1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,760 Tonight on Unsolved Mysteries. 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:07,960 It was a blueprint for tragedy. 3 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:10,840 In Cokeville, Wyoming, a vengeful ex-cop, 4 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,120 armed with a powerful homemade bomb, 5 00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:16,440 commandeered an entire elementary school. 6 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,200 As a crisis escalated, it seemed that only a miracle 7 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:24,200 could save the lives of more than 100 innocent children. 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,160 Bio-account Michael Short is a man with a red heart. 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,920 Bio-account Michael Short is a man with a red-hot temper 10 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,480 and an affection for guns. 11 00:00:33,480 --> 00:00:35,480 When his misdeeds landed him in prison, 12 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:37,920 Short masterminded a daring escape 13 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:42,000 with the help of his 20-year-old girlfriend. 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,280 Yonkers, New York, sometimes you need more than luck 15 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:46,600 to win the lottery. 16 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,480 Just ask Sam Zellickson who says he hit the jackpot 17 00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:53,840 after an eerie visit from beyond the grave. 18 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,120 In Washington, DC, the aftermath of a fatal house fire 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:59,880 yields the unmistakable signs of arson 20 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:04,760 that launches a manhunt with a killer of a young businesswoman. 21 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:05,680 Join me. 22 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,680 Perhaps you can help solve one of tonight's unsolved mysteries. 23 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:58,840 The Story of Melody Woods 24 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:09,680 17-year-old Melody Woods was not the kind of teenager 25 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,440 anyone ever expected to get into trouble. 26 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,120 She enjoyed school, didn't stay out late, 27 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,640 and had barely begun to cardate. 28 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:22,000 Then in June of 1994, Melody fell in love. 29 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,960 Melody, Michael's here. 30 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:24,880 I'm coming. 31 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,080 Appreciate it. 32 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:27,480 Sorry. 33 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:28,480 Hi. 34 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,160 I guess he met everybody already. 35 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:31,720 Yeah, we're just getting to know each other a little bit. 36 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:33,640 His name was Michael Short. 37 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:35,840 Melody had met him during a summer session 38 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,120 at her high school in Fort Worth, Texas. 39 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,800 Short was 19 years old, and he made a very good first 40 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:43,800 impression. 41 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,680 Bye. 42 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:47,960 Seems like a real good kid. 43 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,160 Did you see the way he opened the door for her? 44 00:02:50,160 --> 00:02:52,280 But that first impression evaporated quickly. 45 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,920 Melody's parents never guessed that the man their daughter 46 00:02:57,920 --> 00:03:03,040 loved had a criminal record and a nasty reputation. 47 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:07,160 Michael's not afraid to use a handgun or a weapon. 48 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,520 Statements from some of his acquaintances 49 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:15,200 indicated that his favorite pastime was dressing up in black 50 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,120 and shooting at cars and trains. 51 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:22,960 Six months before he met Melody, 52 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,440 Michael Short and a friend came up behind a couple 53 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:27,360 driving down the highway. 54 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:32,360 They were in the fast lane, moving too slow to suit Short. 55 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:33,880 You ain't gonna drive a speed limit. 56 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:36,760 You got no business being in the passing lane. 57 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:38,960 Just pull over and let him drive. 58 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:40,520 You can go and buy if you want to. 59 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:41,400 He was right on my tail. 60 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,040 He's starting to bug me. 61 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:45,400 God, this guy's ticking me off. 62 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:52,160 Hey grandma, why'd you learn how to drive? 63 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,160 You're lucky I didn't run right over you. 64 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,160 This guy's a little tick. 65 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,160 Short dog the couple for 10 miles, 66 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:01,160 getting wilder by the minute. 67 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:02,160 Wild for a game? 68 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:03,160 I'll put a friend in games. 69 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:04,160 I'm a little bit there. 70 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:05,160 Oh my god, honey. 71 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:06,160 He's got a gun. 72 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:07,160 Honey, he's got a gun. 73 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:08,160 Drive to something. 74 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:09,160 Here you go. 75 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:10,160 He's freaking out of his mind. 76 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:11,160 All right. 77 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,160 All right, I'm gonna speed up and I'm gonna break real hard. 78 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,160 All right? 79 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,160 Keep your luck and you won't sue for gas. 80 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:17,160 What's that mean? 81 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:18,160 Rude! 82 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:23,160 The driver was struck once in the shoulder but survived. 83 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,160 Police tracked short by his license plate number 84 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,160 and charged him with attempted murder. 85 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,160 A few months later, while he was out on bail, 86 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,160 he met Melody Woods. 87 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:36,160 She fell head over heels for Michael and me 88 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:37,160 from the very first day. 89 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,160 She came home and was so excited about him, 90 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:42,160 telling me that she was going to be a real killer. 