Even though the majority of the townspeople are LDS, there are lots of people of a variety of faiths in the room that day. Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. David was a diabetic. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. No, not at all. You went back home? She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. And my children. What stands out in your mind the most, looking back? I walked into the bathroom and there was the suspect that had started this whole mess, layin' there on the floor with ahe had a pistol in his hand and you could tell he had shot himself in the head. I mean, we're talking about from kindergarten kids up to 10-, 11-, 12-years old. who wins student body president riverdale. Mark Junge: This was a life-changing event. Do you ever think about them? They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. Sue Castaneda: Which is the son who is also running for sheriff? Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. Either way, right after my joke is about when David excused himself from the room. Rich Haskell: Well, as we were talking before we started recording, because of my knowledge with the explosives and with the law enforcement and everything else, I've had many opportunitiesbecause of the explosivesI've been with Vice President Cheney when he was here in Wyoming up in Pinedale. David went to the school office, handing out a manifesto titled "ZERO EQUALS INFINITY" and announcing "This is a revolution!" Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. Dozens. Educated at Chadron State College in Nebraska, he had earned a degree in criminal justice, and was hired as Cokevilles town marshal in the 1970s. Once the wooden piece was removed, the two metal connectors completed the circuit, detonating the bomb. Whenever they would come to Wyoming I would be part of their security team. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. They attempted to crowd 154 people into one of the two first grade classrooms, a room with a total capacity of 30 students and a teacher. Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. May 12, 2011, 2:30am PDT. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. You start messing with the kids, now you're going to have yourself a war. One teacher was shot when he tried to flee,. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. When they asked pointed questions like "what did the angels look like?" So I went to Huntsville, Ala., to Redstone Arsenal. In their minds they could start another world. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Okay? You can see what's happening in the world today. And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. That's a true line in the movie. Who died in the Cokeville bombing? How much interaction did you have with the director/producers of the movie? Rich Haskell: That's my oldest boy, Steven. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Cokeville had so little crime that many folks didn't bother to lock their doors. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. To go off to the side? Rich Haskell: Well, by none of the kids bein' hurt that was supposed to be hurt. David had the makeshift bomb attached to his body and housed inside a grocery cart, while Doris and Princess carried an arsenal of rifles, handguns and ammunition, as well as the Zero Equals Infinity handouts. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. I called back to my dispatcher and they did inform me that the school in Cokeville was being held hostage by two individuals and there was bombs involved. The device was set up on afor lack of a better word, I call it a shopping cart. Rich Haskell: Yeah, there was some people ready to just shoot him right where he was sitting. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. You have to think about what you're doing right at that particular time so you can stay focused on what you have to deal with. Rich Haskell: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. But it didn't. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Well, after interviewing some of the people, what had happened, the bombDavid Young had set the bomb to have what they call a dead-man switch. Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. That's why I have a computer. The Hilton Garden Suites in Laramie, Wyo. Once all the hostages were contained in the first grade classroom, David Young informed them that they were leading a revolution and distributed copies of his philosophy Zero Equals Infinity to everyone present. And afteryou look in there and you could see little pockmarks all through on the walls, and after we finished with our investigationit took us three days to totally do the whole entire sceneyou could tell where those pockmarks were bullets from the heat had gone off. Personally I gave him 17 pages of journal notes! . I didn't touch the body at all. I've got to get back to work now! I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. David Young had initially planned to involve longtime friends Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who had invested money with him in a get-rich-quick scheme that he had called "The Biggie. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and thirteen teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. I remember watching that when I was a younger kid, and when they were interviewing the witnesses, I remember several of them referencing "Heavenly Father " instead of "God," and I knew immediately they were LDS. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. Rich Haskell: I don't know. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? In 1986, 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. And we allthere was three of us there. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. Well, with the window being open, with the ceiling tiles being able to lift up and down, I think that absorbed a lot of the explosion of the gasoline bottle. You know their names but not their birthdays. This wasn't a simple bomb. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. With fear that David might become unhinged, the teachers decided to make an ~8-foot square of masking tape for his own personal space. Rich Haskell: Well, after I arrived it took probably three to four hours to make sure everything was neutral and everything was not going to be a threat any longer. