was just seven yearsold, and he had to look to Parnell as his primary caretaker—as social workers like to phrase it—and he wasn't even sure where he was. Dennis had always been extraordinarily close to his real father, continually following him around. Thus acclimated to having a strong father figure to whom he could relate, what with the nurturing, affectionate, dependent closeness Ken showed his youngest son the vast majority of the time, Dennis quickly adapted to being Kenneth Parnell's son. Therefore the two readily gave the appearance of "father and son" oft recalled by their acquaintances years later when the truth finally became known.
In late January, even though he was employed full-time, Ken went to the local office of the California Department of Human Resources, claimed that he was underemployed, and filed for financial aid. The request was denied. *
On February 24,1973, Ken and Dennis moved from the Pelissier Motel into an old, forty-foot long, dilapidated rental house trailer with peeling grayish-pink paint at the scruffy Mt. Taylor Trailer Park out on Santa Rosa Avenue. But Dennis relished their newhome, for there were trees for him to climb and for Queenie to sniff, and other children to play with, and, as Dennis later recalled, Ken liked to do whatever made him happy . . . except, that is, for ending his repetitive sexual assaults on his young son. However, on the whole, Dennis saw his lot as improving. He was quickly becoming assimilated into his second-grade class at his new school, Kawana Elementary. He really liked his teacher, Ms. Englehart, and she him, for on April 6—just five weeks after Dennis had entered her class—she wrote in a report, "Dennis has adjusted quite well to the work and routine of our classroom. He is well liked by the other children, and I am glad to have him."
But Eleanor Lindvall, the school secretary, thought Mr. Parnell's behavior strange, for almost every day Ken would call her to give specific, ever-changing instructions about whether he would pick up Dennis after school, or whether Dennis should go to a babysitter's, or whether Dennis should ride the school bus home. She thought this odd, for he was the only parent who did this on a daily basis, but she never did or said anything to question Parnell's behavior.
Early 1973 was a very difficult, emotional time for Del and Kay. During that first winter a little boy's cowboy boot, somewhat like those Steve had been wearing when he disappeared, was found washed up on the bank of Bear Creek in north Merced. Steve's sister Cindy said, "They started dragging the creek, looking for his remains. Dad got real upset, but then he andmy mom looked at it and realized that it wasn't Steve's boot after all."
Steven's parents next wrote to Walter Cronkite at CBS-TV and Frank McGee at NBC-TV, asking that they help try to locate their son through their news programs, but both wrote back saying that Steven's disappearance was old news and that therefore they couldn't help. Next Del and Kay sent copies of the "Missing Juvenile" flyer to TV stations all over the United States asking for the same kind of help, but the responses were nil there, too.
On into spring Del's friends and fellow employees searched until it seemed that they had covered every square foot of Merced County. Recounted Del, "About half of them were organized, but some, like friend Otto Doffee, searched on their own. And he was searching along this little irrigation ditch bank and he ran into a gunny sack. And he said his heart kind of jumped into his throat, because he knew there was something dead inside of it. So, he takes his pocket knife and goes to cutting it open. And when he got it partly cut open he could see hairs, but when he got it all the way cut open . . . well, it was a baby calf. Otto said he sat on that ditch bank after he got through doing that for about fifteen minutes, shaking like a leaf."
Also, Steven's disappearance was a factor in the messy
In late January, even though he was employed full-time, Ken went to the local office of the California Department of Human Resources, claimed that he was underemployed, and filed for financial aid. The request was denied. *
On February 24,1973, Ken and Dennis moved from the Pelissier Motel into an old, forty-foot long, dilapidated rental house trailer with peeling grayish-pink paint at the scruffy Mt. Taylor Trailer Park out on Santa Rosa Avenue. But Dennis relished their newhome, for there were trees for him to climb and for Queenie to sniff, and other children to play with, and, as Dennis later recalled, Ken liked to do whatever made him happy . . . except, that is, for ending his repetitive sexual assaults on his young son. However, on the whole, Dennis saw his lot as improving. He was quickly becoming assimilated into his second-grade class at his new school, Kawana Elementary. He really liked his teacher, Ms. Englehart, and she him, for on April 6—just five weeks after Dennis had entered her class—she wrote in a report, "Dennis has adjusted quite well to the work and routine of our classroom. He is well liked by the other children, and I am glad to have him."
But Eleanor Lindvall, the school secretary, thought Mr. Parnell's behavior strange, for almost every day Ken would call her to give specific, ever-changing instructions about whether he would pick up Dennis after school, or whether Dennis should go to a babysitter's, or whether Dennis should ride the school bus home. She thought this odd, for he was the only parent who did this on a daily basis, but she never did or said anything to question Parnell's behavior.
Early 1973 was a very difficult, emotional time for Del and Kay. During that first winter a little boy's cowboy boot, somewhat like those Steve had been wearing when he disappeared, was found washed up on the bank of Bear Creek in north Merced. Steve's sister Cindy said, "They started dragging the creek, looking for his remains. Dad got real upset, but then he andmy mom looked at it and realized that it wasn't Steve's boot after all."
Steven's parents next wrote to Walter Cronkite at CBS-TV and Frank McGee at NBC-TV, asking that they help try to locate their son through their news programs, but both wrote back saying that Steven's disappearance was old news and that therefore they couldn't help. Next Del and Kay sent copies of the "Missing Juvenile" flyer to TV stations all over the United States asking for the same kind of help, but the responses were nil there, too.
On into spring Del's friends and fellow employees searched until it seemed that they had covered every square foot of Merced County. Recounted Del, "About half of them were organized, but some, like friend Otto Doffee, searched on their own. And he was searching along this little irrigation ditch bank and he ran into a gunny sack. And he said his heart kind of jumped into his throat, because he knew there was something dead inside of it. So, he takes his pocket knife and goes to cutting it open. And when he got it partly cut open he could see hairs, but when he got it all the way cut open . . . well, it was a baby calf. Otto said he sat on that ditch bank after he got through doing that for about fifteen minutes, shaking like a leaf."
Also, Steven's disappearance was a factor in the messy