Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping
On March 1, 1932, the Lindbergh family were going about their evening when the family’s nurse discovered that Anne Lindbergh did not have Charles the Lindbergh's 20month old son with her. She went to his nursery and when she entered the room she saw his empty cot and the open window. Then under further inspection, she found a ransom note. Then Anne Lindbergh and their family butler Watley went around the property with guns looking for the kidnapper or Charles. It is debated whether it was Anne or Charles sr who went around the property. But they found underneath Charles Jr window the impressions of a ladder and a baby blanket. When they couldn’t find anything else Watley called the New Jersey State police as well as the family’s attorney Henrey Breckinridge.
James Condon joined the investigation and unofficially investigated for many years he even offered a reward of $5000 to the kidnappers if Charles Jr was handed over to a priest.
The ransom was packaged in a wooden box that was custom-made. The ransom money included a number of gold certificates; since gold certificates were about to be withdrawn from circulation. The bills were not marked but their serial numbers were recorded. All of these efforts were made in an attempt to make discovering the kidnappers easier.
On May 12, delivery truck driver Orville Wilson and his assistant William Allen pulled to the side of a road about 7.2 km south of the Lindbergh home. When Allen went into the trees to urinate, he discovered the body of a toddler. The skull was badly fractured and the body decomposed, there were indications of a very fast burial. Gow ( The Nurse ) identified the baby as the missing infant from the overlapping toes of the right foot and a shirt that she had made. It appeared the child had been killed by a blow to the head. Lindbergh insisted on cremation.
In June 1932, officials began to suspect that the crime had been perpetrated by someone the Lindberghs knew. Suspicion fell upon Violet Sharp, a British household servant at the Morrow home who had given contradictory information regarding her whereabouts on the night of the kidnapping. It was reported that she appeared nervous and suspicious when questioned. She committed suicide on June 10, 1932, by ingesting a silver polish that contained cyanide just before being questioned for the fourth time. Her alibi was later confirmed, and police were criticized for the bad handling of the case.
Condon was also questioned by police and his home was searched, but nothing that suggested fowl play on his behalf. Charles Lindbergh stood by Condon during this time.
In September 1934, a German immigrant carpenter named Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested for the crime. After a trial that lasted from January 2 to February 13, 1935, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Despite his conviction, he continued to profess his innocence, but all appeals failed and he was executed in the electric chair at the New Jersey State Prison on April 3, 1936.
Ransom Note on the windowsill
Dear Sir! Have 50,000$ redy 2500$ in 20$ bills 1 5000$ in 10$ bills and 10000$ in 5$ bills. After 2-4 days we will inform you were to deliver the Mony. We warn you for making anyding public or for the polise the child is in gut care. Indication for all letters are signature and 3 holes.
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