Judge, Lawyers Urge Parole In Chowchilla School Bus Kidnap

February 23, 2011 8:25 PM

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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fred Woods and brothers Richard and Jim Schoenfeld captured the nation’s attention in 1976 when they used guns and nylon masks to commandeer a Chowchilla school bus and buried the 26 children and driver in a truck underground.

It wasn’t long, however, before the kidnappers fell asleep long enough for their captives to escape without any serious injuries. The men — all in their mid-20s — were soon arrested, convicted and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

The case has now taken an even more unusual turn, with the judges, prosecutors and investigators who sent the men to prison rallying in support of their push for parole.

“They were just dumb, rich kids and they paid a hell of a price for what they did,” said Dale Fore, who served as lead investigator on the case for the Madera County Sheriff’s Department.

Fore was among a group of supporters who attended a news conference Wednesday to draw attention to the case at San Francisco Civic Center, near the state Supreme Court building.

“I might not be the most popular guy when I get back home,” Fore said, acknowledging that no victims have publicly supported parole for the three men. “But what is right is right. How much time do you want out of these guys?”

Retired Court of Appeal Justice William Newsom, who overturned the three men’s original sentence of life in prison without parole, noted that nobody was injured in the kidnapping.

“That’s a major factor,” he said. “I think it’s a gross injustice.”

On Wednesday, Richard Schoenfeld formally petitioned the state Supreme Court to grant him parole. Supporters also demanded the release of his two accomplices.

The three men have been denied parole numerous times since they were sentenced in 1978. Woods was last turned down in 2009 and can re-apply next year.

The Parole Board found Richard Schoenfeld suitable for parole in 2008 then rescinded its decision.

His brother John Schoenfeld said the three men had fallen into debt because of a real estate deal gone sour and hatched the elaborate kidnap-for-ransom plan involving the bus as a way to rid themselves of financial worry.

They spent 18 months working on the plan. On July 16, 1976, they pretended their van had engine problems, prompting bus driver Ed Ray to pull over and park his bus full of summer school students as it traveled on Avenue 21 about 35 miles south of Fresno.

The men moved in, forcing the victims into two vans and hiding the bus in a creek bed. They drove about 100 miles north to Livermore to a quarry owned by Woods’ father and sealed the children and Ray in a trailer in a cave then left to make their $5 million ransom demand.

The Chowchilla Police Department was swamped with so many calls that the kidnappers decided to take a nap before calling in their demand.

When they awoke, Ray and the two oldest children had managed to stack mattresses high enough to escape through the roof of the trailer. It wasn’t long before all the abductees staggered to safety.

Richard Schoenfeld turned himself in eight days later. His brother and Woods were arrested the next week.

The case was turned into a 1993 made-for-television movie titled “They’ve Taken Our Children: The Chowchilla Kidnapping,” starring Karl Malden as the heroic bus driver.

“The kids suffered terribly,” said Paul Yates, who was then the principal of two elementary schools attended by many of the victims. “But I don’t believe they should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.”

Judge, Lawyers Urge Parole In Chowchilla School Bus Kidnap

cowtownferret

No way should these men get parole. They deserve to die in prison.
Julie

Anyone committing a crime against children should serve there full term regardless of how well behaved they are in prison. There victums pay for the rest of there lives. They shouldnt even come up for parole!
lucas hess

they should be released to parole only if they agree to be buried alive in a rock quarry and left for three days without any contact with anyone including each other.
Bear

They should have been shot on sight. Leave them there to rot.
william

leave them behind bars. they belong there. the world has changed .they are not fit for todays society . they will not adapt and most of all commit crime again

Cindy

EXACTLY! They will not adapt and will hopefully run into one of them or one of their family members while they are TRYING To adapt! they will be running the rest of their Sorry Lives
OHBABYBABYITSAWILDWORLD

In 1976 there was no cell phones,Ipods,fax machines,pc’s,vibrators,viagra,cialis,…….life was boring….they would never make it todays world…might as well shoot all of them…who cares about these idiots…onlyLIBERALS would want to set them free.

