and hunt in the mountains. Last February, Stayner was still living in his room above the lounge when he saw Carole and Juli Sund and Silvina Pelosso arriving in their bright-red Pontiac Grand Prix rental. Henry Lee Lucas (August 23, 1936 - March 12, 2001) was an American convicted serial killer.Lucas was convicted of murdering his mother in 1960 and two others in 1983. Members get 15+ publications right in your pocket. Watch Season 2 of "Wild Crime" on Hulu to learn how the story ends. Hows it look near you? Today, Cary Stayner remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison just outside of San Francisco. For law enforcement and park officials in and around Yosemite, the gruesome discovery of Armstrong's corpse marked the return of a nightmare that most had thought was long over. A handyman who worked in Yosemite National Park in the United States has confessed to several grisly murders. In July1999, Stayner made his way into Armstrong's cabin. All of a sudden Steve was getting all these gifts, getting all this clothing, getting all this attention. Year over year crime in Yosemite Lakes has decreased by 7%. Stayner is alleged to have had sexual relations with both of his lodge coworkers during his tenure at the lodge. Lesotho - 43.56 per 100k people. It was there that he committed the first of his horrific crimes. Their son, grim-faced, avoided any eye contact with his parents. Not only do such crimes violate our sense of an idyllic setting, but they represent everyone's worst wilderness nightmare come true: the unseen predator who creeps out of the darkness and then disappears back into the shadows of the forest without a trace. His stories about housing, business and culture have been published in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Guardian US, among others. The National Park Service is a part of the US government that is in charge of preserving federal lands and protected areas for the sake of a healthy, scenic, and enjoyable environment. View Details. Episode 2: A Suspect (October 24, 2022) - "Serial killer Henry Lee Lucas tells Don and Kim he strangled a female hitchhiker in Yosemite. Harriette Cole: My friend's mom didn't recognize me at my job, and she was very rude. Allegedly, detectives claim that smiley faces have been found near the sites where at least twelve of the men have drowned. But Stayner kept pleading with her through the locked door. Kidd and four other members of the search party walked the woods along Crane Creek. The National Park Service has made significant progress in solving these cases and bringing closure to the families of those who have gone missing. Cary was questioned about the killing, but he had an alibihe said he had been at work when the shooting took placeand was not considered a suspect, says a Merced detective who worked on the case. He apparently dated several women for short periods of time, but he seemed incapable of establishing any lasting relationship. He was also linked to a fourth slaying. 5/20/13 - A climber died Sunday after he fell climbing the Muir Wall (5.10 A2) on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, California. Around four o'clock in the morning, Stayner carried Juli Sund outside and put her in the front seat of the Pontiac. Investigators thought this might be a breakthrough in the case, and went to meet this alleged serial killer, whose name and frightening backstory is revealed in "Wild Crime.". At 7-years-old, Steven Stayner was kidnapped in 1972 and endured years of sexual assault in captivity. I Know My First Name Is Steven was a dramatic television movie that aired in 1989. Armstrong had never shown up, and her friends feared something had happened to her. Silently, quickly, he strangled the woman with a rope. I realize that the money would be little consolation for the loss of their loved ones, but until the jury, judge and executioner fulfill their role in this matter, it's all I have to offer, he wrote. In the early morning hours of September 13, 1999, three women were brutally murdered in Yosemite National Park. The girls were happy, remembers Carole's father, Francis Carrington, who spoke to them on the telephone that day. Steven had been the apple of his father's eye, a close family friend says. One of Cary Stayners more recent mugshot photos, taken in 2010. Or perhaps Stayner's Bigfoot was just one more ruse in a cruel game, another way to distract the world from the simple, twisted heart of a murderer. Investigators would eventually turn to a forensic anthropologist, who suggested the deceased was a young woman. At 14, he led another abducted boy -- 5-year-old Timmy White to freedom from their captor Kenneth Parnell. "We need to find it. Her white pickup truck was still parked in the driveway, packed with luggage for her trip. There was a 60% response rate. Agents had interviewed Stayner twice in the early stages of the probe but had dismissed him as a suspect. This is dubbed the Smiley Face Murder Theory. The following day, March 19, investigators arrived to open the. Saint Vincent And The Grenadines - 36.54 per 100k people. The last two murders were reported in Washington, D.C., area park units. He died in 2008 while in custody. He was previously a housing and homelessness reporter at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in Sonoma County. Steven became a celebrity: There was national newspaper and television coverage, as well as a book and a TV miniseries chronicling Steven's seven years as the sex slave of Kenneth Parnell, a drifter, convicted pedophile, and former employee of the Yosemite Lodge, inside the national park. Just beyond it lay something else: a woman's body, clad in a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Steven ran from his kidnappers house with a 5-year-old named Timothy White on March 1, 1980. They also said hed been sexually