What happened to Carole Sund, Julie Sund, and Silvina Pelosso in Yosemite?

In 1999, Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Julie, and their friend Silvina Pelosso disappeared during a trip to Yosemite National Park. Over a month later, Carole and Silvina's bodies were found, while Julie remained missing.

Who confessed to killing the Yosemite victims?

Cary Stayner, a maintenance worker at the Cedar Lodge where the women had stayed, eventually confessed to killing Carole, Julie, Silvina, and another Yosemite victim, Joie Ruth Armstrong.

How is Cary Stayner connected to the Yosemite murders?

Cary Stayner was a maintenance worker at the Cedar Lodge in Yosemite, where the victims had stayed. He confessed to killing Carole Sund, her daughter Julie, their friend Silvina Pelosso, and another Yosemite victim, Joie Ruth Armstrong.

Home / Crime and Justice / Serial Killer's Deadly Confession Solves Yosemite Murders After Decades

Serial Killer's Deadly Confession Solves Yosemite Murders After Decades

15 Nov

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Summary

Carole Sund, her daughter Julie, and friend Silvina Pelosso vanished in 1999
Cary Stayner, a maintenance worker, confessed to killing them and another victim
Stayner's brother Steven was previously kidnapped and held captive for 7 years

Serial Killer's Deadly Confession Solves Yosemite Murders After Decades

In February 1999, Carole Sund, her 15-year-old daughter Julie, and their friend Silvina Pelosso, an exchange student from Argentina, set out for a trip to Yosemite National Park. However, the three never returned home as planned, sparking a massive search and investigation.

Over a month later, Carole and Silvina's bodies were found in Carole's rental car, while Julie remained missing. The FBI suspected a violent crime had occurred, but the case went cold for years. Then, in 2000, a shocking confession emerged - Cary Stayner, a maintenance worker at the Cedar Lodge where the women had stayed, admitted to killing not only Carole, Julie, and Silvina, but also a 26-year-old Yosemite naturalist named Joie Ruth Armstrong.