I'm sorry, but the Wikipedia page for the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping is hilarious

[The Notorious SLAV]

Bruh, what even was this thing.

1976 Chowchilla kidnapping - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

On July 16, telephone lines to the Chowchilla Police Department were jammed with calls from media and frantic families. The kidnappers therefore were unable to issue their $5 million ransom demand (equivalent to $27.6 million in 2024). They decided to call back later and fell asleep. When they awoke later in the evening, they saw television news reports that the victims had freed themselves and were safe.

Tfw everyone's freaking out about the kidnapping you carried out so much that the phone lines are broken and you can't even issue ransom demands, so you go to sleep and by the time you wake up they've already escaped and it's ll over.

The notes outlined plans to have the ransom money dropped from a plane into the Santa Cruz Mountains at night and retrieve it under cover of darkness.

Maybe a good idea, but idk.

James Schoenfeld later stated that despite coming from wealthy families, both he and Woods were deeply in debt: "We needed multiple victims to get multiple millions and we picked children because children are precious. The state would be willing to pay ransom for them. And they don't fight back. They're vulnerable. They will mind."

Bruhs were too ashamed of just asking their dads to pay their bills, so they did this shit.

In 2016, a worker's compensation lawsuit filed against Woods revealed that he had been running several businesses, including a gold mine and a car dealership, from behind bars without notifying prison authorities. The heir to two wealthy California families, the Newhalls and the Woods, he inherited a trust fund from his parents that was described in one court filing as being worth $100 million (equivalent to $131 million in 2024), although Woods' lawyer disputed that amount.

Bruh was beyond set for life and still ended up in prison for 46 years.

In October 2019, Woods was denied parole for the 19th time. Over the years, reasons given for the denials included his continued minimization of the crime as well as disciplinary infractions for possession of contraband pornography and cellphones. Woods married three times while in prison, and purchased a mansion about half an hour away.

Truly an example of a beautiful personality worthy of being wanted by multiple women. Good for the boyo I guess, seems like he managed to live at least somewhat normally while being in prison for just a few years' shy of five decades.

A study found that the kidnapped children suffered from panic attacks, nightmares involving kidnappings and death, and personality changes. Many developed fears and phobias such as "cars, the dark, the wind, the kitchen, mice, dogs and hippies"

"and hippies".

and one shot a Japanese tourist with a BB gun when the tourist's car broke down in front of his home.

"Your honor, I was only shooting my BB gun at that ricecel with car trouble because of muh untreated trauma."

Frederick Newhall Woods IV (aged 24 during the kidnapping) was repeatedly denied parole until August 2022 when, at the age of 70, he was granted full parole. Acquaintances described him as a loner who did not meet his father's expectations.
James Schoenfeld (aged 24 during the kidnapping) was paroled in 2015 at age 63.
Richard Schoenfeld (aged 22 during the kidnapping) was paroled in 2012 at age 57.

Unironically, was freedom even worth it for these guys with how much time they've lost behind bars?

 

[autisticsoy]

What a shitshow they could made a comedy movie out of this.

 

[The Notorious SLAV]

What a shitshow they could made a comedy movie out of this.

For real.

 

[Emba]

Fascinating