FAN FAVORITE: Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping | Vanished | 1

0:00Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Against the Odds ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. This series originally aired aired in 2022. A listener note, this episode contains adult language.

0:25Ed Ray steers his school bus down a lonely road that runs between long rows of almond trees. He squints as he adjusts his visor to block the blazing afternoon sun. It's July 15th, 1976. Ed is driving kids home from Dairyland Elementary School in Chowchilla, California. Summer school is in session. To Ed, that doesn't qualify as real school, as far as he's concerned. Summer school is more like babysitting. He glances in the rearview mirror. There are a couple dozen kids he still needs to drop off, and all of them are hyped from a field trip they took to a local pool. Ed shakes his head and smiles.

1:11He likes the kids on his route, and he thinks they like him. Ed is 54, with a strong build, a stern face, and sandy, receding hair. He's been driving this bus for about 20 years now. Before that, he grew corn and raised cattle. He didn't make it far in school and can't really read or write, but he's good with numbers and he can bale hay like nobody's business. He could never imagine leaving Chowchilla. It's a farming town in California's San Joaquin Valley, about 100 miles east of San Jose. Ed's lived around here his entire life. The population is around 5 ,000, and that suits Ed just fine. He likes the slow pace of living.

2:00having plenty of land to work, and the God-fearing country folk that call Chowchilla home. He hangs a right onto Avenue 21, past another endless almond orchard. As the road opens up in front of him, he spots a white Dodge van parked in the middle of the road with its door open. That's peculiar. Ed rarely sees other cars on the road when he hits this part of the route. The van must have stalled out. He'd love to help them, but it's against school rules to stop once his route is underway, and he knows the kid's parents are expecting them home soon. Ed slows down and angles the bus to the side of the narrow road, preparing to inch the bus around the van.

2:46A man emerges from the passenger side of the van and strides towards the bus. He's wearing overalls and has a nylon stocking pulled over his head. In one hand, he's holding a tiny revolver. In the other, a shotgun. Both guns are pointed straight at Ed. Ed stops the bus. The masked gunman walks towards the driver's side window and motions for Ed to open it. Ed's hands are shaking as he flips the latch and opens the window. The man in the mask steps forward. Would you open the door, please? Ed hesitates, but he knows he doesn't have a choice. He pulls the lever and the door of the bus flips open.

3:32Agonizing seconds pass, but the man doesn't board the bus. He just stands there. Ed looks at the van and sees two more men emerge from it. They have nylon stockings on their heads. They're armed, and they're heading straight for his bus. Ed feels his pulse accelerate as he tries to imagine what these men have in store for him and for the children whose charge.

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5:10From Wondery, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds.

5:22Chowchilla is a quiet farming town in California's San Joaquin Valley, but on July 15, 1976, the town became embroiled in a crisis that captured the world's attention. A school bus carrying 26 children and their driver was hijacked by three masked gunmen on an isolated road on the outskirts of town. The bus and its passengers disappeared without a trace. Within hours, the vanished school bus was headline news. The press mobbed the town and the story spread like wildfire. With 27 victims, it was the biggest kidnapping in American history. But no one knew who had taken the children or why. This is our two-part series Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping.

6:12And this is Episode 1, Vanished.

6:23Fred Woods grabs a pitcher and pours himself a beer. He's sitting at a picnic table outside the Alpine Inn with his friend David Boston, watching the sun disappear behind tree-covered hills. Fred leans back with a grin. Sorry I flaked last night. Dirty Harry was on TV. I don't blame you. Hey, you hear they're making another sequel? Man, I wish I was working on that one. The year is 1975. It's a balmy summer evening in Portola Valley, California, a small community about eight miles west of San Francisco Bay. David's a film major at San Jose State with a big idea for a new action thriller. He's been bending Fred's ear about it all summer long.

7:08It's about a massive crime, bigger than anyone's ever done. What, like a Guinness Book of Records level heist? Exactly. Fred sips his beer and glances around at the other patrons. The Alpine Inn is a casual joint that dates back to California's gold mining days, though nowadays it attracts more computer scientists than cowboys. Fred likes that some people still ride horses into the parking lot. These riders aren't cowboys. They're just rich locals. But so is Fred. Both his parents are sitting on Bay Area fortunes that date back to the 1800s. Fred's only 23, but someday he'll inherit untold millions from his family's empire.

