Ray, the driver, and the children were herded into two vans and driven around for 11 hours. A draft ransom note was found at the scene, with some of its phrasing seeming to make reference to Hugh Pentecost's story, 'The Day the Children Vanished', which had been published in Alfred Hitchcock's Daring Detectives and was displayed in the Chowchilla public library. Now Frederick Newhall Woods IV, the "mastermind" of the trio, could be paroled next month and walk out of state prison as a multimillionaire. CBS reported that in previous parole hearings he was evasive, unable or unwilling to follow prison rules and fail[ed] to acknowledge the severity of his crime. I asked him if he felt funny, finding a dead man. Once the trial ended, Chowchilla fell out of the media spotlight, save for the visit by reporters on the anniversary of the mass abduction. Woods and the Schoenfelds wanted a $5m ransom for the safe return of the children to their families, but their plan quickly went awry. The thing that made me cry was not being able to say goodbye to my mom. Herself the product of a tangled and traumatic home situation, housed in a foster home, she said that Mr. Woods found her a person aloneand he took me in.. Then you rationalize. Lynda Carrejo Labendeira, who was 10 years old at the time, told the Associated Press in 2015 that the battery-operated blowers that circulated the air in the bunker began to fail. You see them and you rationalize all yourproblems will be over in 24 hours. California law forbids the release of school records, but Mr. Woods reportedly did not do well in school, did not care for it. Frederick Woods was among three men convicted of hijacking a school bus full of California children for an attempted $5 million ransom in 1976. . It was back in July 1976, when three young men from. There, they were transferred to a buried moving truck, with mattresses and a little bit of food. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. Once the allotted time is up, the governor has 30 days to review their decision. The men had planned the Chowchilla kidnapping for over a year, tracing the bus route, converting the prison vans, creating the underground bunker, and even building a lead box to put the ransom money in, just in case police placed tracking devices in the cash. His parents, Fred and Harriet. Two survivors, Larry Park and Rebecca Reynolds Dailey, spoke Friday in favor of Woods's parole. Woods masterminded the kidnapping plot after being inspired by the 1971 Clint Eastwood film Dirty Harry. Three years later, his brother followed suit. Other photos show the couple at Disneyland where they went on their honeymoon, Mr. Woods gawky, gangling, white socked, his suit illfitting on a skinny frame, vestiges of acne still on his face. Following the kidnapping, Woods and his co-conspirators - Richard and James Schoenfeld - each pleaded guilty. Woods said during an earlier parole hearing that he just 'got greedy.'. After 16 hours, the victims were able to dig their way out and escapeas the kidnappers were asleep. Like us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/TheSunUSand follow us from our main Twitter account at@TheSunUS, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Frederick Newhall Woods has been approved for parole in 2022, Frederick Newhall Woods, along with James and Richard Schoenfeld, were arrested for the 1976 kidnapping. When police finally caught up with the perpetrators, they were stunned. 'The sides of the van were bowing in I knew that I was going to die. Hes incarcerated at the California Mens Colony in San Luis Obispo. He had boyish charm that enabled him, when he could overcome his shyness, to enter into intimate relationships with women, but the relationships seemed to end quickly, and over these relationships there was the same quick, jealous guarding that caused him to ward off intruders on the family estate with a shotgun, and, on at least one occasion, with gunfire. Woods was arrested weeks later after fleeing to Vancouver, British Columbia. Frederick Newhall Woods, 70, was one of three men who kidnapped 26 children and their bus driver in Chowchilla, a small city in Northern California's Madera County, more than 45 years ago. But I never saw any of that shotgun thing, pointing them at people and shooting at them, the youth said. It was later observed that elements of the abduction seem similar to a scenario depicted inThe Day the Children Vanished, a story written by Hugh Pentecost that was published in the 1969 fiction anthologyAlfred Hitchcock's Daring Detectives; since there was a copy of the book in the Chowchilla library, it was assumed that the Pentecost story was the inspiration for the mass abduction. 'I'm overwhelmed to the point that I had to leave work,' she said. The mechanic, who asked not to be identified, and who has been questioned intensively by local police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said that he had last seen Fred Woods in the early afternoon of July 15, the day of the kidnapping. Lori Lightfoot becomes the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose re-election, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, A condition called POTS rose after covid, but patients can't find care, Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened, Rep. Lauren Boebert Gets Absolutely Schooled By Jamie Raskin Using Trump's Own Words, Snow plow drivers prepare for another round of winter weather, FSU women's basketball: Ta'Niya Latson and Makayla Timpson earn ACC postseason honors, Calls for more protection after cashier attacked, beaten at Bronx grocery store, Sublime menace and sonic enormity: 50 years of Pink Floyds The Dark Side of the Moon. When Frederick Newhall Woods and two other gunmen hijacked the school bus in Chowchilla, California, it was considered the biggest kidnapping in US history. On the evening of July 17, Frederick managed to enter Canada and settled himself in a Vancouver hotel. They were good kids., See the article in its original context from. Woods's parole has also previously been backed by some prominent supporters, including Democratic U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto in 2015. He agreed, however, that his employer, who paid him $2.50 an hour for parttime work, was suspicious of intruders at the estate behind a closed gate on which no trespassing signs hung. So, where are they now? Yet here I am, a mess.'