These Kids Went Through HELL

[@ThatChapter]

Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months free here ➼ nordvpn.com/thatchapter It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!

[@psyoperator]

Why you so shiny today?

[@Starch-Wreck]

That transition into that ad in your video was pretty gross and classless. “Be like a child kidnapper! Use NORDVPN!”

[@SensiProductionzBlindDogVideos]

Love ya Mike 💚💛❤️ 2600 mile bicycle trip with 3 dogs in a trailer has ended. Taking an Amtrak the rest of the way, the ebike isn't working correctly right now. Made it over 1500 miles though. Pretty proud of that. FYI to any trolls: Updating the creator cuz I've been doing so for months. This is a random conversation, until you realize it's not for the public as much as it is for Mike 💚💛❤️

[@darshe68]

Bc of you, We've joined NordVPN

[@jenhitch5199]

​@@psyoperatorNot shiny, glowing. I need to know that skin product

[@tiffanystrickland940]

I lived in Chowchilla. My aunt was on that bus as a child. Crazy hearing her story. So thankful all of the children were saved. Ed is a true Hero!

[@dawnsully88]

Wow she should do a story time. Pretty amazing they got away themselves ❤

[@annenelson5656]

How is your aunt today? I remember when this happened. I was getting ready to go away to college. I lived in Pasadena at the time. Everyone was totally freaked out. I think those spoiled jerks out of prison recently. Mad props for their escape.

[@theoriginalbluey]

I hope your aunt is doing ok.

[@Gaijinalex]

my nephew was also on that bus and lives in Ingleson just down south, he still recalls that day like it happened yesterday

[@ZombieSazza]

@@GaijinalexI hope he’s doing okay these days

[@PackofDiscos]

Big grin on my face hearing Ed lived til 90. A very good age and hopefully lived in comfort and good health. Well done to him and the older children who helped keep calm and facilitate the escape.

[@tessawells7734]

Michael Marshall, the 14 year old student, also deserves a ton of credit.

[@jodiforeman3314]

Glad to see you in recent work I’ve been binge watching your older ones

[@dianne11ca]

Absolutely.

[@alisonancell6047]

Most definitely.

[@annemiekvdbos]

Yes absolutely!

[@WhtGrl]

I need you to wear your glasses 🤓 😂

[@jettackerland161]

I feel like the young boy who did all that digging is absolutely also the hero in this story.

[@jaystef1627]

Me too. Him and Ed are both some truly tough country boys.

[@dot-hubbard-i-luv-my-beretta]

Greetings Jetta, I know it's been some time since you made your post, but I too have been searching for something about the eldest kidnapped child ,14 yo Mike Marshall. There is a lot of emphasis on Ed the bus driver as there should be of course, but I imagine as an 50-year-old man, Mike's presence was invaluable, to propel and help Ed and the other young children. I finally found that CNN is supposed to be having an interview about him. He is 60, I think, but I haven't found the interview yet. To me it was very odd, that he's never really discussed more., considering he was the closest thing to an adult, with the exception of Ed on the bus. Apparently he wasn't even supposed to be on the bus, (was this divine karma) and his mother had made him get on the bus as a sort of punishment, for getting drunk the night before with his friends.. I really want to hear his perspective too.

[@RobardoHughes]

I thought Detective Calahan stopped them before they buried the kids?

[@lyngirllove]

My grandma was a school bus driver in the next town, I sent her this video and she said she used to pass ray every day and he was a legend in the community ❤️

[@VishusVenom]

🧢

[@HalfdeadRider]

It's great to hear that Ed Ray lived a well deserved long life!

[@beckykavanaugh211]

The bus driver was a hero, so was the 15 year old boy who helped him dig out

[@mattboyce3276]

The bus driver should have floored it

[@lisasteel6817]

Absolutely, he kept those kids calm and got them out of there. No one knows how they will act with a gun in their face.

[@adamrudofker6220]

Driver should have never opened that door.

[@lisasteel6817]

@@adamrudofker6220 there was a car behind and a car in front and a guy with a shot gun aimed at the bus, what TF do you think he should have done?

