Man Who Kidnapped 26 Children For $5 Million Ransom Approved For Parole

A 70-year-old California man has been approved for parole after spending the last four decades behind bars for kidnapping a bus full of children, along with their driver, and burying them alive in 1976.

Frederick Newhall Woods appeared for a hearing Friday via video and was found suitable for parole. He was previously rejected for parole on 17 different attempts.

Woods and his accomplices, Richard and James Schoenfeld were initially sentenced to life in prison without parole for kidnapping 26 children, aged between 5 and 14, near Chowchilla, according to the New York Post.

Woods and the Schoenfeld brothers had reportedly planned their crime for over a year. They forced the driver, Ed Ray, to stop the bus while he was dropping the Dairyland Elementary School children back home on July 15, 1976.

The kidnappers forced the driver and the children into vans and drove for 12 hours before arriving at a property owned by Woods’ father. They forced the victims into a ventilated underground bunker that had mattresses and snacks. Once the victims were inside the bunker, the kidnappers buried them alive and demanded $5 million in ransom from the state Board of Education. All three kidnappers reportedly came from wealthy families, according to NBC News.

The victims eventually managed to dig themselves out and escape after spending roughly 28 hours inside.

Cops arrested Woods and his accomplices within two weeks. Although they were initially sentenced to life in prison, the decision was overturned, and the three kidnappers were allowed the possibility of parole. Richard was released in 2012 whereas James was allowed parole in 2015 by then-Gov. Jerry Brown.

As Woods made his 18th attempt for parole at the Friday hearing, he apologized for his actions and said he “had empathy for the victims which I didn't have then.”

“I've had a character change since then. I was 24 years old,” he told the parole panel. “Now I fully understand the terror and trauma I caused. I fully take responsibility for this heinous act."

Two of the survivors, who were part of what was the largest mass kidnapping in U.S. history, supported Woods’ being paroled.

"I believe you have served enough time for the crime you committed,” Larry Park said at the hearing.

On the other hand, survivors Jennifer Brown Hyde, Lynda Carrejo and Laura Yazzi Fanning did not support his release.

"He could have done much more," Brown Hyde said.

Woods is "still a millionaire” and “even the settlement paid to some of us survivors was not sufficient. It was enough to pay for some therapy, but not enough to buy a house,” she added.

According to CNN, the proposed parole decision will be finalized in 120 days and then reviewed by the governor within 30 days. If the governor allows the decision, Woods will be released.