Shelly

I hate the fact that we, the taxpayers, have to “foot the bill” and pay for their prison stay, but I want them to rot in prison rather than being paroled. Too bad I can’t get my first choice: death.
Don

I vividly remember when this heinous crime was committed. Those poor innocent children and their horrified parents suffered trauma that remains with them to this day. Some of the children required therapy for YEARS. If it weren’t for the heroic acts of the bus driver in gaining escape from that buried semi-trailer, who knows what would have happened? The Schoenfeld brothers and Woods should spend every day of their miserable lives right where they now are, LOCKED UP!

Paulette Trout

Don I agree with you 100%. Why on earth would anyone consider giving them parole. is this judge wacky or should he even be on the bench?

OHBABYBABTITSAWILDWORLD

Simple,the judge and lawyers are LIBERALS…..they just made a “dumb mistake”…..WHAT?….a mistake is guessing the wrong answer on JEOPARDY..these lo-lifes are cold criminals who preyed on kids…the worst.kind…..shoot all of them.

Cathy

I was 7 at that time and lived very near there. I remember being afraid that would happen to me or my brother and sister. If they were sentenced to life, we shouldn’t even offer parole hearings and waste tax payer dollars. Crimes against children should automatically be without parole.

Cindy

Ok Let them out… the kids that they did this to are older and wiser NOW…
Pat

The Judge, Prosecutor, and the Investigators believe they should be free. I worked with the investigators of this crime, and they are all good people; however, what do the victims think? Did anyone ask them if these three criminals should be free?

Shelly

Pat, good one! Can we get a follow up to Pat’s question? This makes good sense!
dean vic

Bull, why the hell do you think we have prisons and sentences, so some winer can cryabout the poor spoiled babies. Whjy don’t we let all the dirt bags out …. they can live with all the cry babies that want to let them out.

Bear

Don’t the victims have the right to be at the parole hearing and speak there minds or is that just on tv. I still think they should have been shot on sight but they were given life. Do the crime do the time all of it.
scopedope

No parole, never. They kidnapped 26 young children. Let them rot where they are!
Jenfrank

Forgiveness is beautiful!!
theresa

we have enough thirsty child kilers free and criminals that leave prison cant get a job anyway due to background checks so what will they do for money …think of anougher kidnapping ? if its in your mind ever to kill kidnap a kid you should not be released something is seriously wrong to target a child.
theresa

that includes you cps…child prediters.
Dale

I remember their entrapment. Some of these childern no dought stile feel efects of that day.
remember that the encloser they were in was colaping when they were getting out. Leave the in for the rest of their lives.
Dan

My child in going to school for the first time this coming new school year. And because of animals like them who pray on chldren, I will drop my child off at school and pick her up.
I pray to God for protection and mercy over my children and family.
Opinionater

Domestic terrorists at work in 1976, just imagine that… Granted it was a kidnap, but the scale was that of an act of terrorism and a crime against multiple child-victims. Let em’ rot.
LiberalForever

Maybe we an have the crazy judge and prosecutor be kidnapped, left alone in a cave, and see if their families are a little worried. Is the whole world INSANE? Lo;ck them up and throw away the key.
alisha

alisha I feel they should stay in prison for life no parole they were taken childrens lifes and the bus driver they ned to die in prison
Jon

The vile comments on this article only serve to highlight the kind of society that produced these rich bratty kids and most likely encouraged their horrific behavior. They may be convicted felons but they are humans at the very least. When you make comments like that your reveal yourself to be no better than they are. What’s the point of separating these men from society if society behaves like buffoons?

I do not pretend to know if they should be paroled or not, but I do know that calling for them to “die” or “rot” or to be “shot” and killed is just terrible! No one should be shot. No one should be left to die and no one should rot anywhere. Show a little humanity; show a little dignity. Let these criminals learn from your example instead of emulating it.
yesheisnoheisnt

Well Mr. Yates, I do. As a matter of fact, I think you, the judge that overturned his sentence and the sf judge who is releasing him should all have your heads examined.