Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. 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. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis - Wikipedia Mark Junge: In fact, didn't you say you burned up your engine? They're the ones that died from the whole thing. I immediately went into rendering safehe had brought in several devices with him to place in different places in the room, and there was a lot of ammunition, a lot of guns out in the hallway, and I immediately started rendering all those safe, making sure that those were safe and they could move them out of the building. 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. 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. Survivor is my Name: Voices of the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing. Produced by Wyoming State Archives for Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, the package includes interviews with 14 people about the events of May 16, 1986. Rich Haskell: No. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. Because of the tiles and the window? 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. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. So he did try that device. Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." How much interaction did you have with the director/producers of the movie? On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. [5] The leaking gasoline's fumes prompted teachers to open the classroom windows, unknowingly creating vents for the impending explosion. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. over there. I didn't touch the body at all. Rich Haskell: And fourteen and a half great-grandchildren. [5] The wooden piece was tied to Doris' wrist by a string. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? 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 that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. Rich Haskell: You walk into the door, and I don't know if you got to go into the classroom, but you walk into that door and it opens up into the whole thing. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. Do you ever think about them? You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. Associated Press. 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 . David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. This is not a Mormon film it is more of an inspirational film. Cokeville Elementary School teachers and staff tried to keep kindergarteners through sixth graders calm and entertained. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. And knew what they could do? One teacher was shot when he tried to flee,. At that time, about 500 people lived in Cokeville, and there were slightly more than 100 students attending the elementary school. Cokeville Elementary School Explosion - Unsolved Mysteries Wiki I've got a couple of questions. 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. He used to work in Cokeville. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. Bomber's body removed - Billings Gazette Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." It is a touchy topic for us, and could come across the wrong way. Mark Junge: to go through all this? A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. 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: How many actual bombs have you had experience with? I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. I believe there was a hundred-and-sixty-plus people involved that was being held. I was later told that everybody had been taken to different hospitals, ambulance services from all over, from Utah, from Idaho, from Wyoming was transporting people all over the place and there was only two fatalities. Did you see anything? This all happened about 8 months after the bombing. 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. And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. [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. 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. 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. 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers story of survival To go off to the side? It's made me, I think, more open-minded to things and don't take so much for granted anymore. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. But I walked up to the window and looked inside the window and didn't hardly see anything out of the ordinary except it was all black inside. Interview by Mark Junge. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://news.google.com/newspapers/p/deseret_news?id=nz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,3587249&dq=cokeville+bombing&hl=en, http://archive.org/details/SurvivorIsMyName-VoicesOfTheCokevilleElementarySchoolBombing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udNB_xdPiYE, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656,2193766&dq=cokeville+trying+to+rebuild&hl=en, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oD1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&dq=cokeville&pg=7027%2C3851642, http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/MultiMedia/Display.aspx?ID=86&icon=1, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19870529&id=-AogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c2UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1067,6238243, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870521&id=w4sfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zH4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4596,6209063, https://www.deseret.com/2006/5/15/19953524/cokeville-recollects-miracle-of-1986, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18072820, http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article%E2%80%943077bf4a-a45e-5dad-ae3a-a99aa8fcf3aa.html, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19960515&id=Ke5LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5227,9406392, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19940404&id=GoQwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2778,1992787, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372484/Cokeville-miracle-marking-25-years.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe_ZX4Qbsi4, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Law and Order in Cokeville: A Woman Mayor and Prohibition, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, A Projectile Killed Doris Young, Not Bomb Blast, Police in Cokeville Say., Castaneda, Sue and Mark Junge. Interesting stuff to me! And you could see that she had been burning by just looking at her out on the front lawn. You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. This sub is dedicated to faithful discourse on church topics. She tied the string around her wrist. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. In the West? 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. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! And then what? Young met his second wife, Doris Waters, while in Cokeville. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? Ten Killed in Kopper'S Blast and Fire in Kearney On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. In a May 16, 1986 photo, the body of Doris Young is removed by officials after the Cokeville Elementary hostage situation in Cokeville, Wyo. 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." He did deliver our salvation that day. The hostage takers took part in the singing. 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. 