She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. When the bomb was triggered a miracle took place guardian angels saving the lives of the innocent. "We all remembered exactly where we were when we heard the news. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. In the West? No, this is something that people need to know about. He began composing his philosophical manifesto, Zero Equals Infinity, in which he argued for a new world order or, as he called it, A Brave New World.. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. David planned to negotiate with then-President Ronald Reagan before setting off a bomb that would take them all to a new world where he would reign supreme. Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. And that's what we in this country have that these other fanatics or whatever is the family is the import factor. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? She had a "teacher" help her out of the burning classroom who she did not recognize at the time. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? The bomb went off and no one died, except the perpetrators. Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. ", Fresh off this experience and sensitive to the impact of talking about heavy topics, a friend looped me into a Facebook thread about a new movie coming out in June called "The Cokeville Miracle.". 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. As a result, the blast, which should have leveled the entire wing, had gone straight up and so minimized human harm. Several other survivors were there. Hey, I am not the survivor, but I spent my summers in Cokeville, my family is from there, and I have been helping on publicity for the film. This is not a Mormon film it is more of an inspirational film. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. Stories and drawings emerged of a beautiful woman in white who told children to sit by the windows, and several children saw angels with the face of a loved one over each person just before the blast. Mark Junge: Okay. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. 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. As Davids youngest child, Penny, still lived with them, they quickly sought a new home in a trailer park. I have no doubt about my friends witness testimonies - even though I saw or heard nothing such as they did. . Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? I remember seeing the wide eyes on my band teacher as he collapsed with the EMTs afterward. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. He was asking large amounts of money. The timelines of some events are fuzzy Its hard to nail down what stands out the most, there were a LOT of crazy things I'd never seen before then, or since really. The basket, the shelves. Everyone else survived, including the injured John Miller. Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. It was cut. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? I have triggers and I still struggle sometimes, though I will not let that day define who I become. Their stories are also represented in the film - which has led to further healing. Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. If I deleted an entire phrase, I have inserted ellipses . Midnight Hour: 7 Paranormal Games to Play in the Dark Tonight, 30 Scary Two Sentence Horror Stories To Read In The Dark, True Crime: The 10 Most Infamous American Murder Mysteries, Urban Legend: 25 People Share the Scariest Stories from their Hometowns, The Haunting Stories Behind Six Strange and Unusual Graves, Campfire Stories: 13 Terrifying Accounts of Paranormal Encounters in the Wilderness. It killed her instantly. Do you ever think about them? Mark Junge: This bomb was designed to do what? I can understand that. On May 16th, 1986, in the small town of Cokeville, Wyoming, David and Doris Young entered the local elementary school with a bomb and held the entire school hostage in one room. So many of 'em thatI don't know. Katie Walker tells the story of what she saw that day, and why it's important to have pictures of your ancestors. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. You know their names but not their birthdays. If I cant get answers I'll probably leave the church. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? As reporters converged on Cokeville, another story emerged. Why did Cokeville receive the miracle of innocent lives being saved and Columbine didn't? Rich Haskell: I don't know. Speaking with Spirits: The Fox Sisters and the Birth of Spiritualism, 21 People Share Their Scariest Encounters with the Supernatural, Devilish Dealings: 5 Legendary Encounters with the Devil throughout History, Demons Within: The Life, Death and Exorcism of Anneliese Michel, The Exorcist: Father Theophilus Riesinger and the Possession of Anna Ecklund, The Seven Most Infamous and Dangerous Cult Leaders in Modern History, Underworld: 5 Legendary Gateways to Hell You Can Actually Visit, Hex Hollow: The Murder of Nelson Rehmeyer, 7 Sinister True Ghost Stories To Read In The Dark. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! The Cokeville Miracle is a 2015 drama film written & directed by T. C. Christensen and starring Jasen Wade, Sarah Kent and Kimball Stinger. This school is being taken hostage! When David emerged, he shot his nearly-dead wife before shooting wildly into the surrounding smoke. Either way, right after my joke is about when David excused himself from the room. PG-13. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. . You can also read about it on [Wikipedia] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis). As the dire nature of their situation became apparent, children began sobbing and complaining of headaches or wanting to go home. Since then, the story has become a local legend, with several variants emerging, including tales of an angelic outline in the shrapnel. David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. over there. 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. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. I think exploring this question can continue to offer healing to those pieces in us we don't fully recognize are hurt. 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. I know there's angels. Speaking about PTSD, Jennie knows what her triggers are. It was there for a long time, all that support. I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? Edit: Also, were you at that early screening? After earning a degree in criminal justice at Chadron State College in Nebraska, he was hired as Cokevilles town marshal in the 1970s. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. Weredo you think it had something to do with angels? ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. Don't push any alarms, answer any phones, or call for help. I gathered up some of the equipment that I would need and a change of clothes and proceeded to Cokeville. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Now this is just for my own information and it doesn't have anything to do with this case, but whenever I read about a bomb threat in the paper, I think to myself, "Oh, no! They wanted to get involved as extras in the making of "The Cokeville Miracle." He was so open to their input, and feelings. Thank you for sharing your witness that God is real and that He knows about tiny wounds in mortal souls that need a balm of healing. With the explosionwhat occurred? "My thoughts are immediately drawn to that day with any of these triggers," Jennie said. Family is the most important thing in a Mormon family. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Im living proof.. the cokeville miracle debunked. Young, on the other hand, suddenly retreated into the bathroom and shot himself dead. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! The Cokeville Miracle 2015 1 hr 34 mins Drama PG13 Watchlist Based on the true story of a school taken hostage by an armed couple, who threaten to blow the place away with bombs. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. Reporters from all the regional news outlets were on the scene by the time of the explosion or shortly thereafter. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. Interesting stuff to me! Interview by Mark Junge. Meanwhile, at the school, David set up the bomb at the center of Classroom #4. The faith-based film was released in select theaters across the United States in the summer of 2015, and was distributed by Deseret Book Company and affiliated retailers. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. P. O. I've got to get back to work now! "I can offer compassion support and my love to them - how and when they heal is their journey and their choice.". 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. Cokeville seems like a pretty small town. Rich Haskell: Well, I like to think I'm a better person because of it. 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