[@waynesteffen3262]

@@mattboyce3276You can mash the gas all you want, it’s still a school bus, not a Ferrari.

[@DaughterofJerusalem]

The calmness of Ed Ray, the hero, stands out. Stillness speaks in problem solving and keeping hope alive. Great story of courage. Thanks Mike!

[@cdes1776]

Putting the children first probably helped him save himself.

[@jonslg240]

When you're in a gang trying to get a Ransom, and nobody knows how to spell it, so the "mastermind" spells it Ransome

[@spoookyscarlet]

Ed really was a hero. He managed to keep all the kids and him self calm enough to work on escaping. Not to mention actually coming up with ways to escape and then actually managing it. It can’t be stated enough how heroic his actions were.

[@valrodgers8889]

Ed and all of the children were absolute hero's. How they kept the younger children on track and guided them to safety is nothing short of a miracle💙💙🇦🇺

[@bdsimi]

Several of my cousins were on that bus. Thank you Mike for telling their story!

[@ebeneezerscrooge2942]

Damn. That’s crazy.

[@tjcole6249]

Did they suffer long term effects?

[@barneyronnie]

​@@tjcole6249No. One of them later earned a PhD in astrophysics...

[@CaptainPreferences]

Lie

[@omariyon]

@@CaptainPreferenceshes not i was there

[@HaneenIAdam]

R. I. P Ed, he was a true hero. The boy who dug them out was a hero too.

[@londonsage8696]

I was 9 years old when this happened. I remember watching the story on tv 📺 and how scary it must’ve been for the children. My dad started driving me to school. Edward Ray was a true hero R.I.P. Mr. Ray 🙏🏽🦋🌹

[@stephaniecoomey2356]

you dont look a day over 30

[@annettejoneslightpainter]

You can tell that Mike reads the comments , someone asked for a story that does not end in terrible deaths . And as always, Mike listens to subscribers and delivers every time .

[@BSG0005]

It is nice to have a case that ends well sometimes

[@johndoe5715]

how has this wild story not been made into a movie yet

[@Crunklestiltskin]

It was used as the basis for a plot in the first Dirty Harry movie.

[@lannettecunningham4910]

Maybe the survivors aren't ready for that when you hear them talk about that time there is still a lot of heartache

[@julieinid1]

It has been sooo...

[@einienj3281]

I can't imagine experiencing that as a kid.. I saw a documentary where the kids, now adults, told their story.. how the older kids took care of the youngest, about the sun light blinding them.. made me cry.. 🥺 Thank You Mike 💜

[@Nasdaqslaktarn]

Have you ever seen the rain while smoking a fat bun?

[@einienj3281]

@@Nasdaqslaktarn Yes, why? Is it raining there and you are high? Have you ever seen the northern lights while smoking?

[@Nasdaqslaktarn]

@@einienj3281 no but that must be sick

[@einienj3281]

@@Nasdaqslaktarn It sure is..

[@hastyhillfarmand4x480]

​@@Nasdaqslaktarnwhen I hear the word "bun" I think of heroin. A bag, a bun, a brick. I'll take 2 thanks.

[@elvispressplay7735]

Can we take a minute and celebrate Ed Ray for being the hero who led those children to safety? Rest in power, you absolute legend! I can't even imagine what that was like for any of the survivors involved.

[@guitarbrad]

I'm sure those kids remembered Mr Ray in their prayers, perhaps even to this day or for the rest of their lives.

[@jodiforeman3314]

I’m so relieved that it didn’t end how my mind thought it could of Thank god Ed and the kids were so brave and made it out alive

[@annetakubiak3374]

... also big shout-out to the older students keeping little ones in good spirits and digging out thru the soil for so many hours.

[@Xxxxxx19-p1c]

Rest in power? How does one rest in power?

[@allenmitchell09]

A legend like Mr. Ray can rest any which way he wants! I don’t think I would have been able to help sing songs to keep the kids calm.

