Thirty-five years ago, three young white men from wealthy families
kidnapped a bus full of 26 schoolchildren and their driver in this San Joaquin
Valley community and entombed them in a rock quarry. It's the largest
kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history and one of California's strangest crimes
— a legacy seldom forgotten by outsiders who still connect the name
"Chowchilla" to it.
The California Department of Corrections says 58 year old
Richard Allen Schoenfeld was released from the California Men's Colony in San
Luis Obispo Wednesday night.
Despite spending 16 hours underground, all of the victims
survived after the bus driver stacked the mattresses together allowing everyone
to eventually climb out of the van through the top.
Instead of collecting any loot, the three kidnappers fell
asleep before calling in their ransom demand.
It was the largest kidnapping for ransom in U.S. history and
it remains a part of California criminal history lore.
"If it wasn't for the bus driver saving those kids, all
of those kids would be dead right now", adds longtime Chowchilla resident
Jon Newton, "so why does he get to get out."
After 35 years behind bars, a California Appeals Court
ordered Richard Schoenfeld released because the State Parole Board unfairly set
his parole date for 2021 even though the Board said Schoenfeld is not a threat
to society.
His brother and co- defendant’s James Schoenfeld and
Frederick Woods are both up for parole at the California Men's Colony near San
Luis Obispo later this year.
Really?
Now normally I try to get all the facts before I speak on a topic or legal issue, but Really? Just the fact that 60% of all Black men incarcerated are for Non-Violent and/or drug crimes, namely crack cocaine which in fact the "crack law" has been repealed because of the disparity to powder cocaine convictions alone shows the flawed racist criminal justice system clearly doesn't work. How can non violent or drug offenses have mandatory minimum sentences but wealthy, white men can get paroled for ATTEMPTED MURDER of 26 CHILDREN???
WoW. Loss of words....may God have mercy...
Peace, Love, and Strength.
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