91 00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,160 She was like, I'm gonna kill you. 92 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,160 She came home and was so excited about him, 93 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,160 telling me about him and just thought that he was 94 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:53,160 everything that she had ever wanted. 95 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,160 Melody's parents believe that by the time Melody 96 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:01,160 learned about Michael's past, she was already under his spell. 97 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:02,160 I've missed you. 98 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:08,160 She became real secretive and always away from home 99 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,160 and didn't spend a lot of time with us. 100 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,160 And she never wanted Michael around us very much. 101 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,160 I want you to have this. 102 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:15,160 It's a beeper. 103 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:16,160 Duh. 104 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:17,160 I know what a beeper looks like. 105 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,160 When I call you, I'll punch a 911. 106 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,160 Drop whatever you're doing and give me a call right away. 107 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,160 I don't want to have to worry about you. 108 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:25,160 Deal? 109 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,160 Deal. 110 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,160 I had to talk with her and I told her, 111 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,160 I said, I'm afraid that, you know, 112 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,160 he's being a little bit too possessive. 113 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,160 And she was like, well, you know, 114 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:37,160 we just really enjoy being together 115 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,160 and there's really nothing to it and he's not possessive. 116 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:45,160 And, you know, every time I would try to say anything 117 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,160 about the situation, she didn't want to talk about it. 118 00:05:49,160 --> 00:05:52,160 In March of 1995, Michael Short was found guilty 119 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,160 on the highway shooting incident. 120 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:58,160 He was sentenced to eight years in prison on a reduced charge, 121 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,160 aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. 122 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,160 Melody's parents hoped that would end the affair. 123 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,160 To their dismay, Melody refused to give up on Short. 124 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:11,160 After the impact of war off, she started talking about, 125 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:13,160 I can get through this. 126 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,160 You know, I'll make it, it may just be four years 127 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:19,160 and may not spend eight there, so we'll do the best we can. 128 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,160 I can make it through this. 129 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,160 By all accounts, Short was just determined to remain 130 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:26,160 a part of Melody's life. 131 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,160 He had access to a jail phone from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 132 00:06:30,160 --> 00:06:34,160 Use it to barrage Melody and her parents with collect calls. 133 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,160 Where are you? 134 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,160 He called us day and night, night and day. 135 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,160 He was relentless with the phone calls. 136 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,160 I mean, they just never would stop. 137 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:45,160 She had to be at a specific phone, 138 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,160 at a specific time for him to call, 139 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,160 and if she wasn't there, then he was very angry. 140 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:51,160 And when he did finally get a hold of her, 141 00:06:51,160 --> 00:06:55,160 it would always be a screaming match over the telephones. 142 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,160 Finally, we just had our phones blocked 143 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,160 for many collect calls, because that's the only way 144 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,160 they could call was collect. 145 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:05,160 And he figured out a way around that, 146 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,160 by calling his parents and getting his parents 147 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:09,160 to call us on three-way. 148 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:17,160 The phone calls at first were a blessing for Melody. 149 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,160 I mean, any contact that she could have with him, 150 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:20,160 she was thrilled to death. 151 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:21,160 Mom, let it ring. 152 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:25,160 But as time went along, she started to get a little irritated 153 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,160 because she couldn't do anything. 154 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:30,160 This has got to stop Melody. 155 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,160 I'm going to have to change this number again. 156 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,160 It's not my fault he keeps calling me. 157 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:38,160 She started to pull away from it a little bit, 158 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,160 but then the calls would intensify, 159 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,160 and Michael would say, 160 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,160 you just don't understand how horrible it is for me here. 161 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,160 You're the only thing I've got. 162 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,160 You know, you can't, you can't forsake me now. 163 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:52,160 You're my soulmate, you know, 164 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,160 and just really would make her feel bad. 165 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,160 So then she would go back to accepting all the phone calls. 166 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,160 From jail, short-controlled Melody's every move 167 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,160 for more than a year. 168 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,160 Even his fellow inmates called him the little bully. 169 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:11,160 On June 7th, 1996, authorities learned the full extent 170 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:13,160 of his power over Melody. 171 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:19,160 That morning, Melody and a girlfriend 172 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:22,160 waited in a borrowed van outside the prison walls. 173 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,160 Melody. 174 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,160 Melody, maybe we should go. 175 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,160 It's 7.45. He says Jim ends at 7.30. 