7:51But it's not his money yet. He's just been fired from a paint store in Palo Alto, and he's afraid to tell his dad. He's hoping he can make up the money with his side hustle, the one he started with David. Their business plan is simple. Fred and David buy old cars and Fred fixes them up to resell. He uses the proceeds to buy his two favorite things, guns and more cars. He also wants to buy an abandoned Victorian mansion he spotted out in the country. As for David, he just wants to finance his screenplays, which he never shuts up about. David's latest idea centers on a heist that ends with the criminals extorting a ransom and getting away scot-free.

8:37The idea is very interesting to Fred, and not just because it would make for a fun movie. After all, Fred needs money, and he's open to lots of possibilities for how to solve that problem. Fred starts thinking out loud. A kidnapping could be cool. No one gets hurt. Everyone gets paid. Yeah, the kidnapper would have to spend a whole lot of time preparing. I mean, in the movie. Right, right, right. In the movie. In the movie, of course. David's script is a shameless Dirty Harry ripoff slash unauthorized sequel, but Fred has no problem with that. It's their favorite movie. In Dirty Harry, a remorseless killer hijacks a school bus full of children to extort money.

9:23Of course, the bad guy is shot to death by Dirty Harry Callahan, played by Clint Eastwood. Fred smiles. He knows one thing for sure. Clint Eastwood characters don't exist in real life.

9:41James Schoenfeld watches Fred practice his aim on a couple of old cars. Fred's bought yet another handgun, and he wanted James to come see it in action. James' little brother Rick is there too, leaning back in a chair, sipping a bottle of beer. They're on the grounds of the 79-acre estate that belongs to Fred's family, in the field behind Fred's garage apartment. It's fall, and the air in Portola Valley is getting pleasantly crisp. James notices a few horses in the distance, grazing between the rusted hulks of old beaters that Fred bought and abandoned. Uh, Fred, aren't you worried about those horses?

10:23They're police horses. They don't spook. James dimly recalls Fred saying something about how his grandma liked to buy retired police horses and put them out to pasture. She lives in the old mansion across from the garage, the one that's practically falling down. Fred's parents have a newer house somewhere else on the property. James hasn't even seen it. He shakes his head, even for old Bay Area money. This family is cuckoo. James comes here often to work on cars with Fred or help him with accounting for his various businesses. Fred is always trying to talk money, always trying to bring James in on a scheme to fix up or sell a car.

11:05Sometimes James wonders if Fred thinks of him as a friend or an employee. James thinks about asking Fred if he can practice a few rounds, but decides to get back to writing in his notebook. He loves that notebook. He uses it as a diary. He uses it to record his brainstorms. Sometimes, he writes in code. He likes codes and secret plans. It's an escape from his boring life, where even though he's 24, he's still financially under the thumb of his dad, a wealthy podiatrist. Of course, Dr. Schoenfeld is nowhere near as rich as Fred's family. James has been asking his dad for more money, but Dr. Schoenfeld doesn't want to fund James' lifestyle anymore.

11:50And that's gotten James pretty frustrated lately. He's got to get more money so he can get a Ferrari like his friends. If he has a cool car and plenty of cash, he thinks he'll finally be able to attract a girlfriend. His brother Rick is two years younger, with no real job or college prospects, though he does have a lot more luck with girls. and friends. Fred finally lands a satisfying shot, shattering the window of a distant truck. He puts down his gun and walks over to the Schoenfeld brothers. David's movie idea is pretty cool, right? James tries not to roll his eyes. Fred is always talking about David Boston, the film major he flips cars with.

12:35James indulges his friend. Sure, just like Clint Eastwood. What if someone actually did it? Rick puts down his empty beer bottle. Did what? Made a movie? No. Pulled off the perfect crime. For money. A lot of money. Like, at least a million dollars. Something sparks in James' memory. Well, I saw on the news that Governor Reagan announced a$5 billion budget surplus. $5 billion? Someone needs to get some of that money. James watches Fred's face carefully. He can tell that his friend is enjoying the attention, drawing out the anticipation. Fred steps closer. We could get some of that money. Rick looks from Fred to James, confused.

