Offender Record · OFF-2026-180
Cary Stayner (photo from the Radford University biography)
Cary Anthony Stayner
Also known as The Yosemite Park Killer, The Yosemite Killer
Sex
Male
Race
White
Height
6'1"
Born
1961
Custody
Incarcerated
States
CA
Distinguishing featuresHair-pulling behavior (trichotillomania); bald spots in youth.
Custody
Incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison, Security Housing Unit · #T-75166
Custody record at the facility
Sentenced to death in California on December 12, 2002; transferred from San Quentin State Prison to Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City by March 2026. As of May 2026, awaiting execution under California death penalty.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Cary Anthony Stayner is a serial killer convicted of murdering four women near Yosemite National Park, California between February 15 and July 21, 1999. Stayner was convicted in both state and federal court for the murders of Carole Sund (age 42), her daughter Juli Sund (age 15), Silvina Pelosso (age 16), and Joie Ruth Armstrong (age 26). He pleaded guilty to federal charges in Armstrong's case and was convicted of California first-degree murder charges for the Sund and Pelosso murders. He was sentenced to death in California and life without parole in federal court. He is currently incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Feb 15, 1999, El Portal, California
First-degree murder and rape
Mariposa County Sheriff's Office / California · California Superior Court · Arrested Jul 24, 1999 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death sentence
Silvina Pelosso, age 16, exchange student from Argentina, murdered February 15, 1999. Victim was sexually assaulted in Cedar Lodge room 509, then strangled and shot. Body placed in trunk of rented Pontiac vehicle with Carole Sund, vehicle burned and discovered March 19, 1999. Dental records used for identification of badly burned remains.
SourcesCary Stayner and the Yosemite Murders — Update from October 1999 to February 2001; What Is 'Yosemite Killer' Cary Stayner's Life Like Today?
Offense date Feb 15, 1999, El Portal, California
First-degree murder
Mariposa County Sheriff's Office / California · California Superior Court · Arrested Jul 24, 1999 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death sentence
Carole Sund, age 42, murdered at Cedar Lodge motel on February 15, 1999. Stayner claimed to be a maintenance worker needing to fix a water leak, gained entry to room 509, bound victim with duct tape, strangled her with rope and shot her. Body placed in trunk of victims' rented Pontiac vehicle, which was later burned and found on March 19, 1999.
SourcesCary Stayner and the Yosemite Murders — Update from October 1999 to February 2001; What Is 'Yosemite Killer' Cary Stayner's Life Like Today?
Offense date Jul 21, 1999, Foresta/Yosemite area, California
First-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death
Federal Bureau of Investigation / U.S. District Court · U.S. District Court, Fresno, California · Arrested Jul 24, 1999 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life without parole (federal)
Joie Ruth Armstrong, age 26, park naturalist at Yosemite Institute, murdered July 21, 1999. Stayner arrived at victim's cabin near Yosemite on mountain bike, attacked with knife at gunpoint, subdued her, took her to his vehicle. Victim tied and gagged, sexually assaulted, then decapitated. Body disposed in remote location. Federal crime because murder occurred in national park. Stayner pleaded guilty November 30, 2000.
SourcesYosemite Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty; Cary Stayner and the Yosemite Murders — Update from October 1999 to February 2001; Cary Stayner
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
4
Victims convicted
4
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1999–1999
Stated motive
Sexual, Thrill
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Federal Bureau of Investigation · CA
Conducted investigation into Yosemite murders; arrested Stayner at nudist resort on July 24, 1999.
California Highway Patrol · CA
Assisted in investigation; issued all-points bulletin for Stayner as armed and dangerous.
Fresno County Jail · CA
Held Stayner in custody following arrest in July 1999.
Mariposa County District Attorney's Office · CA
Christine Johnson prosecuted state charges for three counts of first-degree murder; filed charges February 15, 1999.
Source: Murderpedia
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation · CA
Currently holds Stayner in custody on death row; as of 2026 at Pelican Bay State Prison.
United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California · CA
Agency case CR. NO. 99-5217 AWI
Paul L. Seave and assistants prosecuted federal charges for Armstrong murder in national park; July 21, 1999 federal indictment.
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California · CA
Agency case CR. NO. 99-5217 AWI
Federal court presided over by Judge Anthony W. Ishii; federal conviction July 21, 1999 Armstrong murder.
