Ready to lose yourself into the wild world of true crime and famous worldwide mysteries? Buckle up because my series is your free ticket to a rollercoaster ride through the darkest corners of human history and the most baffling unsolved puzzles. Fro...
Hi, hello! How are you? I hope you're having a wonderful day so far and I'm so happy to have you back.
When I was doing my research, I had to keep reminding myself that this case is real, and it actually happened. We're going to be talking about one of the largest mass kidnapping cases in U.S. history: the Chowchilla Kidnapping.
So... grab your snacks & your popcorn babes, get ready for a hell of a story time!
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Today's case involves three evil perpetrators: Frederick Newhall Woods IV, along with his two accomplices, James Schoenfeld and Richard Schoenfeld.
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Fred Woods, James Schoenfeld, Richard Schoenfeld.
While there are three individuals, Frederick Woods was the ringleader among them.
He goes by Fred, so we're just going to call him Fred.
Fred, born on October 15, 1951, grew up in Portola Valley, a town just outside San Francisco, California. He resided with his parents, Fred Senior and Harriet.
Fred was incredibly rich, with a family fortune that spans generations.
Keep that in mind.
His father, Fred Senior, having inherited the family's wealth, became a successful businessman himself. They lived in a prosperous community in the Santa Cruz mountains, and it is said that Fred was born into a life of privilege, having a silver spoon in his mouth.
Fred must be the first criminal in this series who is actually extremely rich- like Fred is really about as privileged as one can get.
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However, despite his privileged upbringing, Fred was extremely lonely during his childhood. He was described as a slightly different, shy, and awkward child, he often faced ridicule from other kids and struggled to form friendships. Moreover, he felt incredibly isolated within his own home. His parents failed to prioritize him or provide him with the attention he needed. Although his parents were rich, they primarily used their wealth for themselves. They would travel the world, leaving Fred behind for months on end, under the care of caretakers, while they indulged in their own pleasures. Fred never developed a close bond or connection with either of his parents. It was reported that if one were to examine the family photographs displayed around the house, there would be pictures of Fred's parents together in various locations worldwide, but never a family photograph.
