The Toy Box Killer: Who is David Parker Ray?
Sierra County Sheriff's OfficeAmid renewed interest in The Toy Box Killer documentary, here’s what you need to know about who David Parker Ray is, what crimes he carried out, his terrifying audio tape, and what happened to his daughter.
Though true crime mania appears to have died down somewhat in 2023, there are still plenty of documentaries for viewers to sink their teeth into, from Take Care of Maya and the Duggar family series to the explosive Curious Case of Natalia Grace – which is set to get a follow-up this summer.
Dramatizations have also been on the rise – love it or hate it, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story became the third Netflix series to surpass one billion hours viewed in just 60 days. Clearly, there’s still plenty of demand for macabre content.
Over on TikTok, a disturbing tape made by David Parker Ray, aka The Toy Box Killer, has been shared, sparking renewed interest in documentaries about one of America’s most twisted criminals. So, here’s everything we know about the case. Warning: Some may find this content distressing.
The Toy Box Killer: Who is David Parker Ray and what did he do?
David Parker Ray, infamously known as The Toy Box Killer, was an American kidnapper, torturer, rapist, and suspected serial killer. Born on November 6, 1939, in New Mexico, he went on to become one of the most twisted criminals in US history, a horrifying aspect of his exploits being his “toy box,” a modified trailer fitted with a host of instruments and devices designed for torture.
It’s reported that Ray spent around $100,000 to equip his torture trailer, which included a gynecologist-style table, chains, straps, clamps, leg spreader bars, surgical blades, sex toys, and even a mirror mounted on the ceiling so his victims could witness the torment they were subjected to.
YouTube/Real StoriesPerhaps most chilling of all was an audio tape he would play to his victims after capturing them, describing in graphic detail the horrific acts he was about to perpetrate on them – more on this shortly. Ray’s horrific reign ended in March 1999 when a survivor, Cynthia Vigil Jaramillo, managed to escape from his clutches after three days of torture.
She ran naked and bleeding through the streets, with a metal choker collar still locked around her neck, until she found a nearby home and was able to call the police. Ray and his accomplice, girlfriend Cindy Hendy, were subsequently arrested.
During the trial, the full extent of Ray’s shocking activities began to unfold. He would often use barbiturate drugs to sedate his targets and attempt to erase their memories of what happened. He would take them to his “toy box” and torture them for a few months, before abandoning them by the side of the road.
Ray was convicted in 2001 for numerous offenses, including sexual torture and kidnapping. Due to the testimonies of Cynthia Vigil Jaramillo and other survivors, he was sentenced to 224 years in prison. His girlfriend, Cindy Hendy, who had been his accomplice, was sentenced to 36 years. Ray died in prison in 2002, just a year after his conviction.
There are a number of documentaries on David Parker Ray’s crimes, including The Toy Box Killer: The Shocking Story of David Parker Ray on Real Stories, and the 2017 film The Toy Box Killer, available on Amazon Prime Video.
The Toy Box Killer: David Ray Parker’s disturbing audio tape
One of the most disturbing pieces of evidence to emerge from the investigation into David Parker Ray’s crimes is an audio tape he created for his victims. In the recording, he would calmly and meticulously describe the brutal torture they were about to endure in his “toy box” in the coming weeks.
You can listen to it below, but be warned – the contents are incredibly graphic and distressing:
The purpose of the tape was not only to terrify his victims, but also to gain their compliance through fear. It’s truly harrowing to listen to, beginning with a disconcerting greeting, “Hello there, b*tch. Are you comfortable right now? I doubt it. Wrists and ankles chained. Gagged. Probably blindfolded. You are disoriented and scared, too, I would imagine.”
Ray would go on to describe the room they were in, filled with various instruments of torture, before detailing the horrifying sexual acts they were about to endure, all the while insisting on their total submission.
While the content is undeniably horrific, the tape proved to be key evidence at Ray’s trial, painting a picture of his methodical approach to his victims’ psychological manipulation and physical torture. It’s a sinister testament to the level of premeditation involved in his crimes.
The Toy Box Killer: Was David Parker Ray a serial killer?
Despite his infamous moniker, David Parker Ray was never formally charged or convicted of murder. However, there are a number of reasons why the authorities suspect he might have been responsible for multiple killings, with some estimating he murdered up to 60 women between the 1950s and 1999.
One reason is the sheer magnitude of his torture operation and the calculated, predatory manner in which he operated. His “toy box” torture chamber, his use of drugs to incapacitate victims, and his specific targeting of vulnerable individuals suggested a level of criminal activity beyond what he was ultimately convicted for.
YouTube/Real StoriesA more tangible reason for the murder suspicions is that Ray, during his interrogations and trial, made several implications about killing his victims, as did a number of uncovered diary entries. Additionally, Ray’s own accomplice and girlfriend, Cindy Hendy, testified that she had witnessed Ray murder several women.
The FBI discovered items such as jewelry and clothing that belonged to women who were missing. Despite these implications and evidence, the police could not definitively link him to any specific murders due to a lack of physical evidence. Although authorities conducted extensive searches, including the use of ground-penetrating radar on his property, they failed to uncover any human remains.
And so, without solid physical evidence, Ray could not be formally charged with murder, despite strong suspicions. He died in prison in 2002 from a heart attack, shortly after his conviction for sexual torture and kidnapping, leaving many questions unanswered about the true extent of his crimes.
The Toy Box Killer: Was David Parker Ray’s daughter involved?
As discussed, David Parker Ray’s girlfriend and accomplice, Cindy Hendy, was convicted for partaking in his crimes. But it’s widely believed that The Toy Box Killer had a second accomplice: his daughter, Glenda Jean “Jesse” Ray.
While there’s limited information available about Jesse Ray’s early life, what’s known is deeply entwined with the grim legacy of her father. Raised in New Mexico, she would have grown up in the shadow of Ray’s violent and manipulative behaviors.
It wasn’t until her adult years that Jesse Ray’s life took a dark turn mirroring her father’s. She was implicated in his horrific crimes, with survivors identifying her as an accomplice in their abductions. Whether she was a willing participant, a victim of her father’s manipulation, or a combination of both, is a matter of speculation.
Due to her involvement, Jesse Ray was sentenced to just two-and-a-half years in prison on the charges of kidnapping and criminal sexual penetration, with an additional five years on probation. It appears she may have dodged a murder charge as well. Amid the investigation, a man believed to be her former boyfriend, Dennis Roy Yancy, was arrested for the 1997 killing of his and the Parkers’ former acquaintance, Marie Parker.
Yancy confessed to strangling Parker under Jesse Ray’s direction, alleging that her body was disposed of by David Parker Ray. But due to a lack of physical evidence connecting them to the murder, the Rays weren’t implicated in this crime. In 1999, Yancy pleaded guilty to his charges, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
After serving her sentence, Glenda Jean “Jesse” Ray disappeared from the public eye, and there have been no recent records or reports about her life after prison. But her story is a chilling reminder of the lasting impacts of familial manipulation and the potential for criminal behavior to span generations.
For more true crime coverage, check out the stories below:
Who are the Duggars? | Victim/Suspect explained | Missing Dead or Alive explained | True story behind The Playing Card Killer | True story behind Take Care of Maya | HBO’s Burden of Proof explained | How to watch David Fuller: Monster in the Morgue | How to watch the Hart family murders documentary