[@melissaholleron719]

I remember this story. I was 9 and my Mother was freaking out because my 5 siblings and I were in the same age range. This was one of those crimes against Children that forced Parents to talk to their Kids about the very real Boogie Man. I remember feeling safe one minute and afraid the next...Innocence lost

[@lainiwakura1776]

innocence*

[@joycejones664]

@@lainiwakura1776ya beat me to it! 😂

[@melissaholleron719]

@@lainiwakura1776 😆 fixed it! It's been a crazy day.🤪

[@melissaholleron719]

@@joycejones664 😆

[@susansell5956]

Agreed! I also live in the Central Valley. I was 11 and parents had the stranger talk to Jen this happened.

[@haystakfan1]

Sometimes greed and stupidity are a bad combination.

[@colleenhayes400]

All the time

[@skeeterlubidowicz9158]

I’m just glad nobody died in this story. My finger was hovering over the back button until I heard that they all got out. I thought this was a lovely story, and you told it so well… with such enthusiasm!

[@davidhutchinson5233]

Those kids are my age. I was 9 in 76. I can't imagine the psychological damage from an abduction like that. My heart goes out Mr. Ray and those kids.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Same here, as a kid we all talked about this crime...

[@sweetmissypetuniawilson9206]

I was 8 in 76. I never rode the school bus, I always walked until I got my license.

[@ash_tray]

Mike! Always good to see you. I told you last time my mother is going through radiation and we’ve been enjoying your videos together since she’s so sick. Her _LAST_ treatment is tomorrow! I’m so proud of her. Thank you for your videos that have helped both of us through this hard time. Sending all our love.

[@angelaknebel4156]

Love from all the rest of the TC fam!!! 🤗🤗

[@voidtrotter]

Congratulations! That's amazing! I hope your mom had a great day! ❤

[@HeatherHolt]

Yay for your mom!! ❤❤

[@ash_tray]

Thank you everyone for the kind words. I truly adore this community.

[@dianabodemer1889]

​, tell your Momma, God bless. My parents went through it too. ❤ may she be healthy.

[@ElizabethHoward]

This whole thing is absolutely bizarre. It's one of those things so surreal it's hard to believe someone did it. As a parent, it's also one of the absolute most horrifying things I can imagine.

[@benhartart9487]

Kidnappings happen everywhere everyday.. not bizarre

[@ElizabethHoward]

@benhartart9487 to me the circumstances in this case are pretty singular.

[@BunnyLang]

I'm grateful the kids, Ed, and Michael were so brave and got themselves out.

[@HalloweenBorn72]

Just amazing how 3 humans still didn't have enough sense to figure out none of what they did would end well for themselves... just super glad Mr Ed Ray was with the children... it's deep. Smh. Philadelphia loved ya too Mike and that chapter family - stay safe

[@kamillelord3891]

I grew up in the Pleasanton/Livermore area in the 90s and my dad worked at that quarry where the kids were buried. I only learned about this case about a year ago and it blew my mind. Glad the kids survived, but the lasting ptsd should never have been something they’d have to endure.

[@redcross6963]

I lived in the tri valley in the 90's too. Mainly in Pleasanton & Danville. I didn't even know about this back then.

[@peejaytaylor5897]

Fascinating & disturbing read, psychiatrist Lenore Terr was able to study shared trauma across a range of ages: Too Scared to Cry

[@jessrosem]

“Pleasantsville” there’s a book about Pleasanton.. I have family there too but I’m inland

[@anthony5227]

Your dad worked there and you just now heard about it?

[@tashnyats1426]

Dads are something else 😂😂😂

[@lisalynnmarie2448]

I hadn't thought of this story in ages. I can't handle an MRI, and I don't know how they were able to keep it together underground like they did. What they managed to do was just over the top heroic, digging themselves out! This was amazingly done, Mike. Thanks for the video!!