13:23What do you mean? Stealing? No, Rick. Kidnapping. James wonders if Fred is serious. It's hard to tell sometimes. Fred shrugs. I'm not talking about actually doing it, necessarily. just planning it, just to see if someone could pull it off. James is interested. Could someone pull off the perfect kidnapping for ransom? It's worth thinking about, worth planning for a while, with the help of his notebook. He watches as Fred reloads his handgun and fires off a few more rounds, his aim improving shot by shot.

14:03Fred takes his seat in the bleachers and watches as James and Rick sit down next to him. With their 1970s California uniform of tight western wear and cowboy boots they blend in fine at the Chowchilla Rodeo. It's the spring of 1976. For months they've been hard at work plotting the perfect kidnapping and they're on one of their last steps finding the right place to do it. They've cased towns all over the northern half of California's Central Valley, a cluster of agricultural communities miles inland from the bay. They've driven back roads, taking notes, figuring out the best way to kidnap a bus full of kids without getting caught.

14:46Fred looks around and pulls Rick close. This is our town. One main street, a couple honky-tonks, and a bunch of run-down farmhouses. Total cow town. Uh-huh. And I haven't seen a police car since we got here. Look at these people, Rick. They won't even know what hit them. Fred turns to see James is deep in his notebook again. He's kept a record of all their brainstorms. And now the brainstorms are real plans. He's been filling it for months. Sometimes in code. Sometimes not. They've concocted a brilliant scheme. although Fred knows Rick will still need a bit more persuading before he comes around to actually doing it.

15:31Fred leans back in his seat and props his feet up. Once again, he mentally congratulates himself about just how damn smart this plan is. There simply aren't any holes in it. Fred scans the crowd one more time. Chowchilla. Yeah. This is the place.

15:57Mike Marshall walks along a row of school buses, trying to figure out which one to get on. He's standing outside Dairyland Elementary School. It's after 3.30 on July 15th, 1976, the hottest part of the day, the hottest part of the year. Summer school has just let out for the afternoon, and Mike's ready to go home. Mike is 14, older than the other kids here. They all look like they're between 5 and 10, pretty much babies. And Mike never takes the bus. His mom picks him up. But last night, she caught him drinking cheap beer with a friend and told him to ride the bus home as punishment. All in all, Mike doesn't feel great.

16:43Some little kids shove past him. Mike clenches his fists. Hey, watch it! The kids look like they've been swimming. He guesses there was a field trip today. As they all rush past him to their buses, he recognizes one of the drivers, Ed Ray. Ed's farm is near his parents' place, way out in the fields. Ed's smiling as usual, welcoming the kids onto the bus. He knows all of them by name. Ed waves in his goofy, friendly way. Howdy, Mike. Hey, Ed. Can I get a ride back to my house? Sure, hop on. Mike climbs the stairs of the bus, slumps into his seat, and sighs as the bus rolls out of the parking lot.

17:28Mike leans back and unscrews his snuff tin. Dad's a real cowboy and he drinks beer. One day, he's going to be a rodeo rider like his dad. He closes his eyes and tries to lose himself in that fantasy as the bus rolls along past rows of almond trees.

17:51James Schoenfeld peers out the windshield of the white van. His hands are sweating as he grips the steering wheel. His knuckles are turning white. He checks his watch almost 4 p.m. He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. A plume of white dust is visible far down the lonely road they're parked on in Chowchilla. Thanks to months of careful planning, James knows what's kicking up that dust. It's Dairyland Elementary School Bus No. 1, driven by Frank Edward Ray. James senses Fred tensing up beside him. His little brother is in the back seat with the guns. Rick leans forward. We all ready?

18:37James is quiet. It's do or die time. He knows that he has one last chance to not do this. Fred turns to him. Think of it like a job you only have to do once. That bus is almost here. We all know what to do. He knows his friend is right. It's too late to back out. James reviews the plan written in his notebook to calm himself, flipping past crossed-out drafts and half-finished thoughts to get to the final version. They've whittled down the plan to the essentials. A bus full of children, vans for transport, and a certified genius-level hiding place. What more does one need? James exhales, pulls a pair of nylons over his head.

