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. Peterson, Carol. David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. And then he shot himself. It killed her instantly. Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. Number one, that's where he worked. I've got a couple of questions. David and Doris Young took 167 hostages (150 children, 17 adults and one unlucky UPS driver) at the elementary school. The device was set up on afor lack of a better word, I call it a shopping cart. Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. 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. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." 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. Cokeville Public Library. Used with permission and thanks. They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. Both David and Doris had ties to white supremacist groups, including the Posse Comitatus and the Aryan Nations. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. With fear that David might become unhinged, the teachers decided to make an ~8-foot square of masking tape for his own personal space. The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? Everyone else survived, and many who did recalled the tragedy with memories of the presence of angels. I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. 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. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. I was up there as part of his protection team. President Hinkley, President Monson, and President Faust. Because of the tiles and the window? Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. The woman who died with her husband as they held an elementary school hostage with a gasoline bomb last week was not killed by the . Located in Lincoln County and nestled between the towns of Star Valley and Kemmerer on the Wyoming-Idaho border, Cokeville, many residents believed, was a safe place to rear children. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. I was literally blown out the door when the bomb went off , and i remember how time slowed down in those seconds. Hi, I am working on publicity for the film, and I will chime in if anyone needs it, or has other questions. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. [5] The wooden piece was tied to Doris' wrist by a string. 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." the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. Rich Haskell: Yes, absolutely. 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. 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: This was a life-changing event. And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. Mark Junge: Which means you had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour! The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Excerpt from the book "On This Day In Wyoming History": David young 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. There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. Rich Haskell: No. A new movie is coming out on Friday called "The Cokeville Miracle" that depicts not just this terrible event, but the various miraculous stories that emerged afterward. He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. I can understand that. And we allthere was three of us there. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News. There was no give in the school bus. Rich Haskell: Yep. According to survivor accounts, Doris enticed many into the first grade room by announcing that their presence was required for a school assembly. 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. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. So timelines and characters may be switched up, but the overall spirit of it and the facts are laid out true to witness testimonies. 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. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" Mark Junge: You also mention in your written article in Witness to Miracles [See Note] , the book, that you found a briefcase and you had to open it remotely? That much I know. Mark Junge: Did you find the bullet that killed him, too? So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? 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. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. 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. 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 . Many recalled praying silently, forming prayer circles and seeing angels during the crisis. Bomber's body removed - Billings Gazette And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. 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. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. The only thing I bristle at is that TC has me suggesting that we say a prayer. 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." Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! No need to troll. I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. Amy Bagaso Williams was a fifth-grader when a couple used a bomb while taking hostages at her Wyoming school on May 16, 1986. Mark Junge: EOD. He did deliver our salvation that day. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. Interview by Mark Junge. I didn't look at the speedometer, I was just kind of watchin' for animals and everything else. When the thing went off, when the bomb exploded, they just started chuckin' people out the windows. On May 16, 1986, . I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Press J to jump to the feed. It has shaped me to know that God is real. I don't know. This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. Mark Junge: And your great-grandkids? He just said just go do it. 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. Mark Junge: Well, I want you to know that we think you're courageous for doing this with us. During the chaos, Doris' burnt body was expelled through a window, and left lying on the front lawn. 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. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! The Cokeville Miracle - Was It Angels? | Light Force Network She was totally burned. That's why I have a computer. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. Mark Junge: With bombs? Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. Trent Toone, Mormon Times. Best Episode | Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode - Facebook Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. Today In History: The Cokeville Elementary School Bombing Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis - Wikipedia Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime because of their refusal to participate.[6]. In their minds they could start another world. 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. 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. He was dismissed, however, from this position shortly after his six-month probationary period. Rich? Vengeance for having been fired did not seem to have been the motive, but rather a philosophy recorded in journal entries referring to a Brave New World where he wanted to reign over intelligent children. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Couple Take Over School But Die After Bomb Blast Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. . Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. The kids could just go to the bathroom right from their classroom. Hi MadreDeUnMono! P. O. Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. Welcome to /r/latterdaysaints, a sub for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). Where's he running? Throughout the standoff, David grew increasingly agitated and irritable. Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? cokeville miracle hoax 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. Rich Haskell: I am. 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. Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. You start messing with the kids, now you're going to have yourself a war. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. He had been aware of above-average achievement scores from Cokeville's education system. 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. In the meantime, David and Doris Young gathered children, teachers, staff and visitors in the elementary school into one central location. Doris developed a headache from the gasoline fumes, and raised her hand to her forehead. All the kids were saved. Rich Haskell: Yeah, there was some people ready to just shoot him right where he was sitting. 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. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. Two of the three blasting caps on the bomb failed to detonate; the wires to each tuna can had been reportedly cut. Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. David emerged from the bathroom to find his wife in excruciating pain. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. No. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. Mark Junge: Where at? Rich Haskell: Sure. 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. Do you think this is a historical event? As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. Personally I gave him 17 pages of journal notes! Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. I mean, what it was supposed to do? Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. Cokeville Elementary School Explosion - Unsolved Mysteries Wiki 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! Story: Witness who ran toward marathon bomb 'saw bodies flying' "The death of any child shatters us all,'' Barnicle said. Rich Haskell: Yes. You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. I was one of 154 survivors in the Cokeville bombing, ask me - Reddit May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. They forget about what happened in Cokeville with a lot more people and the potential of what was there. 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. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? I do think the key is talking about it often and early. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . 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? Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. 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. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. She lured them by telling them there was either an emergency, a surprise, or an assembly there. Rich Haskell: I don't know. The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. TC, I think, saw it the same way. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. David Young was the only police officer in Cokeville for six months in 1979. In what many have since labeled a miracle, all of the 154 children and educators held hostage for three hours at their Cokeville, Wyoming, school lived, though many were injured. 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. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. In the West? Mark Junge: Did you help bring the body out? [7] The mechanism was triggered by a dead man's switch, consisting of a wooden piece separating two metal connectors within the jaws of a clothespin, forming an incomplete circuit. That's what David Young forgot to realize just how important families were. If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. [10][2][3] The injured were triaged to several area hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho.[2][3][11]. Rich Haskell: Yes. I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! Throughout both baskets were chain links, gunpowder, and boxes of ammunition acting as shrapnel. I said, "What on earth happened there?" It was within the first few weeks that the Hartley boy was explaining his witness. To go off to the side? She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. I later learned he'd been shot in the back.