[@GregBrownsWorldORacing]

I can handle an MRI, not sure I could with a bunch of kids crying for momma in there with me. MRIs are loud and might drown out all the noise. 😁

[@Sean-hy7rr]

I used to do studies at Yale and they pay you one woman was there and she had to sit in an MRI machine eight straight hours a day

[@jacobott3382]

how the hell can you not handle an MRI??? blows my mind how insane other humans are around me

[@Peeplii]

​@jacobott3382 bro you wild 😂 getting heated over the fact some people might not be fans of being shoved in a very loud tube

[@chelseafcrocks82]

This is a scary yet amazing story, there's a documentary called Remembering the Chowchilla Kidnapping with interviews with many of the grown up children years later, Ed Ray has sadly passed on but is beloved by everyone in the town to this day ❤️

[@jenhitch5199]

This hit me hard in the feels.

[@kinsley7777]

there’s a movie with Karl Malden which was fairly dramatic as movies go when it was made …

[@Nasdaqslaktarn]

I am very worried about the upcoming criminal case against mac dinolad abraham.

[@glauvie]

I love knowing that they still treasure him.

[@nose_fart]

​@@redneckshaman3099well you know what they say..

[@garulusglandarius6126]

Anyone who can even consider harming a child in ANY way is the worst of the worst ! Ed is a real life hero ❤️❤️

[@bitterellaselectricgroove8544]

I won't lie, I saw the hole and thought "oh lord, none of them made it." I am so very happy that it turned out well for the kids and Ed - all of them brave and never gave up!! 🙏

[@melissarmt7330]

I remember this. 1976 was the Bicentennial and after those celebrations, this story was all over the country. I was in Colorado when this happened and I think every parent sat their children down for a talk after this hit the news. You did a really good job covering this story.

[@sweetmissypetuniawilson9206]

Not mine.

[@hereitis.2587]

It totally killed the patriotic spirit that had been built. We all realized that people were mere pawns to the rich. So sad! Have a COKE and a smile was sold for “more money! MORE MONEY!” Poor little rich boys who just wanted more.

[@valerievonskullz825]

As a school bus driver in California, I’ve not ever heard of this incident before 😳 thank you for educating me on this. I will pass this info along as I train new drivers and prepare them properly for the road.

[@pattibramley3911]

They might quit after hearing about it!!

[@jamespfitz]

How do you prepare for a blind ambush?

[@cappuchino_creations]

​@@jamespfitzI mean, I'm not a professional or anything, but maybe there is something like "stunt driving" for schoolbusses? You know, get your bus out of there if you see a chance? Or just teach them about right behaviour if they feel like something is off with the situation...

[@cuddlecakes7153]

​@@cappuchino_creationsYeah but this guy stopped to help someone. So if you see a crash just keep going? You can't prepare for something like this lol

[@cuddlecakes7153]

​@@cappuchino_creationsYeah but this guy stopped to help someone. So if you see a crash just keep going? You can't prepare for something like this lol

[@VioletJoy]

You didn't mention that there was some public outrage against poor Ed. He was a beloved and trusted bus driver, but some people initially suspected that he had taken off with the kids. No doubt he was the hero in this story. What a relief that they all made it out alive. This case shows the devastating effects of trauma, though. People think "happy endings" are all tied in a bow, but that's not real life.

[@JessBlake2]

@VioletJoy, it does sound like he may have taken better options, like noticing the strange vehicle placement was likely a trap and by driving away. I get shock and/or being caught off guard. But I also understand the outrage.

[@VioletJoy]

​@JessBlake2 I wasn't clear. I meant that some people initially suspected that Ed might have done something with the bus, not that he was blamed for the incident that actually happened. When he pulled up to the car that was blocking the road, he couldn't move and then men with guns appeared. I'm not sure what other options he had.

[@VioletJoy]

@JessBlake2 I wasn't clear. I meant that some people initially suspected that Ed might have done something with the bus, not that he was blamed for the incident that actually happened. When he pulled up to the car that was blocking the road, he couldn't move and then men with guns appeared. I'm not sure what other options he had at that point.

