The Tragic Yosemite Murders: A Deep Dive into the Cary Stayner Case
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Chapter 1: A Family's Journey to Yosemite
On February 12, 1999, Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Juli, and Juli’s 16-year-old friend Silvina Peloso took a flight from Eureka, California, to San Francisco. After collecting their luggage, they rented a red 1999 Pontiac Grand Prix and headed towards Stockton, California, where Juli was scheduled to participate in a cheerleading competition the following day.
After a drive lasting about an hour and a half, they reached Stockton, checked into their hotel, and prepared for the next day's events. Juli competed successfully, and afterward, the trio explored the campus and the local area. On February 14, they checked out early in the morning and began their three-hour drive southeast to Cedar Lodge, a large motel located near the western entrance of Yosemite National Park. Their plan was to spend a few days sightseeing before meeting Carole’s husband, Jens, at the San Francisco airport. The family intended to continue their trip to Arizona afterward to see the Grand Canyon before returning to their home in Eureka.
Arriving around midday, the women checked into room 509 at Cedar Lodge. Feeling tired from their travels, they opted for a quiet afternoon and evening, primarily staying in their room.
The following morning, they ventured out to Yosemite, where they enjoyed a delightful day amidst the breathtaking cliffs, snow-capped mountains, giant sequoias, and picturesque meadows. Juli and Silvina even went ice skating on a frozen pond. As night fell, they returned to Cedar Lodge, dined at the lodge's diner, rented some VHS tapes, and settled into their room. They changed into pajamas, watched a movie, brushed their teeth, and went to sleep, unaware that a nightmare was unfolding just beyond their door.
A Mysterious Knock
Just minutes after turning off the lights, a knock echoed from their door. The next day, on February 16, Jens anxiously awaited his family at the San Francisco airport, but they never arrived. Lacking a cell phone, he had no way to reach Carole, who also didn’t own one. Assuming a miscommunication had occurred, Jens boarded the flight to Arizona, hoping to find them there. Upon landing, he discovered they hadn’t checked into their hotel and had not contacted the front desk. Panic set in as Jens called friends and family, but no one had heard from them.
The following morning, still with no word from Carole and the girls, Jens finally contacted the authorities. The police reached out to Cedar Lodge, learning that the women had checked out early and left their room in order. However, the rental car had not been returned, prompting a widespread search around Cedar Lodge and Yosemite, which yielded no results.
A breakthrough occurred when Carole’s wallet was discovered in Modesto, California, two hours from Cedar Lodge, indicating a possible third-party involvement in their disappearance. On March 18, a hiker