Updated

A California prosecutor is investigating whether victims were paid to support parole applications for three men who hijacked a school bus of California children nearly four decades ago.

Madera County District Attorney David Linn says he asked investigators on Thursday to look into allegations made by other survivors. They are among 26 children who were kidnapped along with their school bus driver near Chowchilla in 1976.

Linn says he wants to know why some victims switched their position to support the release of Frederick Woods in November. Woods was denied parole, but brothers James and Richard Schoenfeld were previously released.

Gary Dubcoff, an attorney representing the three men, says no victim was paid anything to support their petitions for parole.

The syndicated TV program "Inside Edition" first reported on Linn's investigation.