[@pazza4555]

Some of the kids grew up to have very sad mental health problems. So glad they survived, but lives were forever changed

[@VioletJoy]

@@pazza4555 It was devastating. I watched the documentary years back. Trauma has lasting effects.

[@tammyandkiki]

You tell victims stories so very well and compassionately. I absolutely admire you! Thank you for being you 🥰

[@brendafitzgerald3797]

The way Mike segwayed into the VPN promo was smooth as!! 😊

[@debrajames3869]

I was stationed in Merced, CA in 1983 and this was still a big story. That community really struggled to overcome the damage that this caused.

[@Heather-Kayrug]

I've heard this story before. I was excited to hear your coverage. I never heard about the bus driver and from his/kids point. Thank God they made it. I think they had no intentions of killing anyone...but they were so stupid that if it weren't for the victims and their strength they could have died.

[@channelthree9424]

You are correct. There have been other kidnappings/hostages in which murder was never the intention but the kidnapped victim ended up dying. These victims could have died as well especially considering the heat.

[@loveforeignaccents]

Can't believe they all got out on parole; quite disappointing! And rest in peace, dear Ed! So glad they named the park after such a caring, brave man and hero!

[@leob4403]

​@aneagleinyourmind2415think about it though. If kidnapping and then release of children and kidnapping with subsequent mass murder of children had the same sentence : life no parole, then what would stop the perpetrators from murdering the children? They would get the same sentence either way. By enabling life with parole sentence they now have a motive for NOT harming and killing the children

[@Nicole-kc1vx]

​@@leob4403 that only works if the perps know the legal consequences of their actions, and also only works if they think they are going to get caught! Criminals won't commit crimes if they think they will get caught.

[@kathicrowder4206]

I've met Irene,she and her little sister were on that bus. She has grown up to be a kind and intelligent woman. She was a dear friend of my mother. in law. She remembered these events, but didn't let it define her life. She's an amazing person.

[@flightlessbird2281]

Omg, so glad for the safe return of them all. Huuuuuff, that opening was scary as it gets. Finally, one with a good enough ending. God bless.

[@jacklowther4912]

Hey Mike! Thanks for the video buddy. Almost 2 million subscribers. Party time!!!!

[@ThatChapter]

I'm so grateful for all the support!

[@rachelh6826]

Hi from Livermore! This incident is still talked about locally (especially when Woods was granted parole). I drive by that rock quarry multiple times a week and as a parent it always gives me chills. Ironically, there are no school buses in the local school district these days.

[@commonsense571]

Thank you for covering this. Poor babies. And that poor driver 😢 Gives me nightmares. They were all so incredibly brave and beautiful bless them. 💜💜💜 And curse those pieces of absolute shit who perpetrated such horror. 🤬

[@VivaRevolucionDGS]

Inching closer to 2 million subscribers, Mike. Can't think of anyone more deserving. You have worked so hard to become the best true crime channel on KZbin. Here's to 2 million more.

[@ismaelgomez1889]

When I hear bus and students I get chills from Mexico. People still find bones years and decades later which terrifies me.

[@maryb6872]

Thank you Mike for covering this story. I remember it well. Thank God for Ed Ray and Michael Marshall and all of the kids who were able to help get themselves dug out. What a strong group of youngsters to survive this. I'm saddened to hear how they are still affected to this day. Much love to all of them.

[@absolutely-not_]

Ed is definitely a hero, and so is every one of those kids. This could have gone so much worse so easily, people can get trampled or crushed in crowd situations. It's amazing they were able to stay calm enough to work together, spreading out the dirt on the floor was so smart. I imagine there were many helpers making sure the little ones didn't get buried. What an awful thing to go through, but thinking about them helping each other like that inspires hope in me

[@Junebug00000]

A horrible story told so well. Thank you Mike!

[@mrs.vlopez2427]

Omg I’m so claustrophobic and suffer from EXTREME anxiety, I would DIE in a situation like that😢 Thank god they all made it out❤

[@bumpedhishead636]

I grew-up a couple of hours from Chowchilla and I was in high school when this happened. It was the biggest news story that had ever happened in that area, and I remember all the speculation about who had done it. This was also around the same time airplane hijackings were a big deal (DB Cooper was in 1971) and the Patty Hearst kidnapping was in 1974.