assaulted by an uncle as a child, which had contributed to his violent fantasies. The Ultimate Guide About Travelling In Burma, Why Yosemite National Park Is Closed During The Winter, The Problems Facing Yosemite National Park, Tenaya Lodge: The Perfect Place To Stay When Exploring Yosemite National Park, How To Get Your Bookmarks Back On Safari Yosemite, Fascinating Reasons Why A Trip To Burma Is A Unique Experience, 10 Things You Must Know About Traveling In Burma And About Burma. A hand is found in Yosemite; a serial killer confesses, but he's lied about committing many murders. The man responsible for the killings was 37-year-old Cary Stayner, a handyman at a motel near Yosemite State Park. It is difficult to imagine a more heinous crime in American or National Park history than this one. The man has been identified as Mason Robison, 38, from Montana. He said he felt like he was having a breakdown and said he was all nervous and didn't know why, the colleague later told the San Francisco Chronicle. Two dozen FBI agents commandeered part of the headquarters of the Stanislaus Hot Shots, a forest firefighting squad based in the old gold-rush town of Sonora, to sift through the little evidence they had been able to collect. Many unsolved cases were closed based on the confessions . In the stillness of that summer morning, the only sounds were the songs of meadowlarks and clear water rushing over smooth rocks in the creek, not far from the spot where Armstrong's body was found. He rose to infamy while incarcerated for these crimes when he falsely confessed to approximately 600 other murders to Texas Rangers and other law enforcement officials. In addition, Cary is the brother of Steven Stayner, a victim of kidnapping and sexual abuse who was held captive . Tony Garcia was arrested Feb. 9 and charged with first-degree murder for the . Wild Crime is titled Murder in Yosemite, Woman accused of stealing Scott Petersons identify for unemployment fraud, Alleged white supremacist pedophile who groomed 12-year-old California child dies in custody, Longtime school board member was unabashed, advocated for minorities, Best NFL draft in years for the Las Vegas Raiders? All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Ethan Varian is a Bay Area News Group reporter covering housing for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. But the vagrant was never found, and the murder went unsolved. Stayner was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in the 1999 murders of Pelosso and the Sunds on May 15, 2002. In 1989 Stevenwho friends say never really put his life back together after his ordeal, though he got married and fathered two childrenwas killed in a motorcycle crash. Stayner then set his sights on the two teen girls, both of whom he forced to takeoff their clothesand sexually assaulted. A human skull, found across the street from the meadow, brings investigators closer to identifying the victim. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Cary Stayner worked as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge Motel in Merced, California, from 2003 to 2007. Violent crimes in Yosemite Lakes are 18% higher than the national average. He graduated from Colorado College with a BA degree in history and the University of Southern California with an MS degree in journalism. Cary's euphoria over his brother's return soon faded. The man responsible for the killings was 37-year-old Cary Stayner, a handyman at a motel near Yosemite State Park. The suspect, Cary Stayner, 37, was arrested in connection with the triple murders in February. Four months after Stayner killed three women and had seemingly gotten away with it, he decided to kill again. Belize - 37.79 per 100k people. Tuckers son, rookie agent Cullen Tucker, played a major role in helping crack the mystery of the victims identity nearly four decades later. Lucas died in prison in 2001. Stayner never went back to his job again. On April 1, 2010, Timothy White died as a result of what turned out to be a pulmonary embolism. (California Department of Corrections). New victim details released. But aside from those flights of fancy, Stayner is remembered as shy and self-effacing. The 58 cases that were reported in 1958 are, in contrast to the current situation, not open. Bettmann/Getty ImagesKenneth Parnell and 14-year-old Steven Stayner shortly before the boys escape. Former motel handyman Cary Stayner was convicted Monday, Aug. 26, 2002, of the 1999 slayings of the three Yosemite park tourists in a crime that shattered the serene image of one of America's most . The Yosemite Valley, home to many of the famous cliffs and waterfalls in the park, was expected to re-open for day-use only on Sunday morning before a full opening Monday morning, when a flood . The ranger later recalled that Stayner had been easygoing, affable, and calm. On the afternoon of July 22, two rangers spotted the Scout, parked on the shoulder of California 140 in the Merced River Canyon, about 12 miles from the western entrance of the park. The victim, who was discovered in Yosemite's Summit Meadow along Glacier Point Road, is believed to be between the ages of 18 and 30. Jamaica - 43.85 per 100k people. Stayler stashed the bodies in the trunk of Carol Sund's Pontiac. Motel handyman Cary Stayner is shown in a July 29, 1999, mugshot, was charged Oct. 20, 1999, with capital murder in the killings of three Yosemite sightseers. Forecast map: California rivers bulge with snowmelt, but no major floods expected. Jack Bungart, the paper's sports editor, once tried to engage him in a conversation about his brother. 5.1. da. Now, Kidd was told, another young woman had disappeared. I know that. Around 11 p.m. Stayner, who was carrying a toolbox with duct tape, rope, a knife, and a gun hidden inside, knocked at the door of 509 and identified himself as the motel handyman.