THE LINDBERGH KIDNAPPING
1930's
THE NIGHT OF THE KIDNAPPING
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. born June 22 1930 son of Charles Lindbergh Anne Lindbergh .They believed Charlie was destined for fame ... he was famous just not in the way they expected. charlie was sick on the night of march 1st the family was spending a quiet evening in the very large house with there nurse, Betty At about 7:30pm anne put charlie to bed, and they proceeded there regular chores. At about 10 pm the nurse went to check on the baby and found that charlie was no where to be found Mr.Lindbergh found a strange envelope on the open window sill asking for 50,000 dollars within several days and not to make anything public because the strange letter noted that charlie was in good care in reality he wasn't.
The Lindbergh Kidnapping Case (1976) Based on a True Story
THE SEARCH
Thousands of offers to help were received my the Lindberghs as soon as people knew charlie was missing. Dr .John Condon placed ads int the news paper for contact with the kidnappers not long after Condon was sent charlies pajamas that he was wearing the night he went missing and along with the pj's were more ransom notes on April 2 Condon and Mr.lindbergh met up with the man claiming to be the kidnapper the men gave the napper the money that was demanded in gold certificates so that they could be tracked the man told them that charlie was on a boat heading for Massachusetts but that was false , Lindbergh flew all along the coast to look for a boat but never saw the boat in question. In May a truck driver discovered baby charlies remains in the woods along the road near the Lindbergh estate. the news of charlies body being discovered Mrs.Lindbergh was sent to bed ,she was heart broken.later that month in Bronx, NY a gas station attendant got suspicious of a gold certificate payed by a man on a motorcycle he got his license plate and called the police.The motorcycle belonged to an illegal immigrant named Bruno Richard Hauptmann the police found the ransom money in Hauptmanns house and found that he was sentenced to 3 years of prison in Germany for burglary. Hmm where have we see that before?...
THE TRIAL
The police arrested Bruno Hauptmann he was charged with murder and extortion.the trail started on January 3,1935 it lasted 5 weeks. He was charged only on evidence but that was enough the wood used to make the ladder was the same wood used in Hauptmann's attic and wood from a mill near his home plus Dr.Condon's phone number & address was found carved into a door frame in his house . on February 13th,1935 the jury returned with a verdict ... that they found him guilt of murder his sentence death. the defense appealed Bruno was electrocuted on April 3 1936 @ 8:47 pm . he was originally to be put to death on January 17,1936 but the governor of the state granted him a 30 day reprieve and on February 17th 1936 Bruno was re-sentenced for April 3rd during the week of march 30th the pardon court of the state denied his petition for clemency.Some still think there was more to the story than just a jealous man, a child and a ransom note... Was there?
THANKS!! Smore created By:Eden DeLaurier
Work Cited
"The Lindbergh Kidnapping." FBI. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
"Lindbergh Kidnapping." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
"Lindbergh Kidnapping." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.