176 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,160 Chrissy, just hang on a few more minutes, okay? 177 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,160 He's going to be here. 178 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:37,160 All right, Rex over. Let's go, guys. 179 00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:38,160 You know the drill. 180 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,160 Line it up two to time for the gate. 181 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,160 It's about to fall. 182 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:44,160 Let's go, Rex over. 183 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:45,160 Before anyone could react, 184 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,160 short made a bold break for freedom. 185 00:08:47,160 --> 00:08:49,160 After the break, 186 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:50,160 when anyone could react, 187 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:52,160 short made a bold break for freedom. 188 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,160 Hey, short, hold it. 189 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:00,160 Stop, or I'll shoot. 190 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,160 Chrissy, start it up. He's coming. 191 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,160 Go, go, go! 192 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,160 Start to finish. 193 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,160 The entire escape took less than one minute. 194 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,160 At a nearby motel, short changed clothes 195 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,160 and switched from the van to Melody's car. 196 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:47,160 Hey, be careful, okay? 197 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:49,160 I will, all right? 198 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:50,160 I'll call you. 199 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,160 I'll ring once and then hang up, 200 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:54,160 and no one will see me, okay? 201 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,160 When he left, he took Melody with him, 202 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,160 possibly against her will. 203 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:06,160 Based on my conversation with her friend, 204 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,160 she indicated to me that Melody had every intention 205 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,160 of coming home that night 206 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:13,160 and that she would get in touch with her 207 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:15,160 when she got home. 208 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,160 I personally don't believe that Melody had any intentions 209 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,160 on leaving with him. 210 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,160 There's a lot of things she didn't take with her. 211 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:27,160 There was clothes and girl things, 212 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,160 like rollers and hairdryers 213 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,160 and just a bunch of stuff. 214 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:35,160 I just don't believe she had any intentions on leaving. 215 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,160 The only thing that we've received from Melody 216 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,160 since her disappearance was one postcard 217 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,160 from Chattanooga, Tennessee, 218 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:47,160 and the only thing that that postcard said was, 219 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:51,160 I'm okay, I'm sorry, and I love you very much. 220 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,160 That was about a week after her disappearance, 221 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,160 and there's been nothing since. 222 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:01,160 What concerns me the most about Melody's disappearance 223 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:05,160 is that just that she's disappeared 224 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,160 and we've had three unconfirmed sightings of Michael. 225 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,160 Nobody has ever seen Melody 226 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,160 and one would have to wonder, 227 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,160 has she already become a liability to him? 228 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:41,160 In a moment, when a madman takes an elementary school hostage, 229 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,160 the residents of a small town can only pray for a miracle. 230 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,160 But first, was a young businesswoman murdered 231 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:52,160 to keep her from blowing the whistle on illegal banking activities? 232 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:10,160 December 11, 1995, 3.30 a.m. 233 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:12,160 Fire units race to a blaze 234 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:16,160 in the fashionable Georgetown District of Washington, D.C. 235 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:19,160 A resident had been awakened by a fire alarm 236 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:24,160 and phoned 911 to report seeing flames in a neighboring townhouse. 237 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:36,160 Once inside, firefighters discover that the blaze 238 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,160 was restricted to the upstairs bedroom. 239 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,160 In fact, it was confined to the bed itself. 240 00:12:49,160 --> 00:12:52,160 Initially, it appeared that nobody was home. 241 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,160 But as the smoke began to clear, 242 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,160 the firefighters were stunned to discover 243 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,160 that the bed was occupied by a woman, 244 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:02,160 barely breathing, but incredibly still alive. 245 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:08,160 38-year-old Lynn Amos was a financial analyst 246 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,160 who had been living in Washington for just five months. 247 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,160 She was rushed to Washington Hospital Center 248 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,160 with third-degree burns, over 80% of her body. 249 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:23,160 One of the nurses who saw her when she first was taken to the hospital 250 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:28,160 told us later on that she asked Lynn when she was brought in 251 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,160 if she knew what happened, and Lynn shook her head no. 252 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,160 At first, investigators believed it was an accident. 253 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:38,160 Lynn's blood alcohol content was .25, 254 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,160 two and a half times a legal limit for driving in Washington, D.C. 255 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:47,160 That fact, coupled with the discovery of a cigarette butt, 256 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,160 seemed to indicate that Lynn Amos had been smoking in bed. 257 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,160 But Lynn's friends and family rejected that scenario. 258 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:58,160 Well, Lynn didn't smoke. 259 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:00,160 I smoked until recently. 260 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,160 If you're a closet smoker, you certainly smoke with your friends who smoke. 261 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:05,160 There were no dirty ashtrays in the house. 262 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,160 There were no matches. There were no cigarette packs. 