[@monicacebuc9784]

OMG first story that ends well, and I'm so happy for it. I was already dreading when I heard it was about children. Thanks Mike, you're awesome!!❤

[@chrodegang8406]

Same. I paused at the beginning of the story to check comments, only when I understood they survived did I resume :p

[@dancingdragons]

Ed Ray has such kind eyes. We always talk about the Manson Lamps, but it’s nice to see a photo of a genuine and empathetic fellow.

[@MikaelaJoArroyo]

I never looked forward to Tuesdays until I started watching that chapter years ago!

[@ThatChapter]

Thank you so much!

[@MikaelaJoArroyo]

@@ThatChapter thank you for the great videos over the years! You're fucking awesome!

[@maggiebartch6941]

I can’t believe I never heard of this case! Thanks for covering this Mike! So glad everyone was ok in the end. Those poor kids must have been so terrified.🙁

[@AWizardOfTastyness]

Thanks for sharing this with us, I hope those victims and their families are okay. Side note: Mike you look lovely without your glasses, congrats! ❤

[@peggyhoran2166]

I remember when that happened. I was pretty young, but the fact that it had happened scared the crap outta me.

[@AnnieBoBannie421]

I remember seeing ‘Dirty Harry’ right before this happened…. Even as a child I remembered how much it took the idea from the movie…. I remember my dad saying ‘but Harry didn’t come save them -that’s a movie-he’s not real’…. I worried all night……

[@imlistening1137]

I remember this well (I was 19 at the time) as does my husband, who was 23, actually lived not far from Chowchilla in Fresno. Terrifying for everyone, for sure. I’m sure the kiddos had a lot of psychological issues for decades afterwards.

[@janycebrown4071]

Thank goodness for That Chapter ❤

[@ThatChapter]

Appreciate ya!

[@chezoneinfamous4379]

@@ThatChapterappreciate you…. Always looking forward to seeing your new content…

[@ceegee1706]

This was my very first true crime exposure.... some torn up paperback in a box of random finds in a neighbor's garage and here I still am. Thanks, Mike.

[@CrankyBubushka]

how horrible. I was 6yrs old then. I cant imagine what it would have been like for me. The Driver is a hero, same with the old kids helping the younger.

[@jenford7078]

This was portrayed on that drama show about FBI profilers years back, I had thought it was awful in the series and to find out that it really did happen is mind blowing! AND... Possibly your best tale ever!

[@WhisperingHearts4]

Ooooh great case to cover Mike!! Thanks for being awesome 🖤🖤

[@ThatChapter]

Thanks for being here!

[@alisonmcnamara800]

You've set the bar to storytelling! Some of the stories you tell make my heart hurt! The way you tell the story both give me horror and hope. No matter the subject you are able to tell the story so I feel the evil yet I feel you have done your best to convey your own horror yet that's soothing! Storytelling is a lost art, but you found it Mike! Thanks for sharing!

[@Paul-Gleave]

I drive a school minibus in Manchester UK and from this day forward Ed Ray is my patron saint. What a man. Top stuff as always Mr Oh.

[@NateButlerFresnoCA]

Wow. I've been a long-time fan of your channel, but this episode has struck closest to home: I grew up in Fresno, California (about 38 minutes drive from Chowchilla), and I was 10 years old when this happened, and this story was all over the local news for weeks; everyone in my town watched the whole saga unfold in real-time, and it was so bizarre and dramatic. Such incidents seemed very rare at that time, so it was rather frightening as a child to know that it could've easily happened to me or my own classmates. I'm fairly confident that every child my age from my hometown remembers this. Thank you for telling this story (which still feels very 'local' to me) to the world!

