In Merced that afternoon, seven-year-old Steven Stayner was walking home from school. Often he would walk with his friends or siblings, but on this winter afternoon he was walking alone when he was approached by a man who asked young Steven some general questions about religion. Unlike other children Murphy had approached, Steven stopped and talked with him for a minute, and listened patiently while Murphy told the boy that he was soliciting donations for his church.
When Murphy asked if Steven's parents might want to make a contribution, Steven told him that his mother might be interested. Murphy told Steven that he would give him a ride home in his friend's car, which was waiting nearby. Initially, Steven told Murphy "it's just a little ways, I can walk," but eventually was persuaded to get into the car, where Parnell was waiting behind the wheel.
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Back at Parnell's remote cabin, as the days away from his family grew into weeks, Steven wanted to return home. He told Parnell that he was afraid that his parents would be angry about how long he'd been gone. He asked Parnell several times to take him home, but Parnell refused each time.
In the short time Steven had stayed with him, Parnell had learned about the boy's family life, including the fact that Steven had been punished by his parents the day before his abduction for some minor misbehavior. Using that information, and wanting the boy to stop asking to go back to Merced, Parnell finally told Steven that he had contacted his parents, and Del and Kay had said that they didn't want him back.
Steven became upset and confused. Parnell soon cemented this lie by telling Steven that he had gone to a judge and received full legal custody of the boy. Parnell proudly told young Steven that he was to call Parnell "Dad" and that from that day forward Steven would be known as "Dennis Parnell."
http://tinyurl.com/yzc8ol
We just had a long talk with our kids (again!).
No adult needs to be asking a kid for directions, to use a phone, do you know where so and so lives, do you want to pet my dog, have you seen my dog, where did you get that bike, etc.
You do not need to speak to strangers other than "I'm sorry but I don't know." If they continue to talk to you or follow you you do not need to be polite and you can walk away fast. If it continues you can run to one of the many people's house that you know along the way (usually just between school or a friends' nearby house). Or, run to an elderly man or woman out in their yard as a last resort.
We will never send a stranger to tell you that we have been hurt, in the hospital, etc. We will send a friend that we have named or a cop with a marked squad car. We will not send someone just because they are a neighbor. And if we do, they will use the password that all the kids know.
If a stranger does try to grab you yell, fight, kick, throw stuff, etc.
And, remember that we love you and always will. If a stanger has you and says "I bet your parents make you go to school, eat your vegetables, not play violent video games, makes you wear your headgear at night, brush your teath, etc."
The kids were laughing at this point and coming up with their own things like "staying up until midnight, not doing homework, etc..." They know we do these things because we love them.
Finally, I told them that we will always love them no matter what. And if some guy says that he'll kill you and/or your family if you try to escape - that's not going to happen. There are ways to protect the family from that.
And all of that said, a little child's mind can be molded fairly quickly I imagine by some twisted evil person.