Mariposa County Sheriff's Office · CA
Initial arresting agency; also investigated crimes and collected evidence; charged with first-degree murder in 1999.
Source: ABC News
Santa Clara County Superior Court · CA
Agency case 210694
Venue changed from Mariposa County; tried state charges for three Sund/Pelosso murders; convictions August 27, 2002.
California Supreme Court · CA
Agency case S112146
Automatic direct appeal of death sentence; upheld conviction and death sentence April 2026.
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Merced, California
approx. 1961 – 1979 · Family home where he was raised with parents Delbert Foy and Kay Stayner and four siblings
Merced, California
approx. 1968 – 1979 · Merced High School, voted most creative student in graduating class
Merced, California
approx. 1979 – 1989 · Window installer at glass companies; worked at Merced Glass and Mirror Co., also hauled furniture and worked for aluminum company
Merced, California
approx. 1989 – 1997 · Lived with uncle Jesse Stayner who was later found dead in home in December 1990; also lived in Atwater trailer park with family
El Portal, California
1997 – Jul 24, 1999 · Handyman at Cedar Lodge motel outside Yosemite National Park; rented room above Cedar Lodge Restaurant & Lounge
Merced, California
Mar 1997 – Mar 1997 · Arrested for marijuana and methamphetamine possession, charges dismissed
Wilton, California
Jul 24, 1999 – Jul 24, 1999 · Arrested at Laguna del Sol nudist resort, 35 miles from Sacramento, three days after Joie Armstrong murder
San Quentin, California
Dec 12, 2002 – Mar 2024 · San Quentin State Prison, death row; housed for approximately 21 years
Crescent City, California
Mar 2024 – present · Pelican Bay State Prison, Security Housing Unit, CDCR inmate T-75166; transferred from San Quentin
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1972 blue International Scout
approx. 1997 – 1999
Pale blue 1972 International Scout, vehicle used in multiple offenses; spotted outside Joie Armstrong's cabin, linked to murders
Timeline
Aug 13, 1961
Cary Anthony Stayner born in Merced, California, first of five children.
1964
Age 3, diagnosed with trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) and prescribed medication.
1968
Age 7, first reported violent fantasy about killing women at grocery store.
Dec 04, 1972
Age 11, younger brother Steven abducted by Kenneth Parnell; same year Cary sexually molested by uncle Jesse Stayner.
1977
Age 16, at sister's sleepover, crept under bed of 14-year-old girl Flores Tatum and touched her breast, later exposed himself to her.
1979
Age 18, graduated from Merced High School, voted most creative student in class.
Mar 01, 1980
Age 18, younger brother Steven escaped captivity and returned home, causing jealousy and feelings of neglect in Cary.
Sep 1989
Age 28, brother Steven killed in motorcycle accident; same year Cary told friend he felt like killing boss and coworkers.
Dec 1990
Age 29, uncle Jesse Stayner found shot dead in home where Cary was living.
1991
Age 30, attempted suicide by carbon monoxide.
1995
Age 34, went to Merced County mental health department reporting mental breakdown, treated and released.
1997
Age 36, hired as handyman at Cedar Lodge motel in El Portal, California, near Yosemite National Park.
Mar 1997
Age 36, arrested for marijuana and methamphetamine possession; charges dismissed.
Feb 15, 1999
Age 37, murdered Carole Sund (age 42), her daughter Juli Sund (age 15), and Silvina Pelosso (age 16) at Cedar Lodge motel.
Mar 19, 1999
Charred bodies of Carole Sund and Silvina Pelosso discovered in burned rental car in remote Tuolumne County location.
Mar 25, 1999
Body of Juli Sund found based on anonymous note with map sent by Stayner to FBI.
Jul 21, 1999
Age 37, murdered Joie Ruth Armstrong (age 26), park naturalist, near Yosemite National Park.
Jul 22, 1999
Decapitated body of Joie Armstrong discovered.
Jul 24, 1999
Arrested at Laguna del Sol nudist resort near Wilton, California; confessed to all four murders during FBI interrogation.
Jul 26, 1999
Arraigned in federal court in Sacramento for Armstrong murder.
Oct 20, 1999
Officially charged with murders of Carole Sund, Juli Sund, and Silvina Pelosso.