. According to his attorney, however, he has not faced any disciplinary action since his last parole hearing in 2019. Richard Schoenfeld was paroled in 2015; James was paroled three years later. It was a man identified from photographs as Frederick Newhall Woods who allegedly purchased, using a false name, the vans used in the kidnapping. Frederick Newhall Woods IV, James Schoenfeld, and Richard Schoenfeld planned the Chowchilla kidnapping for over a year. Twenty of the children feared of being abducted again, and twenty-one were afraid of "cars, the dark, the wind, the kitchen, mice, dogs, and hippies". I full take responsibility for this heinous act.. Eighteen months after the mass abduction, one of the older male victims shot a Japanese tourist with a BB gun when the tourist's car broke down in front of his home. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Marshall cautiously stuck his head out of the dirt to make sure their abductors werent nearby, then he and Ray helped the other 25 children out of the truck. His mother took a lot of home movies of us.. He had a girlfriend while he was seeing me. Theyre vulnerable. The guards were shocked to see the group and immediately called for the police. When Frederick Newhall Woods and two other gunmen hijacked. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. His father. One evening coming home from work [from his father's rock quarry], he went by the field to count the horses, because one was stolen the week before. And he found this man's body. Alias Similarly, Larry Park remembers sitting in the darkness wondering 'how it was going to feel to die'. During Friday's hearing, Woods apologized for his actions, telling the parole panel that he 'had empathy for the victims which I didn't have then. It is possible that the money has helped finance some of Woods prison activities. Frederick, Richard, and James targeted a school bus full of children, all aged 5 to 14, whom they got to stop by pretending that their van broke down in the middle of the road. His father. Now I fully understand the terror and trauma I caused. "Now I fully understand the terror and trauma I caused. They ordered Ray and the children into the back of the two vans, which had been converted from prison transport vehicles. READ NEXT: Why A Georgia Beauty Queens Alleged Murderer Still Hasnt Been Tried in Her Death, Two Kidnappers of 26 Children Paroled; One Remains in Prison, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Madera County prosecutors said Woods' disciplinary infractions in prison showed he had not yet learned to follow the rules. There are snapshots of the young bride with her wedding gifts, listed in red ink on a separate pagetowels, Pyrex bowls, blankets, place mats, kitchen canisters, Tupperware, an electric iron, card and check $25.. Frederick, Richard, and James, drawing from their discussions over perfect crimes, decided to get the money they needed by holding hostages for ransom. He'd buy a shirt he didn't need.. Natasha Anderson For Dailymail.Com According to the Associated Press, the men had kidnapped the children because they were deeply in debt and planned to ask for a hefty ransom. I fully take responsibility for this heinous act.'. The young mechanic who worked at the Woods estate described James as a pretty decent person. He was intelligent, quick with the math needed in the automobile trans actions, but usually quiet, the mechanic said. Birth Date While underground, Ray and one of the elder students were able to dig their way out of the truck. Though none of the victims of the kidnapping sustained life-threatening physical injuries, the psychological effects of being taken hostage at gunpoint and then kept underground for nearly 20 hours have been harrowing for many. Mrs. Woods had her friends by the cottage on the big estate where they lived; her new husband had none. He also had other guns she said. Woods is related to California's wealthy Newhall family The Newhall Land and Farming Co. holds enormous investments in commercial and recreational ventures, agriculture, cattle, oil. The captives were held in a box truck and buried alive in a quarry located in Livermore. I knew it.'. Governor Gavin Newson then has 30 days to review the panels decision. PLEASE NOTE ORDERS MAY TAKE LONGER TO SHIP AT THIS TIME. Reports suggest that in his past hearings, Frederick has been evasive and refused to acknowledge the severity of his crimes. In October 2019, Woods was denied parole for the 17th time. The 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping is brought back to memory in CBS 48 Hours. On July 15, 1976, a school bus driver and 26 children aged between 5 and 14 were kidnapped by three armed men. It would really surprise me if he had anything to do with this thing. Ray and Michael Marshall, aged 14 at the time, managed to find an escape for the group, which finally led to the apprehension of the three kidnappers, Frederick Newhall Woods IV, the quarry owners son, and his two friends, James, and Richard Schoenfeld. Woods expected too much of him and he couldn't live up to it, she said. His parents often . He was not even getting along with his parents and got few friends. There were two bright spotstwo trips to Baja California, she said, one with her husbanil's parents. He says the nightmares have finally stopped and that healing continues if you allow it., Park also said he met his kidnappers, shook their hands, and forgave them, which changed [his] life.. [Cover Image Courtesy: Alameda County Sheriffs Office], Read More: Best Netflix Kidnapping Movies. At trial, all three men pleaded guilty to kidnapping for ransom and robbery, and they were sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. 