Stayner conviction upheld by CA Supreme Court

By TOM LYDEN

Staff Writer

The California Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty conviction of the so-called Yosemite killer, Cary Stayner, for the murder of three women in Mariposa County 27 years ago.

Stayner kidnapped and murdered Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, and their 16-year-old family friend Silvina Pelosso.

The court’s decision on April 30 includes a concurring but dissenting opinion from Justice Kelli M. Evans, in which she affirmed the guilty conviction and Stayner’s sanity at the time of the crimes, but recognized errors in the penalty portion of the case. 

The 283-page decision is written in a strikingly clear and straightforward manner that chillingly recalls every step of the case from Feb. 14, 1999, when Stayner, who worked as a janitor at Cedar Lodge, kidnapped the three women after he entered their room on a ruse.

Stayner was also convicted of killing Joie Ruth Armstrong, a 26-year-old naturalist working for the Yosemite Institute, in a separate case.

Stayner’s appeal was automatic and standard procedure in California death penalty cases, even though Gov. Gavin Newsom halted state killings in 2019. 

 A key issue in the appeal was whether Stayner invoked his Miranda rights before an FBI detective drove him to Sacramento, where he gave his confession. There were also a number of trial court issues involving witnesses and testimony. 

The majority of justices found there were some trial errors, but they did not matter to the outcome of the trial.