DESCRIPTION:
On this episode of They Walk Among America… Chowchilla was a rural town in Madera County, California. In 1976 the population of the farming community was around 5,000, spread across sprawling acres of land. Most of those living in Chowchilla had been born and raised there, in the Central Valley. The isolated countryside didn’t provide much for kids to do during the summer months, so many enrolled in summer school. Dairyland Elementary had been assigned as the location for classes in the summer of 76 and over 125 children signed up to attend. 26 of those pupils would become victims of one of the most notorious mass kidnappings in US history…
*** LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED ***
‘They Walk Among America’ is a Law & Crime podcast network production.
This episode was hosted by Nina Innsted.
Researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane.
Editing and scoring by Kory Hilpmann.
Script editing, additional writing and production direction by Rosanna and Benjamin Fitton.
MUSIC:
Shadow Passage by Cody Martin
Constant Surveillance by JCar
The Search by CJ-0
Pushing Limits by Sweet Sammy
Nocturne by Elision
Memoir by Lincoln Davis
Additional musical compositions by Kory Hilpmann.
For more information, visit https://lawandcrime.com/podcasts/ or https://theywalkamonguspodcast.com/
REFERENCES:
COURT RECORDS
https://casetext.com/case/people-v-schoenfeld
https://casetext.com/case/woods-v-valenzuela-2
https://casetext.com/case/schoenfeld-v-valenzuela
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 16, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 17, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 21, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 22, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 23, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 23, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 29, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Aug 5, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Aug 23, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Aug 24, 1976
The Los Angeles Times - Jul 26, 1977
The Los Angeles Times - Nov 2, 1977
The Los Angeles Times - Nov 30 1977
The Los Angeles Times - Feb 17, 1978
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 16, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 17, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 21, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 22, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 23, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 25, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 27, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 30, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Aug 1, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Aug 2, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Aug 22, 1976
The San Francisco Examiner - Jul 26, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Aug 5, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Nov 1, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Nov 2, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Nov 4, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Dec 16, 1977
The San Francisco Examiner - Dec 25, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Jul 16, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 17, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 21, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 22, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 24, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 25, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 29, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 31, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Aug 1, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Aug 5, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Aug 12, 1976
The Fresno Bee - Jul 26 1977
The Fresno Bee - Sept 20, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Oct 31, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Nov 2, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Dec 16, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Dec 17, 1977
The Fresno Bee - Nov 5, 1980
The Sacramento Bee - Jul 16, 1976
The Sacramento Bee - Jul 17, 1976
The Tribune - Jul 16, 1976
The Merced Sun-Star - Jul 17, 1976
NEWSBANK
San Jose Mercury News (CA), November 27, 1985
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 12, 1985
San Jose Mercury News (CA), January 30, 1986
Fresno Bee, The (CA), May 13, 1986
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 13, 1986
SACRAMENTO BEE, July 13, 1986
San Jose Mercury News (CA), July 14, 1986
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 2, 1986
SACRAMENTO BEE, December 4, 1986
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 4, 1986
Fresno Bee, The (CA), March 26, 1987
San Jose Mercury News (CA), January 27, 1988
San Jose Mercury News (CA), February 5, 1988
SACRAMENTO BEE, February 15, 1988
Fresno Bee, The (CA), February 20, 1988
San Jose Mercury News (CA), March 20, 1988
Fresno Bee, The (CA), May 6, 1988
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 30, 1988
Fresno Bee, The (CA), June 7, 1989
Fresno Bee, The (CA), June 8, 1989
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 7, 1989
San Jose Mercury News (CA), May 25, 1990
San Jose Mercury News (CA), December 4, 1990
San Jose Mercury News (CA), June 19, 1991
SACRAMENTO BEE, May 5, 1992
Fresno Bee, The (CA), October 28, 1992
Fresno Bee, The (CA), October 29, 1992
Fresno Bee, The (CA), June 6, 1993
San Jose Mercury News (CA), October 12, 1994
San Jose Mercury News (CA), November 2, 1995
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 14, 1996
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 15, 2001
Fresno Bee, The (CA), November 1, 2008
Fresno Bee, The (CA), January 6, 2009
Fresno Bee, The (CA), February 24, 2011
Sacramento Bee, The: Web Edition Articles (CA), February 24, 2011
Fresno Bee, The (CA), April 6, 2011
Fresno Bee, The (CA), May 31, 2011
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 1, 2011
Sacramento Bee, The: Web Edition Articles (CA), May 17, 2012
San Jose Mercury News (CA), June 16, 2012
San Jose Mercury News (CA), June 22, 2012
Fresno Bee, The (CA), March 14, 2013
Fresno Bee, The (CA), April 2, 2015
San Jose Mercury News (CA), August 5, 2015
Fresno Bee, The (CA), August 30, 2015
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 13, 2016
Fresno Bee, The (CA), July 15, 2016
Sacramento Bee, The: Web Edition Articles (CA), July 13, 2017
Fresno Bee, The (CA), October 9, 2019
Fresno Bee, The (CA), April 23, 2022
BOOKS
The Chowchilla Kidnapping: Why Me? By Larry Park
Too Scared To Cry: Psychic Trauma In Childhood By Lenore Terr
Why have they taken our children? Chowchilla, July 15, 1976 by Jack W Baugh and Morgan Jefferson
DIGITAL ARTICLES
https://www.yosemitethisyear.com/chowchilla
https://www.cityofchowchilla.org/301/Edward-Ray---A-Local-Hero
https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22570738/chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapping
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-frederick-woods-survivor-i-felt-like-i-was-an-animal-going-to-the-slaughterhouse/
https://lasvegassun.com/news/1999/jul/15/las-vegan-mike-marshall-remembers-his-role-helping/
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/25/archives/fbi-rejoins-hunt-for-2-in-abduction-aids-nationwide-search-for-the.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chowchilla-bus-kidnapping-frederick-woods-ran-a-gold-mine-and-christmas-tree-farm-from-prison/
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/26/archives/woods-wealthy-kidnap-suspect-described-as-a-loner-and-a-loser.html
https://apnews.com/article/b88931c5570a48a599227647c50ca207
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/us/chowchilla-bus-kidnapper-parole/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/20/archives/sheriffs-believe-they-know-identities-of-abductors-of-26-children.html
https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2015/08/03/did-ronald-reagans-budget-surplus-play-a-role-in-infamous-chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapping-case-2/