[@emmasurf8768]

In the 80s i moved to Livermore where they were buried in the pit. Every time I drove by those gravel pits I almost cried and when I saw the documentary I did cry. We always heard about Chowchilla kidnapping when it happened but had no idea they had taken the kids that many miles away. The summer heat here is unbearable, it's a miracle they survived. Oh yeah the three are all paroled because the judge said "they didn't cause serious bodily injury". Unreal because without the driver and the boy acting so courageously there would have been more then serious injury. The psychological trauma was intense for those families. Mike, you left it the parts where the slimeball Fred kept running pseudo businesses from jail, like a Christmas tree farm and a gold mine, to mention just two of his plots

[@JerseyDevilJerseyGirl]

You almost cried when you drove past??? I mean it’s a sad story but no one died lol. It was a story of survival, too. I can’t imagine crying over it 😂

[@nisar8009]

@@JerseyDevilJerseyGirl, holy hell, I hope you don’t have children. Your empathy meter is reading a big fat 0.

[@AZ-kr6ff]

​@@JerseyDevilJerseyGirl Not just when she drove by, but EVERY TIME she drove by! 😂

[@hastyhillfarmand4x480]

Pull yourself together!!!

[@lesliecampbell4657]

It’s called having empathy & understanding for magnitude of the situation & the terror these literal CHILDREN went through. Imagine caring so much for others that the pain they went through is felt; sorry you lack empathy & understanding. Part of the problem with society today. ​@@JerseyDevilJerseyGirl

[@a_lucientes]

What a story! Childhood trauma is the most difficult to get over. It's a miracle they didnt all suffocate. Youre right, it does sound like a plot out of a Coen bros movie

[@asphaltspreader]

I have heard of this story many times since it happened (I was 16 in 1976). But as always your telling of it was intriguing and full of newscasts from the time. If available I imagine you'd have secured the police interrogation footage! Thanks again for another terrific vid!

[@angelahernandez6297]

Love ur comments during these crazy stories 😂!! Them poor kids!!😢

[@rsear1955]

That is without a doubt the most incredible one you have put out yet!

[@susansell5956]

I live in the Central Valley and remember this incident..(I was 11 yrs old)everyone and I mean EVERYONE held their breath waiting for the outcome and the safe return of those on the bus. I also live less than a mile away from Scott and Lacie Peterson’s home-that was a nightmare. 😊I love your channel and podcasts. Especially when we get to see the life insurance dance

[@PhoenixLyon]

Thanks for this one, Mike! I wasn't too far from this, and remember being scared for those kids, and Ed. I was in 7th grade at Victorville, CA when this happened. If those kids hadn't freed themselves, the perpetrators wouldn't have gone back to them, and they probably would have died from the heat. Perhaps not evil, but rather 'entitled'? They thought they should have the state's money, no matter how they went about it.

[@jamierupert7563]

Did you know any Kokoska's? Rory or Chuck by any chance? They may have been a year or two older than you.

[@kaybreen7367]

Hi Mike...from Ireland....your great at telling these horrific stories....why why do this to innocent little children 😢

[@CL-we8tn]

Thanks for the vid Mike, love ya

[@IsisNiko]

i think we need more videos like these where the victims survive the ordeal. i had never heard of this case before, so i was filled with dread waiting for the other shoe to drop. and it never did!

[@mydogsnameislucy768]

The town’s love for Ed Ray is sooo heartwarming!! ❤️

[@dianadundidit5343]

This story gives me anxiety!! I am so CLAUSTROPHOBIC!! I can just imagine how the survivors felt!! Thank GOD they are ok.

[@Whimsy_Seeker]

Mike! You look great without your glasses but even better with them. The 'detective-story-teller vibe' is strong with them :) Love your work!

[@widowrumstrypze9705]

His eyebrows are *trying* to make up for the lack of specs, lol!

[@tobee2438]

That NordVPN plug was straight SAVAGE my man

[@RawOlympia]

This one haunts me so much. I saw one of them as an adult crying. He still has nightmares. How those kids managed to save themselves is truly a miracle and they should be given the highest medals of honor.

