In docuseries Captive Audience, the Stayner family, whose devastating tragedies were both exploited by the media, get their chance to talk
Ashley Stayner is a self-professed true crime fan. She also happens to have a front row seat to two true crime narratives in her own family.
Steven Stayner was seven years old when he was abducted in 1972. He was held captive in a remote cabin and sexually abused for seven years. In 1980, Stayner’s abductor, Kenneth Parnell, kidnapped a second child: five-year-old Timmy White. Refusing to let White suffer as he had, 14-year-old Stayner escaped with young White. He was lauded for his brave actions, reunited with his family and became a long-time media obsession while coping with trauma he could barely speak to.
While capturing these intimate testimonies, Dimmock also calls attention to herself and the storytelling apparatus built to record, edit and frame the people in Captive Audience. She includes the bits that are generally left on the cutting room floor, like Kay Stayner searching for a comfortable position beneath studio lighting as she emotionally prepares for a long and probing conversation with Dimmock, or her relaxing post-interview sigh, as if she can let her guard down.
The family also had to absorb the media’s especially loaded narratives following Carey Stayner’s crimes. Journalists eagerly ran with a theory that Carey Stayner committed murder and wanted to be caught because he was both jealous of the attention Steven got decades earlier and hurt by his parent’s neglect.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘There was a lot of torment’: the family who endured two true crime storiesIn docuseries Captive Audience, the Stayner family, whose devastating tragedies were both exploited by the media, get their chance to talk
Read more »
Liverpool go top after Mohamed Salah leads torment of Manchester UnitedLuis Díaz, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané all scored as Liverpool outplayed Manchester United on their way to a 4-0 win which put them top of the league
Read more »
A picture in time: Evdokia Petrov in the hands of Soviet ‘couriers’ at Sydney airportImage of the distraught Soviet official being dragged across the tarmac to a plane waiting to take her to Moscow became an enduring emblem of the cold war in Australia
Read more »
Depp tells court: Heard’s abuse claim ‘not based in any species of truth’'Never did I, myself reach the point of striking Ms Heard in any way - nor have I ever struck any woman in my life.' Johnny Depp has taken the stand in his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard | Farrah Tomazin
Read more »
Football's biggest names rally behind RonaldoFootball's biggest names have wrapped their arms around Cristiano Ronaldo ♥ 9WWOS
Read more »
Heartbreaking story behind Australian champ's podium finish at Invictus GamesAustralian silver medallist Gabriel Ramon's emotions pour out as he explains the heartbreaking story behind his Invictus Games success.
Read more »