He meets Barbara Mathias, the “girlfriend” of Steven Stayner’s kidnapper Kenneth Parnell, and the little sister and “mother” of the victim.
Hulu’s new show captive audience: A True American Horror Story takes a closer look at the tragic story of Steven Stayner, a seven-year-old boy who was kidnapped on his way home by Kenneth Parnell and his accomplice Ervin Murphy. On December 4, 1972, he was taken to a cabin in Catheys Valley, California, after being asked if he was willing to donate to the church.
They then told Steven that his parents didn’t want him anymore because they couldn’t take care of him. Meanwhile, his parents were looking for him everywhere, but they never found him.
Thus began the next seven years of Steven’s physical and psychological abuse. Often he would be enrolled in a distant school and introduced as Kenneth’s son. Steven’s new name was Dennis Parnell. Kenneth had a rich criminal past. He previously spent three years in San Quentin for abusing an 8-year-old boy and another six years in a Utah prison on charges of armed robbery and grand theft.
Meet Barbara Mathias, wife of Kenneth Parnell
Barbara Mathias, a single mother, was the babysitter for Dennis Parnell, aka Steven Stayner. She met Kenneth and Steven in 1973, about nine months after he was kidnapped while walking home from school.
Barbara and Kenneth dated and she ended up moving in with them for nine months. After Steven’s escape, Barbara insisted that she had no idea that “Dennis” was not Kenneth’s son.
He had a son Lloyd (then 12 years old) who played together. She supposedly became Steven’s mother for almost two years.
Later, Steven shared with psychologist Phillip Hamm that he also had an affair* with Barbara. She then she was only 11 years old. Steven told Hamm how uncomfortable he was with her sexual relationship. It was the first mention of the relationship between Steven and Miss Mathias at the trial.
Steven claimed that at the age of nine, both Barbara and Kenneth had sexual relations with them on nine separate occasions during the eighteen months that she lived with Steven and Parnell.
Hamm said the experience left a scar on Stayner. The psychologist said the boy was “very limited in his ability to see and interpret the outside world.”
Furthermore, Steven shared that Barabara was also involved in helping Kenneth kidnap a boy who was a member of the Santa Rosa Kids Club.
Where is Barbara Mathias today? Is she dead or alive?
Barbara Mathias, Steven’s “mother” for two years, later met Steven Stayner’s real parents. Kay, Barbara and Steven’s mother, had a nice meeting and Kay told her, “It’s been hell for the last seven years.” She replied quietly, “I know. That’s why I wanted to come. I know how I would feel if it was my son.”
When Barbara arrived at Steven’s parents’ house, Steven greeted Mathias with a big smile as she entered the house.
“I thought since I took care of him, you’d want to know that he was a good boy all that time,” Barbara said. “He was always a good boy and he called me ‘mother’ like my own children did.” They had a meeting that lasted 20 minutes and Barbara and Kay exchanged addresses.
“I don’t care how late I sleep tonight, I’ll be in heaven.” She lived a long way from the 250-mile drive to his house north of Ukiah.
Barbara said: “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think “Dennis” was kidnapped or anything.”
A childhood friend of Steven’s knew him as “Gregory” while in captivity. As reported, Barbara’s son, Lloyd, was murdered by his stepfather, Barbara’s husband, in 1997. While people focused on Steven, Lloyd, who admitted to the newspaper that Kenneth had also regularly abused him, went largely unnoticed. .
It is not known if Barbara is alive or dead today.
Barbara Mathias Age
When Steven Stayner arrived at his parents’ home in 1980, Barbara was reportedly 44 years old. So if she’s alive, she should be 85 as of 2022.
Work of Barbara Mathias
Kenneth Parnell hired Barbara Mathias to work as Steven’s babysitter. She said that Kenneth paid her $60 a month to babysit Steven in the afternoons. Later, in 1975, she began living with Kenneth and Steven in a mobile home in Willits, 30 miles north of Ukiah. She left them in the spring of 1976, but never revealed why.
Related FAQ
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Where was Barbara Mathias born?
Barbara Mathias was probably born in California. According to reports, she lived in Santa Rosa. Steven reportedly spent a lot of time in Santa Rosa, but never mentioned being kidnapped even to the children he played with.
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Was Barbara Mathias ever charged for her actions?
No, Barbara was never charged with any crime despite Steven mentioning that she sexually abused him.
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Has Barbara Mathias appeared in front of Hulu’s captive audience?
No, Barbara Mathias did not appear on Hulu a captive audience.
Categories: Biography
Source: newstars.edu.vn