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. And they had practiced how to get out of that building. Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group The Chicago Tylenol Murders of 1982 - Kottke.org Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. So timelines and characters may be switched up, but the overall spirit of it and the facts are laid out true to witness testimonies. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. On May 16, 1986, . The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. But he knew the culture, he knew the type of people, and I'm not sayin' that Mormon people are better than anybody else, but their way of life is family is first. Mark Junge: What were they designed to do? Thank you for doing this! Well, when I arrived at Cokeville, of course they had the roads all blocked off and there was not a lot of people around the school at the time. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. How did it affect your family long-term? 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. Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. 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. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. 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! 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. AN EXPLOSION of vapors, resultLing from a combination of circumstances at the Kearney, N. J., plant of the Koppers Coke Company, on May 17, 1948, resulted in the death of ten men and started a . Lota, Louinn. Rich Haskell: I don't know. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. When the thing went off, when the bomb exploded, they just started chuckin' people out the windows. Below the jug in the bottom basket were two tuna fish cans filled with a mixture of aluminum powder and flour meant to aerosolize and deflagrate following detonation, each with its own blasting cap. "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 . Excerpt from the book "On This Day In Wyoming History": David young Go to school and learn how to do it." No, not at all. That's what David Young forgot to realize just how important families were. Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. Can you describe this? It would have killed them. 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. She was on fire! Mark Junge: No? I actually hadn't thought of doing that, yet. I have no doubt about my friends witness testimonies - even though I saw or heard nothing such as they did. Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. They had to come and get my car and get me another one. I was, and I still am, a certified bomb technician at the time, and I was, as far as I know, the only bomb technician in the southern half of the state of Wyoming. I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. Either way, right after my joke is about when David excused himself from the room. I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. 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! The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. Family is the most important thing in a Mormon family. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. Rich Haskell: I am. When Columbine took place, it was such a big deal, and I mentioned to a couple people, "You know, Columbine wasn't the first school to have anything happen." I don't know what. David saw John Miller, the music teacher, trying to escape and shot him in the back. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? I don't know how many people under the age of 35 know about the Chicago Tylenol murders, but for a few weeks in 1982, it was a national news sensation. ", All told, 79 of the hostages suffered injuries, mostly second-degree burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries from the exploding bomb. Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime because of their refusal to participate.[6]. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. I have given that some thought. The tuna fish cans with the two floury would be spread out in the air likehave you ever seen a grain elevator explosion? When the children became increasingly loud, Doris Young began begging the teachers to settle the group down. And the bathroom was off to the side of it because it was the kindergarten class. Couple Take Over School But Die After Bomb Blast 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. He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. This narrative was perpetuated in many publications and productions. 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. Peterson, Carol. 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. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. That dead-man switch is a piece of string that goes around your wrist and it's hooked into a clothespin, the other end of it. The mood did not lift with the singing and teachers quickly negotiated with the hostage takers to get items from the library to help the kids get their minds off the siege,[8] and help to pass the time. So I went to Huntsville, Ala., to Redstone Arsenal. On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. 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? Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. At 1:00 pm, they pulled up to the Cokeville Elementary School and unloaded a gasoline bomb, along with four rifles and nine handguns. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. Because of the experience and the different classes that I've attended, I know what bombs do to people, to buildings and to all kinds of structures. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley This wasn't a simple bomb. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. The blasting cap in the gasoline jug functioned properly, initiating the explosion. While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. Welcome to /r/latterdaysaints, a sub for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). As well as I can. There was no give in the school bus. "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous. Mark Junge: But all of these holes were above the level of the children. Press J to jump to the feed. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. I was frightened and felt that we needed to do something to try to calm down or to be careful, because he was so agitated. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Cheyenne. When they asked pointed questions like "what did the angels look like?" David's youngest daughter from his first marriage, Princess, entered the elementary school with David and Doris, but refused to carry out the plan, leaving to report the incident at the town hall. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. 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. Audio/Video Recording. That your life could change just at a blink of an eye. TC is one of my heroes. By Jamie Armstrong May 22, 2015 09:35 AM MDT. Oral histories, memoirs and drawings began to reveal a narrative of fortune rather than misfortune. There's a piece of wood in there that separates the jaws of a clothespin and in that clothespin there are two metal connections that the wires were hooked to which made the electrical connection with the bomb. And I think it's made me a stronger person. It was within the first few weeks that the Hartley boy was explaining his witness. But shortly after entering the school, Princess decided to rebel. Mark Junge: Okay. Rich Haskell: Well, I like to think I'm a better person because of it. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children.