Prisoner Admits to Role in 3 Yosemite Slayings

A man behind bars for a parole violation has admitted he was involved in the slayings of three Yosemite National Park sightseers, according to law enforcement sources.

Eugene Dykes of Modesto has been “talking about what he knows,” a law enforcement official told Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Other sources told AP and the San Francisco Chronicle that Dykes admitted to taking part, but refused to elaborate on his statements.

Carole Sund vanished Feb. 15 along with her 15-year-old daughter Juli and their Argentine friend Silvina Pelosso during a trip through the Sierra foothills.

They were found dead weeks later and hours away from where they were last seen. The burned bodies of the mother, 42, and Pelosso, 16, were found in the trunk of their charred rental car. Juli Sund’s body was discovered more than 30 miles away.

FBI agents have zeroed in on a loose-knit group of alleged methamphetamine users--including Dykes and half-brother Michael Larwick--and are confident that some of those responsible are already behind bars. Officials have refused to identify them or say how many there are.

Larwick has professed his innocence and said he provided a blood sample to clear his name. Dykes was arrested March 5--before the bodies were discovered--on a parole violation after a standoff with authorities. He was charged with being a felon in possession of drugs and a gun.