If you’ve spent any time hiking the trails around El Portal or looking up at the granite faces of Yosemite, the name Cary Stayner probably sends a chill down your spine. It’s been decades since the "Yosemite Park Killer" terrorized central California. People often wonder about the end of the story. They ask, is Cary Stayner still alive, or has the state finally carried out his sentence?
The short answer is yes. He is alive.
As of early 2026, Stayner remains behind bars. He hasn't escaped the reach of the law, but he hasn't faced the executioner either. Honestly, his current situation is a weird mix of legal limbo and a shifting prison system. He’s 64 years old now. It’s a far cry from the 37-year-old handyman who managed to evade the FBI for months while they looked at every possible suspect except him.
Where is Cary Stayner now?
For the longest time, if you looked up his location, the answer was San Quentin. Specifically, the "Adjustment Center." That’s the high-security wing of California’s most famous death row. But things have changed.
California has been moving away from the traditional "death row" model. Governor Gavin Newsom pulled the plug on executions back in 2019 with a moratorium. Then came the plan to dismantle death row entirely. Because of this, many of the state’s most notorious inmates have been shuffled around.
Recent records indicate Stayner was moved to Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City.
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Pelican Bay is a different kind of beast. It’s isolated, tucked away in the foggy redwoods near the Oregon border. It’s where California sends the guys they really need to keep a close eye on. He isn't in the general population in the way a shoplifter might be. He’s a "condemned" inmate. That means no parole. Ever.
The crimes that shocked Yosemite
To understand why people still care if he's breathing, you have to remember what he did in 1999. It wasn't just murder. It was the way he did it. He was a maintenance man at the Cedar Lodge. He knew the layout. He knew the guests.
First, there was Carole Sund, her daughter Juli, and their friend Silvina Pelosso. They were just tourists. Stayner lied his way into their room, claiming there was a leak. What followed was a nightmare of kidnapping and strangulation. He even sent a taunting map to the police to help them find Juli’s body.
Then came Joie Armstrong.
She was a naturalist. A bright, well-loved person who worked for the Yosemite Institute. Stayner beheaded her. That was the mistake that finally caught him. Because it happened on federal land, the feds got involved in a way they hadn't before. He was arrested at a nudist colony of all places.
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Why hasn't he been executed?
You might think a guy who confesses to four brutal murders would be a prime candidate for the death penalty. He was sentenced to die in 2002. So why is he still eating prison food in 2026?
- The Moratorium: No one has been executed in California since 2006. The state’s lethal injection protocol has been tied up in court for ages.
- The Appeals: Death penalty cases have automatic appeals. They take forever. Attorneys argue about everything from his mental health (he has a history of OCD and paraphilia) to the way the jury was picked.
- Politics: The political climate in California has shifted heavily against capital punishment. Even though he’s technically on "death row," that row is basically a ghost town now.
Stayner himself once said he wanted to be executed. He even asked for it during his confession. But the legal system doesn't always work that fast, especially when the state is actively trying to shut down its execution chamber.
The shadow of Steven Stayner
You can't talk about Cary without mentioning his brother, Steven. It’s one of the most tragic "what if" stories in true crime history.
Steven was kidnapped when he was seven. He was held for seven years, escaped, and became a national hero. Cary grew up in that shadow. While the world was celebrating Steven’s return, Cary was harboring these dark, violent fantasies. He later claimed the attention Steven got made him feel invisible.
Does that excuse what he did? Not a chance. But it adds a layer of psychological complexity that experts are still dissecting today. One brother was a victim who became a hero; the other was a "normal" guy who became a monster.
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Life inside for the Yosemite Killer
What does a day look like for him now? At Pelican Bay, it’s a lot of concrete.
He spends the vast majority of his time in a small cell. He gets some exercise time, sure. But he's 64. He’s not the strong handyman he used to be. There aren't many updates on his health, but there haven't been any reports of major illnesses either. He’s just... there.
He’s a ghost of a headline from twenty-five years ago.
For the families of the victims, the fact that he's still alive is often a source of frustration. They’ve been waiting for "finality" since the turn of the millennium. Instead, they get news about prison transfers and moratoriums.
Key facts at a glance:
- Status: Alive and incarcerated.
- Location: Pelican Bay State Prison (formerly San Quentin).
- Convictions: Four counts of first-degree murder.
- Sentence: Death (State) and Life without parole (Federal).
- Age: 64 (born August 13, 1961).
If you are looking for more information on the current state of California's prison reforms, you can check the official California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) website. They maintain a public inmate locator tool that is updated regularly. For a deeper look at the psychological profile of the case, the FBI’s historical archives on the "Yosemite Murders" offer a fascinating, if grim, look at the interrogation that finally broke him.
The most important thing to do if you're following this case is to stay updated on California's Inmate Transfer Program. This program is the reason Stayner is no longer at San Quentin, and it continues to move condemned inmates into different facilities across the state as they phase out traditional death row housing. Stay informed by checking local California news outlets like the San Francisco Chronicle or the Sacramento Bee, which cover these prison shifts closely.