On this date in 1932, Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20 month old son of the famous aviator, was kidnapped from the family’s home near Hopewell, NJ. After weeks of negotiations, a ransom was paid and instructions were given where to find the child. The instructions, which directed the family to a nonexistent boat in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, were bogus. The boy’s body was found on May 12th in the woods near the Lindbergh home.
The investigation went on for two and a half years. In September of 1934, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested after passing some of the gold certificates from the ransom. A search of Hauptmann’s home yielded over $13,000 of the ransom money. Hauptmann maintained his innocence, but was convicted of murder. He was executed by electrocution on April 3, 1936.
As a result of the Lindbergh case, the federal Kidnapping Act, also known as the Lindbergh Law, was passed making kidnapping a federal offense, falling under the jurisdiction of the FBI.
Further reading:
FBI Famous Cases – The Lindbergh Kidnapping
truTV – The Lindbergh Kidnapping
Wikipedia – Lindbergh kidnapping
John D.:
When my Dad was alive, we talked about this cae a few times, and he believed that Hauptmann was set up, in spite of the “:evidence” that surfaced..
Considering Dad lived through the era it happened, and given the (strong) rumor that the Lindbergh baby had some sort of handicap only adds to the mystery.
My Dad maintained that an innocent man went to the chair.
Good coverage and links.
Stay safe out there.
At the very least he had accomplices. I can’t see a guy trying a thing like that by himself.
I have heard the same rumors, Bob. Interesting…
There was a TV movie about the case back in the 70s or 80s. It didn’t come out and say Hauptmann was innocent, but it left room for doubt of his guilt. On an interesting side note, the lead investigator on the case was the father of General Norman Schwarzkopf.