263 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,160 There was no evidence that she was smoking in bed. 264 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:17,160 Within a few days, the police had to rethink their initial assumption. 265 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:20,160 When insurance investigators came to the house, 266 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,160 they found the presence of accelerants on the mattress, floor and pillow. 267 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:28,160 They concluded that the fire had been deliberately set. 268 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:33,160 The insurance investigators report showed that there was a combination 269 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,160 of kerosene, gasoline and turpentine. 270 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:42,160 And the doctor has told me that her burns were consistent with those from a fire 271 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,160 that was accelerated. 272 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:48,160 He told me at the hospital, he couldn't believe that only she in the bed burned. 273 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:54,160 He said she looked like the result of a house having been burned around her. 274 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:02,160 Lynn Amos hung on for 10 days, barely conscious and unable to speak. 275 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:06,160 On December 21st, 1995, she passed away. 276 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:11,160 A month later, the cause of death was officially listed as homicide. 277 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:17,160 But who would want Lynn Amos dead? And why? 278 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,160 She seemed an unlikely target, friendly, outgoing with no known enemies. 279 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,160 But Lynn Amos apparently did have her secrets. 280 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:30,160 In the weeks before she died, she abruptly stopped talking to her friends about her job. 281 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,160 When pressed, she refused to elaborate. 282 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:38,160 To those who knew her best, a motive for Lynn's murder began to emerge. 283 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:44,160 Lynn Amos had moved to Washington in August of 1995 284 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:47,160 to take a position with a management consulting firm. 285 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,160 As part of her job, she made frequent trips to Mexico 286 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:54,160 to assess the lending practices of several large Mexican banks. 287 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:01,160 Less than a month before the fire, Lynn had lunch with her close friend Emily Smith 288 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,160 and offered the first indication that she was sitting on top of a bombshell. 289 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:11,160 I realized when we were having lunch that I didn't know what she was working on 290 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,160 and that was unusual because we talked about work a lot. 291 00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:17,160 We did sort of similar types things. 292 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,160 So tell me about work. 293 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:24,160 Well, I've been working on this project for the Mexican equivalent of the Federal Reserve. 294 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:26,160 What are you doing? 295 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:30,160 I'm in charge of examining credit issues. 296 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:34,160 And I've seen some very bad lending practices. 297 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:39,160 I waited and it was clear she wasn't going to say more. 298 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,160 So I said, well, is your report going to be ugly? 299 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,160 And she said, yes, it's going to be really ugly. 300 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,160 And that was all she would say. 301 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:51,160 They have great eggs Benedict here. 302 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,160 On Sunday, December 10th, the day before the fire, 303 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:59,160 Lynn once again hinted to friends that she was privy to some explosive information. 304 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:00,160 That is not true. 305 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,160 So how are things at the office? 306 00:17:02,160 --> 00:17:04,160 Are you still on that project with the banks? 307 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,160 Yeah. 308 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:10,160 I've seen some dangerous things in Mexico. 309 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:15,160 He at the time thought it was a very strange comment to make. 310 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:19,160 It wasn't the kind of dangerous the way she said it. 311 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:26,160 In other words, she didn't mean I'm feeling a little dangerous and uncomfortable where I'm living. 312 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:28,160 I'm living on a safe neighborhood. 313 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,160 It wasn't that kind of dangerous. 314 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:36,160 She definitely meant to me that she had seen literally some dangerous things in what she was working on. 315 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:40,160 I'm purely speculating here. 316 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:48,160 But it's possible that she bumped into a loan having to do with drug money or a fraudulent loan. 317 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:52,160 That's the sort of thing you might bump into when you're reviewing credit portfolios. 318 00:17:53,160 --> 00:17:55,160 Hey, it's Lynn. What are you working on? 319 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:59,160 The last time anyone spoke to Lynn Amos was at 10 o'clock that night. 320 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,160 We're working on the credit checks. 321 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:07,160 We do know that she called her office to confirm that she was going to be late for work the next day. 322 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,160 Maybe 12. We've got a doctor's appointment. 323 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,160 No, no, I'm okay. It's no big deal. 324 00:18:13,160 --> 00:18:22,160 So we know Lynn was at home. Lucid, completely fine, had a 30-minute conversation at 10 o'clock at night. 325 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:27,160 At 10.30, she then, we then don't know what happened. 326 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:35,160 When we first told our attorney how Lynn was killed, his first statement was that's a professional hit. 327 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:45,160 The fire detective who came to the scene said that it had all the indications that this was a controlled fire. 328 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:51,160 That somebody was there making sure that this fire didn't do more than it needed to do. 329 00:18:54,160 --> 00:18:59,160 Lynn's friends and family believe that sometime after midnight, the killer broke into the townhouse. 330 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,160 Because there were no signs of forced entry, he may have had a key. 331 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:11,160 You do what I tell you, and I'm gonna have to use this. Let's go. 332 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:23,160 The intruder may have then forced Lynn to swallow enough alcohol to render her unconscious. 333 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:41,160 To achieve the level of alcohol that she was found with, it takes between 9 and 14 glass drinks in an hour for a woman her size, which is almost impossible to consume. 