[@vaniprod]

So glad you did this one, it's always fascinated me. The ptsd those kids must have been suffering for years is just unimaginable, it is horrifying to think what could have happened if they hadn't gotten themselves out. Great episode Mike!

[@patientpopperx]

When everything is going to shite right now it’s really nice to hear you tell a story, no matter how horrifying or gruesome it’s always great to listen to you Mike 😢

[@christinecabana4169]

I was 9 when this happens. I can remember watching it on tv. Great stream Mike! Keep up the great work. Canada

[@jus10lewissr]

I can't believe I've never heard of this before. It is so insane that it doesn't sound even remotely real. Absolutely mind-blowing.

[@lalaj5831]

Evil is an understatement for those three even if they were stupid. A more fitting punishment would have been to put them in that buried trailer and leave them there.

[@ColletteC2106]

I couldn’t agree more. These men were the personification of evil. 🤬

[@scottyboy7462]

great story!! ... and nobody even got killed!! I feel so fuzzy inside!! Thanks Mike ❤️🇺🇸

[@JackmeriusTacktheratrix7]

I wonder how Ed would've felt about these men's parole. It could be a blessing for him and the abductors that he passed shortly before the first one was released

[@josephfelts6560]

Thanks for the video. This plan was ingenious, so too was the method the driver and kids formed to escape. The one part where the kidnappers went stupid was when they tried to make contact to provide the ransom, and couldn't get through. That was comical. And then to see on live tv their kidnapped subjects being recovered after escaping, must have been a 'waa-waa' moment.

[@HeavenlyPresley-Tonya]

OMG -- I remember this I was 9 years old -- ED IS A HERO & THE Oldest boy --- Saving these Children and them being so brave!!!!!!

[@kelliedoxiern4308]

I was 12 when this happened. They are all heros for helping each other through this trauma..to escape and after. I worked as a travel RN in that area for a couple months. Never heard of this story until more recently.

[@chettajohnson5261]

Love when there's a story with a happy ending!! Thanks Mike!

[@chettajohnson5261]

100 miles for 12 hours... that's only 8 miles an hour? I might need to do a deep dive on the math here

[@VioletJoy]

Well, they survived, but the trauma remains.

[@aftertheheadlines]

Well done! I remember this vividly. I was going into 7th grade in northern, 30 minutes from Livermore, California. I do think they are evil. I don’t think they would have gone back if law enforcement had suspected them. I think they would have let the kids die to protect themselves and that is evil. Still thankful everyone survived.

[@VioletJoy]

Their plan was to make sure everyone survived. It was even written on that paper. I don't think they're completely devoid of empathy/feelings. They were just totally self-centered.

[@aftertheheadlines]

@@VioletJoy I get your point. They still ran, which makes me wonder if they could have hid from it entirely would they. I think yes, as with so many criminals.

[@kinsley7777]

I remember this when I was a kid … parents & teachers were giving the “don’t be scared” talks to us … which, of course, scared the wits out of us

[@gordonaliasme1104]

😢

[@saintcatherine]

I grew up in Livermore. My old boss when he was 12 was riding his bike home from school past the rock quarry and fantasizing about finding the kids in the quarry, what he would do if he found them, and fantasizing about being a hero. Turns out the kids were right there in that quarry while he was there dreaming about finding them.

[@begpar]

I remember seeing a movie based on this as a little kid. It definitely stuck with me for awhile as I rode the bus to school.

[@chrisgomez1840]

was it Vanished witout a trace?or They taken our children? i saw em both on Tubi im so glad all 27 survived

[@libbybee89]

What a wild story! Love your storytelling style - thank you for sharing!

[@carynmartin6053]

Mike, I'm so thrilled to be able to witness the huge success of your KZbin channel and now your podcast, too!🎉 If anyone deserves the accolades, it's you!🎉❤😊

[@msstarlight4770]

Hello from here in New Zealand, your channel is my absolute favourite in your category. Thank you for the effort you put into your content.

[@stuff2556]

I’ve never heard this story so before they escaped I thought I was going to throw up listening to it. How horrifying for those children. Wow