MovieChat Forums > I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989) Discussion > Time Line of Escape/Return Home - Questi...

Time Line of Escape/Return Home - Question

posted 15 years ago by dancingjinn
2 replies | jump to latest

OK, this is a pretty trivial question but it's bugging me so hope you can help.

I was confused about the times of day/night when Steven and Timmy escaped and when Steven was returned to his home. Clearly the escape happened late at night, and it looked like the parents were notified pretty quickly that Steven had been found. Dad wanted to go pick him up but the cops said to wait and let the cops bring him home because they were probably on their way back with Steven already. so far , so good..

But then we see Steven sleeping at a table in the police station and the sun is coming up. So it looks like they just left the poor kid there all night? Guess it could have been a very short time if it was almost morning when they originally questioned him but it still seemed not too nice. Then they had Steven i.d. Parnell and the next thing I know is that Steven is arriving home and it is night again. Where did that day go? Was I confused about it being morning when the i.d. happened or was it a really long drive or what? Did they let Steven sit around the police station for half a day waiting for a ride home while hhis parents waited for him?

I really loved this movie and the return home was such a beautiful scene (when he saw his parents for the first time, it put a lump in my throat). But the time of day really confused me.
All help appreciated.

[–] cataclysm1071 14 years ago

Steven was in Ukiah when he was found. Ukiah is on the coast of California, about a 3 to 5 hour drive to Merced, which is situated in Central California.

Steven escaped with Timmy, probably around 10 or 11 pm. Right after Parnell left for his graveyard shift, which is when these shifts usually begin. It probably took them a couple of hours to walk into downtown Ukiah. This would put them at the P.D between 2 or 3 am. Steven was questioned for probably an hour or two, after arriving, so it is now 4 am...and still dark outside. It probably took a couple of hours to bring Parnell in..6 to 7 AM. Steven is sleeping at the table.

I am not sure how the real events played out, but it would not be too uncommon for them to keep Steven a while, probably until the afternoon, to probe him some more about the events, since after all....he had been missing for seven years. By this time, it WOULD be late afternoon, and it would very well be dark by the time they arrive in Merced, considering the drive time.

[–] Giwu 12 years ago

I just finished reading the book From Victim to Hero. While it is a dramatization of the events, the times are probably accurate.

Parnells shift was from 600 PM - 200AM. He left for work at 500 PM and the boys left the cabin around 530. It took a while for them to hitch a ride, then they wandered around Ukiah, lost. By 1215 AM the boys had been at the police station for roughly an hour.

Steven was treated as a possible suspect. The police had to determine if he was involved in the kidnapping and if he was Steven Stayner. This was before email and fax machine. There were things to sort out. He was kept in a holding cell and prevented from leaving the station. Once they were finished, the police took him back to the cabin for Queenie, then they made a couple of stops on the way home to Merced. They probably left Ukiah between 100 - 200 PM and arrived in Merced around 730 PM.

Hope that helps!

All typos are hereby blamed on my iPad.