Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. 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 . Mark Junge: Which means you had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour! After being fired for misconduct, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he married Doris Young. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" Audio/Video Recording. 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. Everyone else survived, and many who did recalled the tragedy with memories of the presence of angels. Bullet Hit Woman Who Died in School Siege - Los Angeles Times Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. Nobody come inside this circle." On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? This sub is dedicated to faithful discourse on church topics. Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." All the hostages escaped, though 79 were later hospitalized with burns and injuries, the majority of which were severe.[3][2]. Mark Junge: In fact, didn't you say you burned up your engine? In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. In the West? cokeville bombing | WyoHistory.org The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on May 16, 1986, in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young 44, and his wife Doris Young 47, took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School . It would have killed them. 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. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. He did deliver our salvation that day. Rich Haskell: No. You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). I never did get to see that untilI think it was two days lateractually what they had taken as far as the paperwork was concerned. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. Mark Junge: No? Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. He was in high fevers until the therapist allowed him to speak openly. It was in their Tucson home that David came up with what he considered the Biggie, a plan to get rich quick and create a Brave New World. This plan involved Davids longtime friends, Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who believed by investing in Davids scheme they would get rich. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. So many of 'em thatI don't know. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. It was cut. It's a little basket that has different layers on it. 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. Who died in the Cokeville bombing? The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. 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. Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! 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. 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. The kids couldn't have cut it. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. The two died after the bomb. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. We know he built two of 'em. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. I mean, not everybody would do this. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. I had just cracked a little joke with a toy tank of legos as I drove it "across the death line" or the masking tape square on the floor. "[6] The two men eventually refused to participate in the event. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org But shortly after entering the school, Princess decided to rebel. Rich Haskell: If it would have went off like it was supposed to have gone off, it would have lifted the roof off of that school. There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. Mark Junge: Well, I want you to know that we think you're courageous for doing this with us. It was within the first few weeks that the Hartley boy was explaining his witness. Mark Junge: This was a life-changing event. When I arrived I could see out on the lawn, there was a black object laying out on the grass. 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. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret Morning News. She fled the building and drove the Youngs vanwith Deppe and Mendenhall still insideto the town hall, where she reported her fathers plan. And he had to defuse bombs. Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. [13], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}420457N 1105719W / 42.08250N 110.95528W / 42.08250; -110.95528. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. May 24, 1986 12 AM PT. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? 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. She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. Whenever they would come to Wyoming I would be part of their security team. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. The hostage takers took part in the singing. 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've spent many, many hours and many days with the leaders of the Mormon church, with the Prophet of the Mormon church. David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. Cokeville Bombing - Wyoming Is that morbid thinking on my part? I was up there as part of his protection team. It killed her instantly. (before I see Hollywood's version). Everyone else survived, including the injured John Miller. On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. She tied the string around her wrist. I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. I'm portrayed as the little red haired kid with glasses that asks about the AK-47. 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! WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. He knew what the community was all about. She was a total torch! In their minds they could start another world. Healing will come Slowly From Within a Wounded Cokeville. They did a good job telling this story. Rich Haskell: Yeah. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. Cokeville Miracle Marking 25 Years.. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! I do think the key is talking about it often and early. I cannot explain it! 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. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. Sue Castaneda: Which is the son who is also running for sheriff? Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. Number one, that's where he worked. He just said just go do it. cokeville miracle hoax Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. That's a true line in the movie. Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. He demanded a ransom of two million dollars per hostage ($308 million, $720 million adjusted for inflation), and an audience with President Ronald Reagan. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. 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 . While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle. We figured that he had dropped down on his knee, took his pistol and shot her to put her out of her misery, because when we went out and looked at her, there was a hole up through the bottom of her chin, and it came out the top of her head. During the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis. . They had a circle of tape around the device itself and they said, "Do not come inside of this circle. