One of the largest mass kidnappings in the history of the United States is Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping, where 26 students and a driver were kidnapped.
The Chowchilla bus kidnapping was a kidnapping that occurred in Chowchilla, California, on July 15, 1976.
A school bus containing 26 children and the bus driver was hijacked by three armed men and driven to a quarry.
The victims were then forced to climb a ladder into a buried moving van prepared in advance, where they were held captive for 16 hours.
The kidnappers demanded $5 million to release the hostages. The FBI launched a massive search, and the kidnappers were eventually caught.
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1976 Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping
The kidnappers wore pantyhose over their faces and were armed with guns and shotguns.
The kidnappers forced Ray, the bus driver, and the children into two vans painted black with reinforced interiors.
The group was driven around for 11 hours before being taken to a quarry in Livermore, where they were forced to climb down a ladder into a moving truck that had been prepared in advance with some food, water, and mattresses.
After 16 hours, Ray and the oldest student, Michael Marshall, could wedge open the truck’s lid with a piece of wood and move the batteries, weighing it down.
The kidnapper, Richard Schoenfeld, James Schoenfeld, and Woods were arrested after two weeks of kidnapping. (Image Source: The New York Times)
After more than 24 hours, all of the victims were eventually rescued, and the perpetrators were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Three of the kidnapper have been released, Richard Schoenfeld was released in 2012, James Schoenfeld was paroled in 2015, and Woods was denied parole 19 times until a panel recommended him for parole in 2022.
Jodi Heffington Obituary: How Did She Survive?
Forty-eight hours released the interview of one of the victims of the Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping, Jodi Heffington.
In an episode, she said, “You only see bad guys in the movies with stockings on, so I knew it wasn’t good,”
And it continued to hamper her, and she was not doing good with her mental health.
At the time of the kidnapping, she was just ten years old, and she remembered the time and said, “this man came up with a stocking over his head with a gun and said, “Open the door,’”
Along with her, two other survivors were interviewed, remembering the time in 1976.
After the abduction, Jodi pursued various interests, such as joining the United Methodist Church, raising pigs on the family farm for shows, and becoming a Cosmetologist.
A survivor of the Chowchilla kidnapping, Jodi Heffington, died at 55. (Image Source: The US Sun)
She found joy and love in raising her son Matthew, who inherited her sense of humor and friendly personality.
Although she struggled to move on from her past like anyone I the bus that day, she continued her life and moved on with her career path.
Unfortunately, Jodi passed away on January 30, 2021, at 55. Her death was not given a cause; however, it is thought natural.
Several people questioned why she died, but the cause was never made public and remains a mystery.
Many sources have confirmed her death as a natural cause. Jodi is again remembered after her interview within 48 hours has been released.
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Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
