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. You can see what's happening in the world today. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. Have you seen the Unsolved Mysteries episode that had a segment on this? They feel that it was a positive experience for them. Rich Haskell: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. Certified Bomb Technician. Some of them believed the assembly was about weapons; others began realizing something was seriously wrong. COKEVILLE, Wyo. It's just something that you just have to stay on top of. After a stand-off lasting two and a half hours, the gasoline bomb the couple had brought into the school went off prematurely, badly burning Doris Young while David Young was out of the room. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. "Move!" At about 9:30 a.m., the bomb disposal squad used a robotic device to shoot out the end caps of the device, remove the . In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. How much interaction did you have with the director/producers of the movie? The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. Hi MadreDeUnMono! 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. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. You'd had experience? You know their names but not their birthdays. David was a diabetic. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. He was dismissed, however, from this position shortly after his six-month probationary period. 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. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. Have there been any lingering psychological effects from going through something so traumatic while so young? My name is Mark Junge and I'm here at the Hiltonis it the Hilton Hotel? Used with permission and thanks. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News. He had just big rings of perspiration. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle. Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. Everything was blackened. (before I see Hollywood's version). Eventually Doris lifted her arm sharply and the bomb went off prematurely, injuring Doris while David was out of the room. I've got a couple of questions. We know he built two of 'em. Just like with a pair of pliers, pair of snips. It would have killed them. Number one, that's where he worked. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. You could walk across the street and get run over as far as that's concerned, but I don't know if my wife has any more gray hairs because I've chosen this profession. Yeah, we didn't get a lot of sleep. When I looked at everyone looking at me (as if I should call on someone to say it) I realized I should call on Allyson Cornia - literally because she was the smartest kid in the class! He hadn't had anything to eat and she finally convinced him to get something to eat, and he let her be in charge of that bomb. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. [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. David Young. Mark Junge: And your great-grandkids? You can ask me anything about this today between 1-2pm. You start messing with the kids, now you're going to have yourself a war. Rich? No, not at all. The wire was cut. On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and 13 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. As well as I can. So timelines and characters may be switched up, but the overall spirit of it and the facts are laid out true to witness testimonies. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. Where you find brackets [ ] I have added words for explanation or to complete an awkward sentence. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. She was a total torch! I was up there as part of his protection team. All the kids were saved. The two died after the bomb. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. People who had guns! Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. 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. He just said just go do it. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Mark Junge: Did you help bring the body out? And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on Friday, May 16, 1986 in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young, 43, and his wife Doris Young, 47, [1] took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. 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. Because of the tiles and the window? The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. 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. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. After being fired for misconduct, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he married Doris Young. Several other survivors were there. There are several great resources out there. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. 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! Is that morbid thinking on my part? They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on Friday, May 16, 1986 in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young, 43, and his wife Doris Young, 47,[1] took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. I have given that some thought. Returning to the scene, David shot his wife, a teacher, then himself. Rich Haskell: No. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. She lured them by telling them there was either an emergency, a surprise, or an assembly there. I actually hadn't thought of doing that, yet. No, we can't do this. David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. I got a chance to talk to Jennie Sorensen Johnson, who was seven when David Young rolled a bomb into her first grade classroom. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. Do you think this is a historical event? So he did try that device. Rich Haskell: I don't know. This allowed gasoline to drip into the tuna fish cans, turning the aluminum-flour mixture into paste, unable to aerosolize. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" I received a telephone call from my dispatcher informing me that an incident had taken place up in Cokeville and they were requesting me to drive to Cokeville for assistance. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. Had a gallon milk jug full of gasoline on one level, had aluminum powder, flour and those two components was in tuna fish cans directly under the gasoline bomb. Who died in the Cokeville bombing? My husband and I are looking forward to seeing the movie, as we weren't around when it happened and have just recently learned about it. So we took the tiles off and went up into the ceiling and crawled up into the upper space up there and found a .45 slug up embedded into the iron girders up in the wall, and thought, okay, where did that come from? Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. Personally I gave him 17 pages of journal notes! I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. Cokeville had so little crime that many folks didn't bother to lock their doors. Davids friends did not know that the Biggie was a plan to take over Cokeville Elementary School, hold each of the children hostage for $2 million dollars apiece and then detonate the bomb, transporting the money and children to his Brave New World, where he would be God. On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. . They do now - ever since the Youngs barged in on the Cokeville Elementary School with guns and a bomb to demand . 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. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. No, this is something that people need to know about. The Youngs both died that day. 154 of us were held hostage for almost 3 hours in a 30x32 room when the bomb actually detonated - all 154 hostages survived. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. Sept. 21, 2010. In addition, national reporters began arriving within hours of the explosion. Kameron Wixom, son of Hartt and Judene Wixom, writes a childlike faith saved us. In his contribution to the Witness to Miracles book, Kameron writes: I didnt have to see angels, hear them, or even think that their presence might be required that day. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. What did you find out about them? 