19:23Fred does the same, then grabs his rifle. Lock and load. The stalking mask distorts Fred's features, flattening his nose and turning his eye sockets into blank flesh-colored holes. Remember to ask nicely. James puts his glasses on over his stalking. Through the windshield, he can see the bus pulling up, slowing down. Rick passes him a small revolver and a shotgun. James cocks his guns and jumps out of the van.

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21:16Ed Ray sits quietly in a seat near the back of the school bus. One of the kidnappers is behind the wheel now, and Ed has no idea where he's headed. The other kidnapper holds a shotgun that's pointed at Ed's chest. He's never had a gun pointed at him before But it doesn't take long to figure out the drill Don't do anything stupid Play along Don't take any chances The last thing Ed wants to do is agitate these guys They're crazy enough to hijack a bus with kids on it Which means they're crazy enough to do anything He steals a quick glance out of the back window of the bus The white van is following them He looks out the side window as they roll past orchards and cotton fields.

22:06No one else is on the road. Before long, the bus lurches off the road and skids to a stop, sending up a cloud of dirt. They've pulled into a bamboo thicket next to a second van, the green one. One of the kidnappers motions towards the door. Everyone off the bus. Let's go. Ed exits the bus and watches helplessly as 12 of the kids are escorted two by two to the back of the white van. One of the kidnappers opens the back door of the green van and steps towards Ed and the remaining students. Please get in. Ed follows the 14 remaining kids and climbs inside the back of the windowless van with them.

22:50He sits on the floor and leans against the wood-paneled wall as the door slams shut. The engine starts. Ed can't see a thing. Can't see his watch. Can't see where they're going. Can't see the kids, who are dead quiet now. Can't see the kidnappers, who are sitting in the front seats behind a partition. With no windows or ventilation, it doesn't take long for the air to get hot and stuffy. Hours pass, and Ed and the kids keep rolling along in the dark. In all of his life, he's never felt so powerless.

23:34Madera County Sheriff Ed Bates steps out of the front door of his house. It's a little before 6 p.m., and Bates is on his way to dinner with his wife. He's in his usual duds. Cowboy hat, cowboy boots, leather gun holster. This is Cowboy County, and the sheriff has the clothes and attitude to match. Bates holds open the door of his squad car for his wife. After you, darling. It's baking hot when they get in. They're both looking forward to a quiet dinner with a generous helping of air conditioning. Suddenly, the radio crackles to life. Sheriff, come in. Sheriff. The sheriff gives his wife an apologetic look and picks up the receiver.

24:20Bates here? We've been checking the route of this bus napping case out in Chowchilla. Bus napping? What are you talking about? Sir, we have a school bus carrying 26 kids that's gone missing. Bates is stunned. He listens as the deputy shares the latest information. The bus was last seen about two hours ago. The families of the kids are starting to panic. As the deputy continues, Bates knows what he needs to do. I'm sorry, honey. Some other time. Bates' wife shakes her head as she hops out of the car. Bates grips the steering wheel tight as he floors it down to the station. Whoever did this, he thinks, is about to deeply regret it.

25:12Madera County Deputy Charlie Rearing drives his squad car slowly through the outskirts of Chowchilla. After a long, hot day, it's 8 p.m., and the sun is finally setting. Rearing is working with a search plane that's flying overhead, looking for the missing bus in the fading light. Like everyone else in the department, he's been working on the bus napping case since late afternoon. No one knows anything. Rearing struggles to comprehend how something like this could happen. What kind of monster kidnaps a school bus? Could they be terrorists? What would they want with kids from Chowchilla? A mile or so ahead of him, the search plane starts circling, dipping its wings.

25:57It's a signal from the pilot that they've seen something from the air. Rearing accelerates until he reaches the area the plane is circling. It's a bamboo grove. He parks on a little bridge near the grove and gets out of his car. Slowly, he works his way down the bank toward the bamboo. Well, I'll be damned. That didn't take long. It's the Dairyland Elementary School Bus, half hidden behind the bamboo. Rearing climbs inside, finds. The bus is empty. He heads back to the car and radios the station with the news. His sergeant quickly lays out a plan. Set up a perimeter. Keep people away from the area.