Chowchilla (1 Viewer)

[Optimus Prime]

Did anyone watch this?

How have I never heard this story before? It seems like the sort of thing that would have become a national schoolyard boogeyman/urban myth even decades later (and maybe it is locally where it happened)

My main takeaway was this:

At the time people didn’t really understand childhood trauma, mental health, PTSD

Basically the thinking was “it was only a couple days, the kids weren’t hurt. Kids are resilient, buy them some ice cream, take them to Disney Land and they’ll be fine”

And that’s exactly what happened (the ice cream and DisneyLand)

Being fine didn’t happen, those kids were seriously messed up and became messed up adults

Ok, way back then we didn’t know better.

We absolutely knew better decades later when these monsters were paroled. How in the hell did that happen!?

These guys should never have breathed air as free men again

 

[Madmarsha]

How have I never heard this story before? It seems like the sort of thing that would have become a national schoolyard boogeyman/urban myth even decades later (and maybe it is locally where it happened)

I mos def knew about this at the time but, yeah, not a lot of talk about it after it was "over".

 

[Mr. Blue Sky]

I was too young to know of it in real time, but I became aware thru a story on 48 Hrs or 20/20 or one of those shows a few years back .. definitely one of the most bizarre crimes i can remember ever hearing about .

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I knew/remembered nothing if that
That story is nuts - the reason for the ransom probably nuttiest of all

 

[Sailorsaint]

I vaguely remember this story from somewhere. Probably a news special or something.

 

[baarbogast]

 

[baarbogast]