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." Welcome to /r/latterdaysaints, a sub for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. . There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. That's a true line in the movie. Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. After a two-and-a-half hour standoff, the children were becoming restless, so the teachers preoccupied the kids in the form of movies, games, prayer, and books. Oral histories, memoirs and drawings began to reveal a narrative of fortune rather than misfortune. I mean, Columbine, it wasn't that way. Mark Junge: Why do you think that God chose Cokeville to save? Whenever they would come to Wyoming I would be part of their security team. When I looked up to see if David had heard me (which he had, and scowled down at me) I noticed that the florescent white light overhead was not white, but a yellow hazy light. Yeah. David attached the bomb trigger to his wrist and threatened the group that he might, at any time, move his arm and ignite the bomb. 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. Rich Haskell: I am. But it didn't. 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. Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million in ransom. Mark Junge: You think when we talk to you to bring this up againI know you're emotional about itbut does it hurt you to talk about this? Now, 28 years later, Conger and more than a dozen other survivors are reliving . The incident was detailed in the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene[12] by Hartt Wixom and his wife Judene, published by Cedar Fort, Inc., which formed the basis for a CBS made-for-TV movie titled To Save the Children. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. Chaos ensued. Details: At 1:20pm on Friday, May 16, 1986, forty-three-year-old David Young and his forty-seven-year-old wife, Doris, wheeled a shopping cart containing a homemade gasoline-filled bomb into Cokeville Elementary School in Cokeville, Wyoming, just after the lunch hour recess. Associated Press. It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. There was nobody killed but the perpetrators. Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. 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. The first chapter is titled A Town of Trust.. Rich Haskell: Absolutely! Rich Haskell: It's a combustible. I didn't touch the body at all. Kind of a synopsis of what they were going to do and what their plans were and the whole thing. 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. 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. He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. Rich Haskell: Yes. He did it right. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. And I think that these people actually thought that they could start another world. Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. David had also sent a copy of the manifesto to Reagan. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. They just didn't let it die out. Because they refused to participate, Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime. Rich Haskell: Yes. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. You went back home? During my years here in Wyoming I have refereed both basketball and football on the high school and the junior high school level, and I was watching the ball game at that time. [5] The leaking gasoline's fumes prompted teachers to open the classroom windows, unknowingly creating vents for the impending explosion. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! Accessed May 28, 2013 at. TC is one of my heroes. Do you ever think about that? Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. So we decided to take some masking tape, and we tapedI think it was an eight-foot square in the middle of the room, right here, and he pushed the cart, the homemade bomb into this, and we told the children this was the magic square. Too many of 'em to try to remember their birthdays. And then what? How has that experience shaped your life? The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. Family is the most important thing in a Mormon family. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted killer whose 1974 murders spawned the "Amityville Horror" franchise, died last week while serving a 25 years-to-life prison term, officials said Monday . By Jamie Armstrong May 22, 2015 09:35 AM MDT. By Deseret News. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. [6] With permission, the teachers brought in books, art supplies and a television to help keep the children occupied. He had been aware of above-average achievement scores from Cokeville's education system. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. 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? The kids couldn't have done it. Carbon County School District No. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. 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. And then he shot himself. 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. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. And it was a perfect trajectory up into the ceiling where that bullet was. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. Mark Junge: With bombs? Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The subsequent police report states that David opened the door from the connecting bathroom, shot his injured wife in the head and killed her,[9] shot and wounded John Miller, a music teacher who was trying to flee, then closed the bathroom door and killed himself with a shot from a .45 pistol to the head. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! When did Cokeville miracle happen? Students, teachers, visitors, staff who survived the ordeal and bystanders began recounting their memories of this event as it was still unfolding. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. 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. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. How did it affect your family long-term? And they had practiced how to get out of that building. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. When were you satisfied that there were no more bombs? 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode I know there's angels. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. Cokeville Public Library. I cannot explain it! I mean, what it was supposed to do? As I sat there and watched him, I could feel he was becoming agitated. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. I've got to get back to work now! 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. David Young was the only police officer in Cokeville for six months in 1979. I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? The gasoline bottle was leaking. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Cokeville Elementary School teachers and staff tried to keep kindergarteners through sixth graders calm and entertained. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. Interesting stuff to me! Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? Now you are a bomb technician. Dozens. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. I absolutely have. The Hilton Garden Suites in Laramie, Wyo. [10][2][3] The injured were triaged to several area hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho.[2][3][11]. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. 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. The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. Well, you know how fine that dust is. Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. I did see the lighting had changed in the room, and it was right in the same timeline as everyone else's witness. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. Totally destroyed it! David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. I think it was still in his body. President Hinkley, President Monson, and President Faust. 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. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? You know this is going to sound morbid, but I always thought if the Muslims, the radical Muslims were smart, they would take their jihad to local communities because that would scare the hell out of 'em like it did in Cokeville.