334 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:45,160 That means you have a new drink every 4 to 7 minutes. 335 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:53,160 According to the scenario, the intruder then set about making Lynn's death look like an accident. 336 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:21,160 What was done to Lin Amis is so horrible, I really do not have the words to describe it. 337 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:30,160 Lynn was just a great friend. She was really fun. She loved life. And people should not be allowed to get away with that. 338 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:38,160 It's interesting to note that Lin Amis never completed her report on the Mexican banks. 339 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:46,160 Lin's former employer declined to appear on camera for this segment. In a letter to one's solve mysteries, he wrote, 340 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:53,160 We are troubled by the same questions being asked by investigators. We can only hope that forensic science will provide some answers. 341 00:20:55,160 --> 00:21:05,160 In a moment, the remarkable story of Sam Zellickson, who says he hit the lottery jackpot with help from an unlikely source, the spirit of his deceased son. 342 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:14,160 And later, a small town faces unspeakable tragedy when a deranged ex-cop and his wife sees control of the local elementary school. 343 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:19,160 The End 344 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:37,160 Meet Sam Zellickson of Yonkers, New York. The voted father, loving grandfather, a now-to-were self-made businessman. 345 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:44,160 Sam had been through just about everything a man could go through, until the morning of January 16, 1991. 346 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,160 Sam Zellickson 347 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:01,160 Claught for an ambulance here, Gary. 348 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:07,160 No one who witnessed the accident could have imagined that Sam survived, but Sam proved them wrong. 349 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:13,160 Or above all else, Sam Zellickson is a survivor, the very definition of resilience. 350 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:24,160 It was 1941. Sam was 12 years old when the German army marched into his homeland at Latvia. 351 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:30,160 The Zellickson and the Valk Jews were sent to a ghetto, and later a concentration camp. 352 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:40,160 Sam was one of the lucky ones. He survived the Holocaust. But tragically, by the time he was liberated, Sam had lost his entire family. 353 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:47,160 After the war, Sam moved to New York City, married and had five children. 354 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:52,160 Then in 1986, he suffered another devastating blow. 355 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:59,160 His only son, Barry, the pride of the family, died of cancer a week short of his 27th birthday. 356 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:07,160 For Sam and his wife, Janice, the heartbreak of losing their only son was almost too much to bear. 357 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:19,160 He was wonderful. He loved the family. He was worried by the younger sisters. 358 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:27,160 He was protective. And he loved us very much. And we love him very much. 359 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:38,160 My brother was the good sheep, the spirit of my family. My brother was always trying to make everybody happy. 360 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:44,160 Although Barry was gone, his spirit and memory served a whole family together. 361 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:50,160 By 1991, it seemed the worst was behind them. Then came the day of Sam's accident. 362 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:58,160 All things considered, Sam came through in pretty good shape. 363 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,160 A sprained neck, two broken ribs, a single cut on his forehead. 364 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,160 After two weeks in the hospital, Sam was ready to go home. 365 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,160 You look 100% better than when you came in here. 366 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:20,160 You're right, my Israel. I was generally laying in bed and saying my prayer quietly. 367 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:26,160 But this time, I felt like an arm touched me. 368 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:35,160 And I stunned at the moment. And as I looked, I saw a son of my son. 369 00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,160 Like he was in a shroud. 370 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,160 Barry, my boy. 371 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:44,160 Barry. 372 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:52,160 I couldn't believe it. I thought he came back to me. I thought God gave him a new life. 373 00:24:55,160 --> 00:25:00,160 Sam just stared, blocking a profound silent exchange with the spirit of his deceased son. 374 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:07,160 The spell was abruptly broken when another patient began to jabber about the state lottery. 375 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:12,160 Look Sam, look what day it is today. It's a 90 million dollar day. 376 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,160 Look Sam, it's what they call the superlotto. 377 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,160 It's 90 million dollars today, Sam. 378 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:28,160 When Barry disappeared, I thought there was a sign and I had to play the lotto. 379 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:38,160 Because he moved me towards it. He told me to play in a certain way. 380 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:47,160 That afternoon, Sam came home from the hospital. His wife and daughters tried to keep him calm. 381 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,160 But all Sam cared about was buying his lottery tickets. 382 00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:53,160 Thank you. First of all, do me a favor. 383 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:59,160 The first thing you do, I want you to go up to my room. The top drawer in my bureau. There's money in it. 384 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:04,160 Take it out and bring it down here. I want you to buy lottery tickets with it. 385 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:06,160 Lottery tickets for what? 386 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:14,160 Yes, because Barry came to me in the hospital and he said buy tickets to the lottery. It's the 90 million dollar lottery. 387 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,160 When my dad came home from the hospital, he was really insistent that we play the lotto. 388 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,160 He had this feeling that my brother was pushing him to buy a lotto ticket. 389 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:31,160 And he kept telling us, let's play the lotto. We have to play the lotto. Barry was there. This was a sign from heaven that we need to play the lotto. 390 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:35,160 So do you know what numbers you want to play, Dad? 391 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:44,160 The Zellixons bought 16 tickets at a dollar apiece. 16 different combinations of six numbers for a chance to win 90 million dollars. 392 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,160 Sam's overwhelming confidence slowly spread to the rest of the family. 393 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:57,160 When we went to buy the lotto tickets, there was a feeling of buying it to please my father. 394 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:06,160 And then there was this other feeling that, well, maybe something might come so you never know. Anything in life can happen. 395 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:16,160 Nobody knows that better than Sam's Zellixon. That evening, he made sure his entire family was gathered around for the drawing of the winning numbers. 396 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:23,160 Now tonight's winning super lotto numbers. The first winning number is 46. 397 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:29,160 1946. The year Sam left the refugee camp after World War II. 398 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,160 Tonight's second winning number is 50. 399 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,160 The year Sam came to America. 400 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,160 The third winning number is 35. 401 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,160 The number of years Sam and Janice had been married. 402 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,160 Tonight's fourth winning number is five. 403 00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:50,160 The number of children in the Zellixon family. 404 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,160 The fifth winning number for tonight is 30. 405 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:57,160 Daughter Denise's age. 406 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:03,160 And the sixth winning super lotto number to Winnershare, $90 million, is 15. 407 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,160 Son Barry's birthday, July 15, 1959. 408 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,160 When we won, my dad smiled like an angel. 409 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,160 It was as if he knew that he really did see my brother. 410 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,160 He was so happy, and I've never seen him glow like that. 411 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:30,160 He was so happy, and I've never seen him in my life. 412 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:35,160 The odds of Sam's special numbers winning the lottery were 13 million to one. 413 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,160 Sam is convinced that the loving spirit of his son improved his odds considerably. 414 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:47,160 My son Barry definitely was responsible for winning the lotto. 415 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:54,160 He definitely gave me the gift. You know, God works in a mysterious way. 416 00:28:54,160 --> 00:29:00,160 He takes away the best thing in your life, but they give you back a little in return. 417 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,160 I felt it was like a gift. It was a gift from Barry for my son. 418 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:06,160 And that's how I felt. 419 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:16,160 Barry wanted his father, his mother, and his sisters should have a happy life 420 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,160 and to help other people that cannot be helped. 421 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:24,160 Because he was that kind of person, Barry. 422 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:29,160 As it turned out, the Zellick'sans were not the only winners at night. 423 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:36,160 Eight other people also hit the jackpot, making each ticket worth slightly more than ten million dollars. 424 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:46,160 Sam and his family will continue to receive annual payments of roughly $475,000 until the year 2011. 425 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:53,160 To honor the memory of their son Barry, they have donated a significant portion of the proceeds to charity, 426 00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:57,160 a tradition they plan to uphold with each coming year. 427 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:05,160 Next, a powerful homemade bomb demolishes a crowded school classroom, 428 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:12,160 yet not a single child is seriously injured, an extraordinary piece of luck, or a case of divine intervention. 429 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,160 The Zellick'sans 430 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,160 They wheeled it into the school just after the lunch hour recess, 431 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:36,160 a homemade bomb packing the brute force of 25 sticks of dynamite. 432 00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:40,160 No futs and around, over there, my friend. 433 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:46,160 They herded everyone at the school, 136 students and 17 adults into one small room. 434 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:49,160 What is all this? 435 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:51,160 Look, shut up and sit down! 436 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,160 His name was David Young, and he was no stranger to Cookville, Wyoming. 437 00:30:56,160 --> 00:31:00,160 He had served briefly as a town policeman before he was fired from misconduct. 438 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:05,160 Young's resentment had mushroomed into a full-blown messianic tirade. 439 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:09,160 It's a scenario that is now chillingly familiar. 440 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,160 Innocent lives hanging by a thread at the whim of a suicidal madman. 441 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:19,160 But 10 years ago when David Young and his wife, Dora, stormed the elementary school in Cookville, Wyoming, 442 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,160 such horrors were still fresh and incomprehensible. 443 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:27,160 To the people of Cookville, it seemed only a miracle could save their loved ones. 444 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:31,160 Hey, listen! 445 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,160 You are all part of a great revolution, when it began many years ago. 446 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,160 The government and its schools have filled your mind with lies. 447 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:44,160 David Young made it clear that he was prepared to kill himself and everyone in the room. 448 00:31:45,160 --> 00:31:46,160 Read it! 449 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:50,160 Virtually every child in Cookville between the ages of 5 and 12 was at his mercy. 450 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:54,160 Among them, Melanie Chadwick, then 8 years old. 451 00:31:55,160 --> 00:31:57,160 I didn't really realize what was happening, you know. 452 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:02,160 Because I remember one of my friends, older brother Kevin Nate, his older brother Brian, 453 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:07,160 he's like, well we're being held hostage and I remember Kevin saying, well what does hostage mean, you know. 454 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:12,160 We were really young and we didn't realize what was happening. 455 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:16,160 And when the time comes you will fully understand the plan I have for you. 456 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:18,160 Now so far you've been pretty good. 457 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,160 But if any of you tries to escape, we're going to have to shoot you. 458 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:28,160 David told the kids that he would shoot them in the legs so that they couldn't run away. 459 00:32:29,160 --> 00:32:32,160 He said, we don't want to hurt you, but if you try to run away we will. 460 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:34,160 You! Come here. 461 00:32:35,160 --> 00:32:36,160 You the principal? 462 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:38,160 Yes, I am. 463 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:40,160 Okay, you'll be my spokesman. 464 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:43,160 You tell them I want two million dollars a piece for each of these kids. 465 00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:46,160 And you tell them I'm attached to you. 466 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,160 I'm not going to let you go. 467 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:51,160 I'm going to let you go if you try to escape. 