The Yosemite Park Murders: A Serial Killer’s Confession

On February 15th, 1999, Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, and 16-year-old family friend Silvina Pelosso went missing from their motel room during a trip to Yosemite National Park. An intensive search ensued as law enforcement searched for the trio. The bodies of Carole and Silvina would later be found charred in the shell of their burnt rental car, with Juli's remains to be discovered separately just days later. Horror would again strike Yosemite months later when 26-year-old Joie Armstrong was found murdered near her cabin. Two days later, law enforcement tracked down Cary Stayner, the man responsible for the string of crimes. Former FBI Agent Jeffrey Rinek was the lead investigator on the case. He shares details from the investigation, as well as how he was able to obtain a confession from Stayner himself.

More about Jeff: 

Jeffrey Rinek retired from the FBI after 30 years of service. Throughout his career, Rinek worked on active and cold cases related to crimes against children. In 2003, Rinek received the California Sexual Assault Investigators Association Investigator of the Year Award, making him the first FBI agent to be given the title. In 2006, he was given the International Homicide Investigators Association Award for Excellence. In his book, In the Name of Children, Rinek details some of the cases that defined his career, as well as the impact they had on him.  Jeff is also the author of In the Name of the Children: An FBI Agent's Relentless Pursuit of the Nation's Worst Predators.

 

Follow Emily on Instagram: @realemilycompagno

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices