His dutiful wife, Doris (Kymberly Mellen), willingly participates, but his teen daughter (Caitlin E.J. But it didn't. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. I followed him and sat down, and he then went and got my sister Rachel. 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. Joshua Cooper as John Miller, a music teacher who is shot by David Young after the bomb goes off. I didn't touch the body at all. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. Eventually Doris lifted her arm sharply and the bomb went off prematurely, injuring Doris while David was out of the room. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. One of the teachers convinces David to let them open the doors and windows. The film debuted on June 5, 2015, in select theaters in Utah, and then across the United States. Liz Christensen as Pat Bennion, Verlene's daughter-in-law and one of the teachers at Cokeville Elementary. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. 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. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. [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. Cindy and Jason notice him and run to him, and he asks for their forgiveness as well. Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. [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. I mean, okay, you lose the Twin Towers, you might get the Pentagon damaged, but if somebody's town hall or school is blown up in Star Valley [Wyo.] Mark Junge: Do you think he took up thatwanted to take that up because of you? During the past few days at the school, the fire alarms have been going off without any smoke or any other trigger, baffling the staff. She tied the string around her wrist. The circuit was powered by a 9-volt lantern battery. Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis, "Radical Right Link Suggested in Hostage Case", "Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org", "Couple take over school but die after bomb blast", "Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group", "Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "A projectile killed Dorris Young, not bomb blast, police in Cokeville say", "In 1986, 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School", "Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Liberty Point International Middle School, Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, "'No Way to Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens", List of school shootings in the United States by death toll, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis&oldid=1149412421, Improvised explosive device bombings in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Students and staff at Cokeville Elementary School, This page was last edited on 12 April 2023, at 02:23. Rich Haskell: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. The blasting cap in the gasoline jug functioned properly, initiating the explosion. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. 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. Directed byT.C. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. 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. 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. Penny speeds to the local police station where she informs them of her father's plan, proving it by showing them Deppe and Mendenhall, still handcuffed. So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? I didn't look at the speedometer, I was just kind of watchin' for animals and everything else. Soon, more victims began to arrive, and Williams learned that two priesthood holders were offering blessings, so she asked for one. Of what you would picture an angel, with the wings and, Mark Junge: Well, if I'm a skeptic, I could say, "Well, that's just the way the flames shot up.". Each year, I celebrate two birthdays, she says. Now you've got problems. Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? She was totally burned. Wade has also played the leading roles of Levi Savage in the film 17 Miracles and Bud Curtis in Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed. Twitter.com/randy_cordova. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. I dont remember much of what she said, but I remember suddenly feeling like I had a warm blanket around my shouldersthis incredible amount of comfort and joy that I cant explain. His perspective changed dramatically a couple weeks later, however, when his 6-year-old son confided in a psychologist thathe had seen angels on the day of the bombing. Rich? Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. 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. While looking through a family album with her grandmother, Johnson stopped at a familiar face. Everybody that was inside that room, they just started throwin' them out the windows, out the doors, just anyand she happened to be one they threw out the window. She lured them by telling them there was either an emergency, a surprise, or an assembly there. He had just big rings of perspiration. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. In other words, don't ask too many questions. Mark Junge: This bomb was designed to do what? The basket, the shelves. Currently you are able to watch "The Cokeville Miracle" streaming on Amazon Prime Video or for free with ads on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, Filmzie. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. 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." He demanded a ransom of two million dollars per hostage ($308 million, $720 million adjusted for inflation), and an audience with President Ronald Reagan. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. While we have made every effort to avoid graphic language,this article might be disturbing for some readers. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . 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. None of the children were hit, but Miller was shot in the back as he helped others out of the burning school. Christensen. 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. We're in a conference room here on the main floor. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. I met the bomb tech right there at the door, and he said, Hartley, what you have here is a miracle. So many of 'em thatI don't know. Eight months later, Payne learned who the woman in white was when her mother pulled out an old locket. Mark Junge: This was a life-changing event. Young grew increasingly agitated as the afternoon wore on. It'sI'm still doing that kind of thing because whenever they hold General Conference in Salt Lake City I go to Salt Lake City to be part of the bomb team for the church while they have General Conference. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. They knew that it was extremely hard for me to be on set, but it really helped my anxiety to process the events of the day more.. [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. I was told my scars would completely heal, and no one would look upon my face and know what had happened. We know he built two of 'em. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. So I went to Huntsville, Ala., to Redstone Arsenal. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. The first half focuses on David Young (Nathan Stevens), who devises a plot to take over the school. This wasn't a pipe bomb. The film was subsequently released on DVD and Blu-ray for distribution by Excel Entertainment Group through Deseret Book and affiliated retailers. Mark Junge: Oh, really! The police take the three for questioning, while they start informing the families. David Young was the only police officer in Cokeville for six months in 1979. Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." In the days after the bombing, more astonishing evidence came to light. Kymberly Mellen as Doris Young, David's second wife, who accompanies him on his devious plan, but treats the children with much kindness. I would have thought I would have had to have actors to portray that, but those people knew what it felt likethat trauma of family members being held captive orthemselves being held captive. Another teacher was trying to help me escape. I can understand that. The children are quickly evacuated as firefighters and paramedics are stationed right outside the doors and windows. And like a lot of inspirational films, the movie could use a little more subtlety and restraint. Williams recalls a kindergarten teacher inviting her to join the teacher and some students in prayeran unfamiliar concept for the fifth grader. This wasn't a simple bomb. 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. I knew exactly what to do and where to goI couldnt have done that on my own. Rich Haskell: Well, I like to think I'm a better person because of it. The Voice for Real Estate in St. Charles County I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. For some reason, we were all supposed to make it out of that classroom alive. They experienced something mind blowing. "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous. Despite all this information, Ron is reluctant to believe it. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! The teacher said, You dont have to know how. So I crawled over and folded my arms and bowed my head. She was a total torch! How do you argue that? He is traumatized from the experience and begins to question the beliefs of his religion. As I sat coloring, I looked up and saw a woman dressed in a long white dress. I And my children. Because they weren't in a gun, the pressure wasn't chambered enough to where you could direct it. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? Will I see my family again? I was really scared for the unknown. Rich Haskell: Not really that often, but every time I think about it I get very emotional. It said in there that they had brought blasting caps, ammunition, those types of things in and there was a sealed briefcase that was in the hallway. Rich Haskell: Okay, I'll buy that! Itold him, It wasnt Grandma Meister because shes alive and living in Pinedale.. He is still far out, but starts to rush towards Cokeville, as he is the nearest officer and every other one is out of town. On Sunday, Jason refuses to attend church unless his dad does so as well. Mark Junge: And you know, in Sue and I's conversation with these dozen people we've talked to now, seems like they also feel the same way you do. It was just shootin' everywhere. But after the main meeting, Ron's doubts start to control him again and he tells Claudia that he can't do it. That is probably the movie's biggest problem. The story was also featured on Unsolved Mysteries, Unexplained Mysteries, and I Survived A movie about the incident, The Cokeville Miracle, was made by filmmaker T. C. Christensen and released on June 5, 2015. WebKatie Walker tells the story of what she saw that day, and why it's important to have pictures of your ancestors. The jug of gasoline had a pinhole-sized leak on its bottom. Williams was baptized on August 16, 1989her 14th birthday. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . What is your assessment of these two people who did this? His wife, Claudia (Sarah Kent), is worried for him. He told us he had to tell his friends he was going to sit with us, and he would be right back. Mark Junge: EOD. Poor Little Rich Girl. Nobody come inside this circle." The magic of T.C.s vision is that its a film for everyone, adds actor Shawn Stevens, who plays the character of ecclesiastical leader John Teichert in the film. No one died except for Doris WebCokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986 (20 years later) You Tube - Unsolved Mysteries Part 2 (10 yrs) See All Buying Options. It took me a few years to connect the priesthood blessing with the LDS Church, but I knew something special happened that day, she says. Soon after that, my brother came over and told me we were going to go sit by the window. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." That, I think, shows my gratitude., We can find small miracles in our everyday lives, adds Johnson. When Jason puts his foot inside the magic square, David loses control and yells at Jason, who doesnt flinch. He visits the investigating certified bomb expert, Rich Haskell (Rick Macy), from Sherrif's office in Rock Springs, who tells him that three of the five wires in the bomb were mysteriously cut; not broken, but cut clean. Doris then manipulates the rest of the school to go into Room 4, telling them "a surprise" waits for them. It would not have been fair to portray this as an LDS-specific miracle.. That's what it was designed to do was to go out and be particles and that gasoline was gonna ignite it and blow it up. Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. Investigators discovered that wires to three of the bombs five blasting caps had been mysteriously cut, preventing detonation. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. postpartum doula arlington va; yandex unblocked games. Throughout the standoff, David grew increasingly agitated and irritable. "Hey, lady, is this your first time kidnapping helpless little children?" At that time all of the different agencies was pretty much on the same radio frequency and I was stayin' in touch with them, lettin' them know what my location was and they were in turn telling me what was taking place. I gathered up some of the equipment that I would need and a change of clothes and proceeded to Cokeville. Throughout both baskets were chain links, gunpowder, and boxes of ammunition acting as shrapnel. Mark Junge: Okay. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. The bomb was an improvised explosive device constructed in a small two-wheeled shopping cart with two baskets, one on top of the other. David tells him to call the local authorities and tell them he demands $2,000,000 for each child, and if he doesn't return in 15 minutes, he will begin shooting students one by one. So if it can happen there it can happen anywhere in the United States. The film was written and directed by T. C. Christensen, (The Work and the Glory, Only a Stonecutter, 17 Miracles, Ephraim's Rescue) and produced by Ron Tanner and Christensen. Where you find brackets [ ] I have added words for explanation or to complete an awkward sentence. 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. 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? 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