Sep 15, 2000
Pleaded guilty in federal court to premeditated first-degree murder, kidnapping resulting in death, and attempted aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death of Joie Armstrong.
Nov 30, 2000
Sentenced to life without parole in federal court for Joie Armstrong murder.
May 22, 2002
Pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in California state court for Sund and Pelosso murders.
Aug 27, 2002
Convicted in California state court of three counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and one count of kidnapping.
Sep 16, 2002
Insanity plea denied; psychiatrists testified Stayner knew difference between right and wrong but could not control violent urges.
Dec 12, 2002
Sentenced to death by lethal injection in California; sent to San Quentin State Prison death row.
Apr 30, 2026
California Supreme Court denied appeal and upheld convictions and death sentence.
May 2026
Incarcerated at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, California, awaiting execution.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other government record · InmateAid/CDCR ·
Inmate Search: Cary Anthony Stayner T75166“Cary Anthony Stayner is currently an inmate at the CDCR-Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP), located in Crescent City, CA. Inmate ID: #T75166.”
News report · The Cinemaholic ·
Where is Cary Stayner Now? 2026 Update“Despite his appeals to get his convictions and sentence overturned, on April 30, 2026, the California Supreme Court denied his motion and upheld the convictions against him as well as the death penalty.”
News report · A&E Television Networks ·
What Is 'Yosemite Killer' Cary Stayner's Life Like Today?“Stayner was convicted on August 27, 2002, of four counts of first-degree murder, and sentenced to die at San Quentin State Prison in California.”
Other government record · Wikipedia ·
Cary Stayner“Cary Anthony Stayner (born August 13, 1961) is an American serial killer convicted of murdering four women near Yosemite National Park between February and July 1999.”
News report · Outside Online ·
The Yosemite Horror“By his midtwenties, Stayner had settled into a job repairing windows for Merced Glass and Mirror. In El Portal, just west of Yosemite National Park, he found a job as a handyman at the Cedar Lodge.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Stayner, Cary“Born August 12th 1961; convicted of four murders near Yosemite; sentenced to death December 12th 2002.”
News report · Murderpedia ·
Cary Stayner“Cary A. STAYNER was born August 13, 1961. Status: Sentenced to death on December 12, 2002. He is currently on death row.”
News report · ABC News ·
Yosemite Murder Suspect Pleads Guilty“A motel handyman avoided the federal death penalty today by pleading guilty in the decapitation of a naturalist at Yosemite National Park. 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.”
News report · Crime Library ·
Cary Stayner and the Yosemite Murders — Update from October 1999 to February 2001“On October 20, 1999, Cary Stayner was officially charged with the murders of Carole Sund, 42, her daughter Juli Sund, 15, and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso, 16. He also allegedly confessed to beheading Joie Ruth Armstrong, a 26-year-old Yosemite naturalist, on July 21.”
News report · San Francisco Chronicle ·
Overshadowed All His Life / Low-key Cary Stayner took back seat to kidnapped brother“When she was 14 and Stayner was 16, she went to a sleepover held by one of his sisters. Flores-Tatum said Stayner crept under her cot as she slept and reached up to touch her breasts.”
News report · History.com ·
Bodies found in Yosemite serial killer case“On March 19, 1999, law enforcement officials discover the charred bodies of forty-two-year-old Carol Sund and sixteen-year-old Silvina Pelosso in the trunk of their burned-out rental car.”
Submit a Tip
Know something about Cary Anthony Stayner: a place they lived or worked, a vehicle, another name they used, or a connection to a case? Tell us here. Solve the Case passes information about this person to the right agency. If someone is in danger, call 911.
Discussion
Casual discussion about this record on the community forum. The facts live on this page: to add a place, a vehicle or a source, use the Edit record button under the photo so a moderator can review it. Please name no one else, never name a victim, and do not connect the person to any case not listed here.Open the topic on the forum
Corrections and removal. If a charge on this page has been dismissed, acquitted, overturned, pardoned or expunged, or any fact is wrong, tell us through the correction form. Corrections are free, reviewed within five business days, and a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed. Information here may not be used for decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance or any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and never to harass, threaten or harm anyone. Where a source is an offender registry, that information is reproduced as of the date shown and is subject to the conditions of use of that registry.