1976 Northern California School Bus Hijacker Granted Parole

CHOWCHILLA, CA — The last of three men who hijacked a school bus filled with 26 children in northern California in 1976 — and buried them and their driver alive in Livermore as part of a $5 million ransom scheme — has been approved for parole.

Frederick Woods, 70, was recommended for parole Friday with the support of two victims after being denied 17 times. Joe Orlando of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told CNN on Tuesday that Wood's parole was approved.

The decision will become final within 120 days, according to CNN, after which the governor has 30 days to decide whether to let the recommendation stand or refer it to the full board for review.

Parole commissioners found that Woods was no longer a danger to the public.

Woods and brothers Richard and James Schoenfeld hailed from wealthy San Francisco Bay Area families when they kidnapped 26 children and their bus driver near Chowchilla, about 125 miles southeast of San Francisco.

An appeals court ordered Richard released in 2012, and then-Gov. Jerry Brown paroled James in 2015.

The trio buried the children, ages 5 to 14, and the bus driver in a ventilated bunker east of San Francisco. The victims dug themselves out more than a day later.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's late father, state Judge William Newsom, was on an appeals panel in 1980 that reduced the men's life sentences to give them a chance at parole. After retiring, he advocated for their release in 2011, noting that no one was seriously physically hurt during the kidnapping.

Woods apologized at his parole hearing Friday, saying he was 24 when he helped hijack the bus, and now fully understands the "terror and trauma" he caused.

"I fully take responsibility for this heinous act," Woods said.

He said he now has empathy for the victims that he didn't have then.

"I've had a character change since then," Woods said.

Under new California laws, parole commissioners must give more weight to freeing inmates who were young when the crimes were committed, as well as to those who are now elderly and served lengthy prison sentences.

After the decision, Sally Moreno, the Madera County district attorney, said Woods shouldn't have been freed.

"This is an individual who's demonstrated how dangerous he is. He's ruined the lives of dozens of these kids — they still struggle, a lot of them, with the aftereffects of this," Moreno said.

Newsom may agree to seek review by the full parole board, given the notoriety of the crime, she said.

"He's demonstrated the capacity to do this kind of a crime … to mastermind and carry out something like this," Moreno said.

Newsom's office said the governor carefully reviews parole decisions to determine whether a parole grant is consistent with public safety.

Woods and the Schoenfelds planned the abduction for more than a year. The victims were taken to Livermore, placed into a moving truck and buried alive in a quarry, which was owned by Woods' father.

The trio sought $5 million in ransom money from the state Board of Education as the victims were underground. The victims remained underground for 16 hours. The bus driver and older kids dug themselves out of the vehicle as their oxygen began to run out.

It became the largest kidnapping in U.S. history.

While James Schoenfeld previously told parole officials he envied friends with "his-and-hers Ferraris," Woods said during an earlier parole hearing he didn't need the money. He just "got greedy."

Schoenfeld said he owed $23,000 and wanted to fit in with rich neighbors after moving from Palo Alto. He came from a rich family but felt like a failure, having never lived up to his father's expectations.

"In Atherton, I was no longer something special. I was just — in fact, I was not special at all, so I wanted to be — have that feeling again. I wanted to fit in with these new people that we moved next to,” he said.

Schoenfeld said the trio needed multiple victims to get "multiple millions." They chose kids because "children are precious."

"The state would be willing to pay ransom for them. And they don’t fight back. They’re vulnerable. … They’ll do what we tell them to do,” he said.

Several victims told CNN in 2015 they still suffer from anxiety and nightmares.

Darla Neal, who was 10 when she was abducted, said she can't live normally due to “extreme anxiety."

“I’m overwhelmed to the point that I had to leave work,” she said. “I tell myself I should be able to shake this off and deal with it. Yet here I am, a mess.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.