Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. . 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. 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. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. On May 16, 1986, . 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. The device was set up on afor lack of a better word, I call it a shopping cart. In the West? Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. On May 16, 1986, a man and his wife with a bomb took . [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. 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 . Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. . (Laughs) But as I was passing through Kemmerer I stayed in radio contact. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. Interview by Mark Junge. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Rich Haskell: It's a combustible. There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. [2] Before leaving the room, David attached the bomb's detonation device to his wife's wrist. He knew what the community was all about. Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. Well, after interviewing some of the people, what had happened, the bombDavid Young had set the bomb to have what they call a dead-man switch. She was on fire! 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. Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. As well as I can. David Young was the only police officer in Cokeville for six months in 1979. Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. Go to school and learn how to do it." Over the course of time he did various things to get our input from script readings early on, to being there on set, etc. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. I contacted the dispatch up in Kemmerer to get firsthand information as to having second- and third-hand information and they informed me that the school indeed had been taken hostage. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. [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. What had happenedI can't explain it. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. Rich Haskell: I don't know. Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. She tied the string around her wrist. ", All told, 79 of the hostages suffered injuries, mostly second-degree burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries from the exploding bomb. over there. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. Trent Toone, Mormon Times. Mark Junge: You had some bullets in the ceiling that you had to investigate, too. Now you are a bomb technician. And my children. 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. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. I really did not even want to walk inside that building because I was just afraid that I'd see kids all over the place. Several other survivors were there. So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. and detonated a bomb inside. Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. This all happened about 8 months after the bombing. Press J to jump to the feed. Have you seen the Unsolved Mysteries episode that had a segment on this? I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. For me, what has impressed me about the film is not necessarily the story of Angels (which are remarkable), but that the majority of the 154 hostages chose to see God's hand in their lives that day. How has that experience shaped your life? I did not have to imagine how God would move that day when I said my little prayer just hours before, I simply knew he would. Seven people in the Chicago area died after ingesting Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." They lived in a mobile home with Princess, Davids youngest daughter from his first marriage. And I think it's made me a stronger person. When were you satisfied that there were no more bombs? To go off to the side? And then he shot himself. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. 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. SHARE Cokeville recollects 'miracle' of 1986. But David refused to reveal his plans entirely until moments before they unfolded. Associated Press. The Cokeville Elementary School was the site of a horrific hostage situation on May 16, 1986 when David and Dorris Young took a homemade bomb inside the school. 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. He shot and killed her. Rich Haskell: Sure. 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: Yes, I did. He had just big rings of perspiration. . You know their names but not their birthdays. 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. And it was a perfect trajectory up into the ceiling where that bullet was. Used with permission and thanks. 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. You can also read about it on [Wikipedia] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis). On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. 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. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were later hospitalized with burns and injuries, the majority of which were severe.[3][2]. At 1:00 pm, they pulled up to the Cokeville Elementary School and unloaded a gasoline bomb, along with four rifles and nine handguns. I do think the key is talking about it often and early. This allowed gasoline to drip into the tuna fish cans, turning the aluminum-flour mixture into paste, unable to aerosolize. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. When the thing went off, when the bomb exploded, they just started chuckin' people out the windows. Mark Junge: Did you help bring the body out? In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. Returning to the scene, David shot his wife, a teacher, then himself. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. P. O. I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. I didn't touch the body at all. The children and adults escaped after the bomb exploded. We know he built two of 'em. Throughout the standoff, David grew increasingly agitated and irritable. I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. Now you've got problems. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. 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. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. 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. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Rich Haskell: Yep. Did you see anything? Mark Junge: They don't want it brought up again. How did it affect your family long-term? 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. He did deliver our salvation that day. When I arrived I could see out on the lawn, there was a black object laying out on the grass. I mean, Columbine, it wasn't that way. It killed her instantly. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. It was perfect! What is your assessment of these two people who did this? Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. Kind of a synopsis of what they were going to do and what their plans were and the whole thing. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. So you got that and you got the flour and the gasoline and that's what it was all designed to do in millisecond delays. 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. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! [5] The wooden piece was tied to Doris' wrist by a string. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). Upon entering the classroom, children saw an arsenal of weapons, a grocery cart and an unfamiliar manDavid Young. 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. Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. Mark Junge: And what happened? The first chapter is titled A Town of Trust.. How much interaction did you have with the director/producers of the movie? Everyone else survived, including the injured John Miller. 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. Rich Haskell: Yes, there was a briefcase in the hallway, and we were toldbefore I had gotten there they had gotten papers from his daughter. It's a continuous training thing and years and years and years of continuous training with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with the fire marshals and now that it has come into it with the hazardous materials and everything else. Rich Haskell: Yes. I cannot explain it! Mark Junge: Did you find the bullet that killed him, too? The Hartley story didn't come out publicly until my parents (who wrote the book in the year after the bombing) began asking questions about this kind of thing. 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. Mark Junge: Which means you had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour! You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. At that time, about 500 people lived in Cokeville, and there were slightly more than 100 students attending the elementary school. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. 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. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. Throughout both baskets were chain links, gunpowder, and boxes of ammunition acting as shrapnel. 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. The two died after the bomb. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. Also, what do you want us to know about it that isn't covered in the film? He was so open to their input, and feelings. My name is Kamron Wixom, I was a 12 year old 6th grader in 1986 when a mad man took over my school (Cokeville Elementary) with a bomb and his guns. AP file. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. 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.". 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. Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. 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! I don't know. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. And that's what we in this country have that these other fanatics or whatever is the family is the import factor. 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. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Rich Haskell: Yes. 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. 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. There was no give in the school bus. Both David and Doris had ties to white supremacist groups, including the Posse Comitatus and the Aryan Nations. It was there for a long time, all that support. That's why I have a computer. Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. With the explosionwhat occurred? I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. Two of the three blasting caps on the bomb failed to detonate; the wires to each tuna can had been reportedly cut. You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. 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. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. 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. The man and woman who took an elementary school here hostage Friday, injuring 70 children when their homemade gasoline bomb exploded, had ties to the Posse Comitatus and other white supremacist. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . Mark Junge: Okay. Survivors began to tell their stories through a spiritual lens. During the chaos, Doris' burnt body was expelled through a window, and left lying on the front lawn. Mark Junge: With bombs? And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. Rich Haskell: Absolutely. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. Mark Junge: Well, I want you to know that we think you're courageous for doing this with us.