E354 - Buried Alive - The Chowchilla School Bus Kidnapping

In the summer of 1976, a small town in California was shaken to its core when 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver were abducted in broad daylight. The hijackers drove them to a remote rock quarry, where they were forced into a buried moving van—essentially a mass grave beneath six feet of earth. But an extraordinary act of bravery and resilience led by one victim - a 14-year-old boy - resulted in a daring escape after 36 terrifying hours underground. In this episode, we revisit the Chowchilla school bus kidnapping, uncover the twisted motives behind the ransom plot, and explore the la...