468 00:32:52,160 --> 00:32:53,160 But I'm going to let you go. 469 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,160 You tell them I'm attached to you, you tell them I'm going to let you go. 470 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,160 If I go down and this wedge pulls out this school blows sky high. 471 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:03,160 We're about half an inch from death. 472 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:06,160 News of the crisis flashed through Cokeville and beyond. 473 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:08,160 Police converged on the scene. 474 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:11,160 Dev, all four of my children in there. 475 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:16,160 Distraught parents confronted the sheriff determined to take matters into their own hands. 476 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:18,160 The radio said that there's a bomb. 477 00:33:18,160 --> 00:33:19,160 They want it. 478 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,160 They take the rifle and put it back in your rear. 479 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,600 Listen, I got my boys in there. 480 00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,400 If you can't get them out, I will. 481 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,200 David Young was a veritable human fuse. 482 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:30,560 One tug of his wrist could destroy the school 483 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,200 room and everyone in it. 484 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:35,120 OK, now get out of the way. 485 00:33:35,120 --> 00:33:36,240 Come on. 486 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:39,600 At one time, one of the children jostled Mr. Young, 487 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,920 and he became quite upset. 488 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,360 I guess he didn't want to set the bomb off. 489 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:48,000 And either Mr. Mitchell or Mr. Moore 490 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:53,520 suggested that they put tape in an area about a nine foot 491 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:57,480 square on the floor, what they called a magic square, 492 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,960 so that the youngsters would not step inside that square 493 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:04,320 and would not jostle Mr. Young's arm. 494 00:34:04,320 --> 00:34:06,680 There was at one point, we kept thinking, well, maybe someone 495 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:08,360 can shoot him from the outside. 496 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:10,360 And I'd say no. 497 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:13,160 At the time, Amy Bagasso was 10 years old. 498 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,000 I remember thinking, oh my gosh, I am going to die. 499 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,560 You know, I'm not going to see my family. 500 00:34:17,560 --> 00:34:19,240 How am I going to get this isn't, I'm not 501 00:34:19,240 --> 00:34:20,240 going to be able to grow up. 502 00:34:20,240 --> 00:34:22,200 I'm not going to be able to get my driver's license. 503 00:34:22,200 --> 00:34:24,120 I'm not going to be able to do anything. 504 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:26,120 May we please open some doors and windows 505 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:27,120 and let some air in here. 506 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,360 The fumes are making the kids sick. 507 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:32,720 There are a lot of children getting ill from, you know, 508 00:34:32,720 --> 00:34:36,840 throwing up and so forth from the smell of the gasoline fumes. 509 00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,520 As the time went on and the fumes got stronger, 510 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:43,240 most of us felt pretty nauseated. 511 00:34:43,240 --> 00:34:46,400 Our dear heavenly father, we thank you for that watch. 512 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,040 We prayed a lot. 513 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:51,440 I remember just sitting there with my hands clenched so tight, 514 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:52,920 you know, just praying, heavenly father, 515 00:34:52,920 --> 00:34:57,880 that to let something happen, you know. 516 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:00,400 Many of those in the classroom believe that the praying 517 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:02,640 heralded a coming miracle. 518 00:35:02,640 --> 00:35:04,680 First, David Young became agitated 519 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:05,920 and appeared to lose confidence. 520 00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:12,160 Moments later, he had a control of the bomb over to his wife 521 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:13,040 and left the room. 522 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,400 By then, the children had been immobile for nearly two hours. 523 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,120 They were restless, eerily. 524 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:24,960 Could you please do something about the noise 525 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:28,320 and help me get these kids quiet right now? 526 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,640 Eyewitnesses remember Doris Young gesturing carelessly, 527 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,600 even though one false move would trigger a catastrophic 528 00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:35,600 explosion. 529 00:35:35,600 --> 00:35:37,200 We have to move around a little bit. 530 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,040 And we can get everybody from that side. 531 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:40,560 We can move some of the kids over here, 532 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:42,040 then we can move some of the kids over here. 533 00:35:42,040 --> 00:36:10,440 I had a fifth grader, third grader, and a first grader in that room. 534 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,240 When I seen that smoke coming out of the windows, 535 00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:16,480 I expected to see this school go in a million pieces. 536 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:21,200 A few children stumbled from the smoke 537 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,080 within seconds of the blast. 538 00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:24,680 Others were trapped in the classroom. 539 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,400 My teacher's worth throwing children out of the windows. 540 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:35,240 And I could feel flames feel hot on my back. 541 00:36:35,240 --> 00:36:36,840 And didn't realize that I was on fire. 542 00:36:36,840 --> 00:36:39,880 And I saw flames coming from the corner of my eye, 543 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:42,240 on my right shoulder, and started to burn. 544 00:36:42,240 --> 00:36:45,080 So I dropped and rolled. 545 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,800 And as I looked up, I could see all these little feet just 546 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,080 scurrying out into the hallway. 547 00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:51,640 All these kids were just stepping over me 548 00:36:51,640 --> 00:36:54,200 and stepping on me and jumping over me. 549 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:58,120 Out of nowhere, I felt big hands just pick me up. 550 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,360 And I looked up and saw Mr. Moore and Jack Mitchell. 551 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:03,880 And they were beating the fire off of me. 552 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:08,600 And they picked me up and they shoved me to safety. 553 00:37:08,640 --> 00:37:12,440 Ambulance rushed injured children to area hospitals. 554 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:14,200 Some of those who emerged unharmed 555 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,520 were taken home by their parents. 