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Under hypnosis, Ray was also able to remember one of the license plates of the vans that had taken them to the quarry, which was tied to Woods and both of his accomplices. He was always alone in them and his parents were always together., Others who knew Mr. Woods casuallya service station attendant where he had his cars certified for sale, a former high school classmate and a neighbor who saw him occasionally also agreed with the description of him as a loner, the kind of guy who didn't seem to want to make friends., In contrast with this picture of Mr. Woods is the description by acquaintances of the Schoenfeld brothers. I fully take responsibility for this heinous act.. Nevertheless, the three were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, although the prevention of parole was later overturned in 1981. However, according to CBS News, their families appealed the conviction and in 1980, a panel of judges ruled that the kidnappers would eventually be eligible for parole instead of spending life in prison without said eligibility. And they dont fight back. We would have suffocated to death in there, Labendeira said. The trial was then delayed as it was relayed from Chowchilla's Madera County to Alameda County. ', She added:'He's not someone who should be released. Ray and the children, who were then ages 5 to 14, were eventually able to claw their way out of the trailer 28 hours later and ran to nearby workers, who called police. If were going to die, were going to die trying to get out of here, she remembered Ray and Marshall saying. You can check out his prison record here. He urged Woods to consider getting treatment. The middle name, Newhall, is one of prominence and wealth. 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One of the three drove the bus, another watched Ray and the children, and the third followed behind in their van. According to CBS News, part of the reason he was denied parole was that he was conducting business from inside the prison that he did not have permission from the warden to be doing. were rarely seen in the company of their son They went their separate ways. They focused their investigation into the Chowchilla kidnapping on Frederick Newhall Woods IV the quarry owners son. of Mutual Victims Frederick Newhall Woods IV, son of the quarry owner, 25 years old, 6 foot, 145 pounds, brown hair and blue eyes; . Originally the three were charged with joy riding, a fel. He dug until he was exhausted and then he kept on digging. On August 7, 2015, James was paroled. He really didn't want people around here. However, 36 years later, in 2012, Richard was the first of the trio to be granted parole. Ed Ray and Michael Marshall had saved them all. They will mind.. He said he was afraid people would make fun of him., One other incident struck his former wife as unusual. A relative said that the family can trace its ancestry to six Mayflower pilgrims, including John Alden and William Bradford, the Governor of Plymouth. We drove, up in an old fire (truck and he got on us for tres passingyou know, in this old fire truck. Like many people with a IV at the end of. I fully take responsibility for this heinous act." HORROR SLAYING Where is Frederick Newhall Woods Now? And possess., See the article in its original context from. On October 30, 2008, after being denied parole twenty times, Richard was deemed suitable for parole by the California Board on Parole Hearings and was released on June 20, 2012, presently living with his mother in a condominium in Mountain View, California. Frederick Newhall Woods IV Richard Schoenfeld James Schoenfeld Alias Fred (Frederick) Rick (Richard) Jim (James) Gender Male (all three) Birth Date 1950s [1] Pathology Mass Abductors Modus Operandi Abduction No. 'Even the settlement paid to some of us survivors was not sufficient. Born sometime in the 1952 and 1954, respectively, Frederick, James, and Richard all came from privileged backgrounds, having lived in wealthy neighborhoods in the San Francisco area. gas and land His friends say Woods never hurt for money. An appellate panel, which included the governor's late father, state Judge William Newsom, reduced the kidnappers' sentencesin 1980, giving them the chance at parole. Finally, on July 25, 1977, the three pleaded guilty to 27 counts of kidnapping for ransom without inflicting injury. Frederick Newhall Woods first became eligible for parole in 1982 and has had 18 parole hearings since. AP Photo/California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Vermont kidnapping victim drives off with hands still tied together, Volkswagen reportedly refused to help cops track stolen car with toddler inside, Chinas secret police are actively hunting people on US soil, Dances With Wolves actor hit with disturbing new charges. Here's what you need to know about what happened to Fred Woods and James & Richard Schoenfeld, the 1976 Chowchilla kidnappers who abducted a school bus full of children and buried them alive in a quarry. That, plus the fact that Frederick's father owned the rock quarry where the hostages were discovered, placed suspicion on him. 'This is an individual who's demonstrated how dangerous he is,' she said after Friday's decision. Ed Ray and 26 children were abducted at gunpoint by Frederick Newhall Woods and his two accomplices from a school bus in rural California. "I'm overwhelmed to the point that I had to leave work," said Darla Neal, who was a 10-year-old student at the time of the kidnapping. 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