July 15th, 1976,

1876, Chowchilla, California, a day that the town would like to forget forever,

yet remains a part of its history.

At around 4 p.m. School bus driver Ed Ray was driving 26 students of Dairyland

Elementary School home from a summer class trip to the Chowchilla Fairground swimming pool.

Ray was talk much. On this particular day Ed's bus was rowdy, but the kids all loved him for his patience and reliability.

The kids were all loud and excited after just having spent the afternoon swimming.

Some of them were even singing, but when the bus turns

on to Avenue 21, Ray sees a white Dodge van blocking the road with its door open.

He tries to weave around the empty van when a guy in overalls with a

panty hose covering his face jumps out in front of the bus with a revolver.

The man walks to the driver's side window and asks Ed with no intimidation in his

voice would you open the door please.

Ed opens it.

Two more identically dressed figures jump in.

One with a rifle which is quickly pointed at Ed.

Everybody goes to the back of the bus. The one without a rifle starts to drive, and the one with the revolver hops in the van to follow them.

They drive about a mile and park the bus in a bamboo thicket.

The entire ride was apparently so silent that it added to the pure horror of it.

The bus was hidden near the Chowchilla River and 12 kids were ushered into the white van that

was following the bus. Ray and the other 14 kids got into the back of the second

van that was waiting at the location, this one green. There was a partition

...