556 00:37:16,520 --> 00:37:19,200 No one knew how many youngsters had survived 557 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,880 or how many might lay lifeless in the ashes. 558 00:37:23,880 --> 00:37:25,760 Just inside the classroom, police 559 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:28,120 found the body of Doris Young. 560 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:31,600 David Young had also died, but not from the explosion. 561 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:35,600 He had killed himself with a single gunshot to the head. 562 00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:38,280 Grimm's search for Cokeville's children commenced. 563 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:47,240 After an hour, dread turned to hope, then hope to joy. 564 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:50,960 Not a single child had perished in the flames. 565 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:53,680 It seemed that Cokeville had been blessed with a miracle. 566 00:37:57,720 --> 00:38:01,800 There's many, many things that point to something 567 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,040 happening and higher power just happening 568 00:38:05,120 --> 00:38:06,840 and helping this case. 569 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:07,760 OK, now get out of the way. 570 00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:08,680 Come on. 571 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:11,240 At the very least, an extraordinary run of luck 572 00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:13,480 helped the children survive. 573 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:16,360 By staying outside the so-called Magic Square, 574 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:20,320 they were away from the bomb when it exploded. 575 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:23,080 With the doors and windows open, much of the bomb's force 576 00:38:23,080 --> 00:38:25,920 blew harmlessly out of the classroom. 577 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,920 And then there was the bomb itself. 578 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:33,880 Remnants sifted from the rubble told the incredible story. 579 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:35,640 Now look at this. 580 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,880 It's a fully intact blasting cap. 581 00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:42,480 This bomb didn't even completely detonate. 582 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:44,760 The potential of this explosive device 583 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,800 could have and should have destroyed 584 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:52,360 that whole end of the class of the school building. 585 00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:56,560 Had it functioned the way it was supposed to. 586 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:00,160 Police learned that Young had built and exploded several bombs 587 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,520 exactly like the one he brought to Cokeville. 588 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:08,960 Yet in the classroom, Young's bomb had unexpected problems. 589 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,200 A container of blasting powder had become thoroughly soaked, 590 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:15,560 rendering it a useless paste. 591 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,200 Detonational wires to other tubs of powder had been cut. 592 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:22,720 No reason, no explanation. 593 00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:27,400 There should have been 162 people dead in that room. 594 00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:30,400 We should have been in there just picking up bodies. 595 00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:32,400 Hard to have any father. 596 00:39:33,400 --> 00:39:36,040 The people of Cokeville came to their own conclusion 597 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:38,640 about the improbable turn of events. 598 00:39:38,640 --> 00:39:43,840 The hostages must have been saved by a modern day miracle. 599 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:45,480 I just had this overwhelming feeling 600 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:49,040 that Heavenly Father was there, that he was watching out 601 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:50,080 over us. 602 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,040 To me, I knew that the Lord was there with me. 603 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:55,920 And I knew that he would make it all right 604 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,280 and that we'd make it through it. 605 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:01,720 A few students were adamant about seeing what they 606 00:40:01,720 --> 00:40:04,240 called a presence hovering above the room 607 00:40:04,240 --> 00:40:06,240 the moments before the bomb ignited. 608 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,840 Some of the youngsters said that the mysterious presence 609 00:40:21,840 --> 00:40:25,040 actually directed them to move, advice that may have 610 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:26,040 helped save their lives. 611 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:33,560 In my mind, the only way out of that thing 612 00:40:33,560 --> 00:40:36,480 would have been to find intervention. 613 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,160 We've always said guardian angels, 614 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:41,120 to help people out. 615 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,520 And I believe that there is people 616 00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:47,360 that have went on before us that help us out. 617 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:48,160 What? 618 00:40:48,160 --> 00:40:48,960 What are you going to do? 619 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:51,680 Sheriff Deb Wolfland says that outside the school room, 620 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:55,160 he too felt the touch of heavenly guidance. 621 00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:56,120 What are you going to do? 622 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:59,200 I remember very clearly thinking in my mind, 623 00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:00,440 what am I going to do? 624 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:04,880 Here's a man in here with a bomb who wants to blow our kids up. 625 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:06,080 How am I going to handle that? 626 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:08,080 Deb, get my boys out of there. 627 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:11,480 And I know that without a shadow doubt 628 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:16,240 that our God in heaven had answered my prayers. 629 00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:19,440 A voice said to me, everything will be OK. 630 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:26,560 One final discovery. 631 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:29,280 This ghostly image singed into the north wall 632 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,000 of the classroom, led some to conclude 633 00:41:32,000 --> 00:41:34,440 that an angel had been in school that day, 634 00:41:34,440 --> 00:41:35,880 protecting innocent lives. 635 00:41:49,080 --> 00:41:51,880 10 years have come and gone since a crazed gunman named David 636 00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:54,680 Young nearly wiped out an entire generation in Cookville, 637 00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,120 Wyoming. 638 00:41:56,120 --> 00:41:59,120 Since then, the town has resumed as quiet ways. 639 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:02,160 But most folks there still believe that only a divine miracle 640 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:04,720 stood between themselves and unspeakable tragedy. 641 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:18,080 Join me next time for another fascinating edition 642 00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:19,200 of Unsolved Mysteries.