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. They had a circle of tape around the device itself and they said, "Do not come inside of this circle. Everyone else survived, and many who did recalled the tragedy with memories of the presence of angels. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. Doris tried numerous times to calm the children by telling them to "think of it as an adventure movie," or that they "would have a great story to tell their grandchildren." In the West? [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. At that time, about 500 people lived in Cokeville, and there were slightly more than 100 students attending the elementary school. All the kids were saved. Too many of 'em to try to remember their birthdays. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Cheyenne. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Have there been any lingering psychological effects from going through something so traumatic while so young? Hi MadreDeUnMono! She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. This allowed gasoline to drip into the tuna fish cans, turning the aluminum-flour mixture into paste, unable to aerosolize. It was suggested we say a group prayer and I thought it was a great idea, so I helped gather a group of us together. Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. Is that morbid thinking on my part? . Rich Haskell: Okay, I'll buy that! Were you portrayed in the movie at all? Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. Doris had a migraine headache that day, in talking with the other folks, and she was complaining about that, and asked David if she could open the windows because the gas fumesevidently the gas was leaking from the incendiary and he finally consented to let 'em open the window. I don't know what. In the meantime, David and Doris Young gathered children, teachers, staff and visitors in the elementary school into one central location. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Twenty-five years ago on Monday, a man and his wife pushed a homemade gasoline bomb into Cokeville's sole elementary school and demanded $300 million in ransom. The tuna fish cans, if you can imagine, here's two tuna fish cans sittin' here like this, and a gallon jug of gasoline sittin' above it. [8] This unintentionally activated the triggering mechanism and the bomb exploded, severely injuring Doris, and filling the room with black smoke and pockets of fire. It killed her instantly. SHARE Cokeville recollects 'miracle' of 1986. Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. You can ask me anything about this today between 1-2pm. Angelic Intervention save all 153 in bomb blast - Cokeville Wyoming - Unexplained Mysteries - Angels Brain Boyle 2.05K subscribers Subscribe 928 158K views 11 years ago All 153 Children &. Then when I became a deputy, Sheriff Stark says, "You know, we're going to start finding a bunch of old explosives, dynamite and things. So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! Certified Bomb Technician. And you could see that she had been burning by just looking at her out on the front lawn. We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. Do you think this is a historical event? Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. He was so open to their input, and feelings. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. Throughout both baskets were chain links, gunpowder, and boxes of ammunition acting as shrapnel. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the communitys elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. Also, what do you want us to know about it that isn't covered in the film? I never did get to see that untilI think it was two days lateractually what they had taken as far as the paperwork was concerned. I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. So many of 'em thatI don't know. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. We figured that he had dropped down on his knee, took his pistol and shot her to put her out of her misery, because when we went out and looked at her, there was a hole up through the bottom of her chin, and it came out the top of her head. It said in there that they had brought blasting caps, ammunition, those types of things in and there was a sealed briefcase that was in the hallway. It has shaped me to know that God is real. Number one, that's where he worked. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. [5][10][8], When the bomb detonated, the majority of the explosive force was channeled through loose ceiling tiles into the roof, and open windows acting as vents. Students, teachers, visitors, staff who survived the ordeal and bystanders began recounting their memories of this event as it was still unfolding. Of what you would picture an angel, with the wings and, Mark Junge: Well, if I'm a skeptic, I could say, "Well, that's just the way the flames shot up.". Wyoming Town Still Healing a Year After School Bombing., Schoolhouse Blast Still Felt a Year Later., Survivor is My Name: Cokeville Elementary School Bombing1986 News Report Audio. Audio Recording. It was there for a long time, all that support. Mark Junge: EOD. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. When did Cokeville miracle happen? "[6] The two men eventually refused to participate in the event. The timelines of some events are fuzzy Its hard to nail down what stands out the most, there were a LOT of crazy things I'd never seen before then, or since really. Where's he running? He was asking large amounts of money. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. I mean, okay, you lose the Twin Towers, you might get the Pentagon damaged, but if somebody's town hall or school is blown up in Star Valley [Wyo.] Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. [13], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}420457N 1105719W / 42.08250N 110.95528W / 42.08250; -110.95528. They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. The tuna fish cans with the two floury would be spread out in the air likehave you ever seen a grain elevator explosion? One thing to mention is that the tension in real life seemed much more present at first, and then once prayers were said the mood really lifted. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. Mark Junge: to go through all this? Two Powell residents, Lenita Moore (a science teacher at Powell High School) and John Miller (a longtime choir director at Powell High School who retired in 2020), remember being in Cokeville during the bombing. Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. She was on fire! Rich Haskell: Well, I got a lot of it while I was in the Marine Corps and in the Army National Guard. Maybe writing that up 2 years ago when this came along was more healing for me than for him, but I gave it all to him! Mark Junge: What were they designed to do? Upon entering the classroom, children saw an arsenal of weapons, a grocery cart and an unfamiliar manDavid Young. At least 74 people, most of them children, suffered second-degree burns when the bomb went off at about 4 P.M. at the Cokeville Elementary School. Edit: Also, were you at that early screening? I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. I later learned he'd been shot in the back. I'm proud of all my children. He did deliver our salvation that day. 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. I got a chance to talk to Jennie Sorensen Johnson, who was seven when David Young rolled a bomb into her first grade classroom. They forget about what happened in Cokeville with a lot more people and the potential of what was there. Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. And I think it's made me a stronger person. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. You see the bag ladies pullin' them around behind them when they go to the store and they can put their groceries in or whatever else. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Which is hard to believe, but a positive experience in that they learned something. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. No need to troll. I contacted the dispatch up in Kemmerer to get firsthand information as to having second- and third-hand information and they informed me that the school indeed had been taken hostage. "The sadness that comes with the death of an 8-year-old, you can . The bomb was an improvised explosive device constructed in a small two-wheeled shopping cart with two baskets, one on top of the other. I know there's angels. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. We had people from ATFAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearmsand there was another bomb technician that came up from Evanstonhe was studying to be a bomb technicianand we all looked at that and said, "That wire's been cut." Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. During the chaos, Doris' burnt body was expelled through a window, and left lying on the front lawn. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! Read more Rich Haskell: No. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. Rich Haskell: Approximately three and a half days. Rich Haskell: Well, I like to think I'm a better person because of it. And it burned some children. On one hand people didn't want money to be made off of suffering, but on the other hand it felt ungrateful to not share it in the way that TC would or could. P. O. But David refused to reveal his plans entirely until moments before they unfolded. I actually hadn't thought of doing that, yet. She's an avid genealogist, so maybe get involved with that, and maybe go on a mission for the church. Just before implementing the Biggie, David Young had also sent a copy of the document to President Ronald Reagan, the president of Chadron State College and numerous media outlets. You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. Mark Junge: And you know, in Sue and I's conversation with these dozen people we've talked to now, seems like they also feel the same way you do. Mark Junge: With bombs? [T]rust is big here youngsters grow up knowing they can turn to many other members of the community with confidence, write Hartt and Judene Wixom in Trial by Terror: The Child-hostage Crisis in Cokeville, Wyoming. Thus, when David and Doris Young entered the towns only elementary school with an arsenal of weapons and a gasoline bomb in a grocery cart, no one saw it coming. Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime because of their refusal to participate.[6]. We didn't know if the blasting caps were in therejust exactly what was in there. Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." Accessed May 28, 2013 at. . These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. Rich Haskell: Sure. It's a little basket that has different layers on it. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. Many children showed signs of distress with sobs, complaining of headaches from the smell of gasoline from the bomb, or simply wanting to go home. I'm not saying all of 'em were bombs, but why did God cut out Cokeville and say nobody's going to get hurt in this? I think I made it there in record timeI'm not sure. Just like with a pair of pliers, pair of snips. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. Mark Junge: No? David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. What is your assessment of these two people who did this? He used to work in Cokeville. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Mark Junge: Had you seen anything like what took place in this classroom before? Rich Haskell: Not really that often, but every time I think about it I get very emotional. The Cokeville Elementary School was the site of a horrific hostage situation on May 16, 1986 when David and Dorris Young took a homemade bomb inside the school. Following the explosion, 79 children were taken to area hospitals, most of which were located more than an hours drive from Cokeville, for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation. She was totally burned. and detonated a bomb inside. May 24, 1986 12 AM PT. Hey, I am not the survivor, but I spent my summers in Cokeville, my family is from there, and I have been helping on publicity for the film. They're the ones that died from the whole thing. The kids couldn't have done it. Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. To my right is Sue Castaneda who is the Wyoming Oral History Project Director, and across the table from me is Rich Haskell, who is a certified bomb technician. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. Immediately following the detonation, the teachers started to shove children into the hallway, and through two open windows onto the grass outside the school, causing chaos as panicked parents tried to break through police lines.
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