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. It just embedded into the walls from the ammunition from the heat. This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. 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. 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. Once the wooden piece was removed, the two metal connectors completed the circuit, detonating the bomb. Mark Junge: Do you think David or Doris would have cut it? Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. 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. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime because of their refusal to participate.[6]. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Rich Haskell: Well, I got a lot of it while I was in the Marine Corps and in the Army National Guard. Rich Haskell: I did not. The Cokeville Miracle - The American Tragedy That Never Happened Survivors began to tell their stories through a spiritual lens. On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and 13 teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming, and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. Don't go past this square. This wasn't a simple bomb. But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. Used with thanks. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. And I think it's made me a stronger person. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. David Young. Well, he had went into the bathroom and she was out with the bomb, and they said she was complaining of a migraine headache. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. I don't know. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the community's elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. Mark Junge: to go through all this? I guess I should say I am only speaking as a child, the adults were probably tense the entire time! [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. Amy Bagaso Williams was a fifth-grader when a couple used a bomb while taking hostages at her Wyoming school on May 16, 1986. First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School Published: November 8, 2014 Janel Dayton, Wyoming State Archives photo. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. [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 know that for a fact! Mark Junge: EOD. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. Rich Haskell: Yes, absolutely. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. 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. 154 of us were held hostage for almost 3 hours in a 30x32 room when the bomb actually detonated - all 154 hostages survived. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. The Hilton Garden Suites in Laramie, Wyo. And I think that these people actually thought that they could start another world. Bomber's body removed - Billings Gazette I mean, what it was supposed to do? ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and thirteen teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. 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. David emerged from the bathroom to find his wife in excruciating pain. I think I made it there in record timeI'm not sure. Mark Junge: Okay. And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. 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 that's what we in this country have that these other fanatics or whatever is the family is the import factor. Rich Haskell: And fourteen and a half great-grandchildren. And they had practiced how to get out of that building. I didn't touch the body at all. 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. SHARE Cokeville miracle marking 25 years. I gathered up some of the equipment that I would need and a change of clothes and proceeded to Cokeville. 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. 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. Rich Haskell: No. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 people hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Seven people in the Chicago area died after ingesting Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide. Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. And knew what they could do? When they asked pointed questions like "what did the angels look like?" Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. When I walked inside of the classroomit was a kindergarten classroom which meant that the desks were smaller, everything was smaller because of the smaller children. and detonated a bomb inside. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. Man Decapitated by Exploding Pipe Bomb - NBC Chicago There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. To my right is Sue Castaneda who is the Wyoming Oral History Project Director, and across the table from me is Rich Haskell, who is a certified bomb technician. Rich Haskell: Sure. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Trent Toone, Mormon Times. 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: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. 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. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. Excerpt from the book "On This Day In Wyoming History": David young The Wyoming History one may be the best. The children and adults escaped after the bomb exploded. I've got a couple of questions. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. 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. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. Cokeville Elementary School teachers and staff tried to keep kindergarteners through sixth graders calm and entertained. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). 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. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. The circuit was powered by a 9-volt lantern battery. TC is one of my heroes. In the movie, it shows the tension building towards the prayer and then shortly after the bomb went off. 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. Peterson, Carol. Welcome to /r/latterdaysaints, a sub for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). It has shaped me to know that God is real. 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. P. O. President Hinkley, President Monson, and President Faust. It was there for a long time, all that support. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. So there's doubt in your mind that there was divine intervention? She is a beautiful example of turning tragedy into triumph. [7] Geography [ edit] Mark Junge: They don't want it brought up again. They had written the manuscript, ready for publication, when the Walkers contacted them as family friends and said you may want to come ask our daughters some questions. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Cheyenne. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. What stands out in your mind the most, looking back? Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Doris developed a headache from the gasoline fumes, and raised her hand to her forehead. You went back home? Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. 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. Mark Junge: Why do you think that God chose Cokeville to save? Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. The Cokeville Miracle - Was It Angels? | Light Force Network