One of the most famous crimes of the early 20th century was the kidnapping and murder of the 18 month old son of the famous aviator Charles Lindbergh. Bruno Hauptmann was convicted of this crime, but there have been reasons to doubt him as the perpetrator. Here is the Wiki article Lindbergh kidnapping - Wikipedia
So what is the Straight Dope on the subject? Did Hauptmann really do the deed? Was there a coverup?
He seems pretty guilty to me. There was all kinds of evidence linking Hauptmann to the murder, like the ladder. Both wood from the ladder and diagrams for building the ladder were found in Hauptmann’s house. OK, so later, they claimed, they couldn’t find his fingerprints on the ladder. Uh…gloves?
The other theories don’t add up. Why would the Mafia want to do something like this? There’s no precedent for the Mafia kidnapping a baby. The Mafia was typically extremely patriotic - animosity with the FBI notwithstanding. Lindbergh was a national hero. It just doesn’t seem like a Mob job.
I always thought it was an insider, if not a member of the family. I have not studied this indepth as other have, but I’ve been into the case on and off since about 2006. A lot of things don’t add up when you really look at the evidence. I’ve never understood why Hauptmann clung to the claim he was innocent. He could have spent life in jail instead of death.
All of the files and evidence are available for public review at the New Jersey State Police Museum. The handbook on Studying the Lindbergh Case is a quick and interesting read, particularly the history of sources.
I agree on the insider thing (I think it was the, what, maid??? that killed herself who was in on it). However, I think the maid??? had Hauptmann as an accomplice.
Although I agree with the premise that if only he confessed he could have lived, I can also see where he might 1. be distrustful of the legal system to stick to their end of the bargain, given the state of the law back then, and he may have confessed and thrown away all chances at an appeal and gone to the chair anyway or 2. not want his wife to know that he was a kidnapper/murderer, and 3. who knows whose love slave he may have ended up back then had he spent life in prison.
The claims of contradictory evidence all seem to evaporate when held up against the real facts. Some of the courtroom voice witnesses seems a bit forced in a legal sense, and I’ll be hanged if Jafsie Dr.Condon etc… didn’t have more in the affair to answer for than is thought, but, I think the wood/nail from Hauptmann’s house being used for the ladder, and the money in Hauptmann’s possession, were pretty definitive.
Could be wrong, tho.
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I believe that Hauptmann was guilty, but that he was not a lone actor. Fisch, at least, was a co-conspirator.
There is no evidence whatsoever that implicates Violet Sharp.
She commited suicide and so did her sister, if I recall right. Not that it means she did it, but very strange. More so if her sister did too.
I’m just going on the idea that she acted more suspiciously than comports with innocence when she said that she was out on a blind date that night, and couldn’t remember the names of her date or of anybody else that she was with. And was it she who committed suicide? Evidence? dunno, you be the judge. Yes, I know that she may have been totally innocent, and who in the world knows why she killed herself? It could be because she was terrified that she couldn’t remember the names of her datemates that night that set her off. Don’t know, don’t care… just looks very suspicious.
I haven’t made a sworn deposition that she was the ringleader, and even if I had, she would be out of the reach of the law by now, so relax.
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Would she have felt that she could have prevented the kidnapping?
Y’know, I’m getting a bit tired of posters here who post their theory, and when they are disagreed with, say “relax”.
How am I to relax? By not disagreeing with you?
What evidence indicates to you that the maid (no question marks, she was a maid, if you knew as much as you think you do, you’d know that) Violet Sharp was involved in the kidnapping?
This much is true.
After all, where did the rest of the money vanish to? All the serial numbers were recorded, but nowhere near all the money showed up, then nor never. It wasn’t spent: where did it go?
And another thing–how did Hauptmann know which window to climb up to? Or what the household schedule was?
Several years ago I read a book (the Noel Behn book?) which made some strong plausible allegations that the “kidnapping” was a hoax from the beginning, to cover up a spiteful/insane act by the baby’s aunt. The baby died on Friday, but the kidnapping report was made Sunday to give time for preparation.
That book built from a few testable allegations. Did Lindbergh miss a dinner engagement Friday? When/why did `Wild Bill’ Donovan come to Lindbergh’s house?
That would depend on what you consider “evidence” Frank. Inspector Walsh of the Jersey City Police Department, a seasoned verteran among the Police ranks involved, interviewed Sharp. After investigating her statements, he discovered she was both lying and obstructing his investigation. This led him to declare she had been involved. H. Norman Schwarzkopf too, would tell the Press via his liason that her suicide seemed to indicate involvement. There’s more to Sharp then meets the eye but that requires a good deal of research in order to discover.
Once Hauptmann was arrested they had to “deep six” any talk of Conspirators, because he wasn’t talking, and they risked their Murder in the First Degree conviction if they allowed the Jury to believe others were involved.
I’m torn.
I’ve read the Noel Behn book, and a few others. At the very least, I think Hauptmann somehow had inside help.
The power and prestige that Lindbergh had at the time was off-the-charts…he could have basically orchestrated anything, I guess, to cover up or throw off suspicion.
UT
There is no question that Hauptmann was guilty. The wood for the ladder and the plans were found in his apartment. Nail holes on the wood lined up with holes on joists in his attic. $14,000 in expired gold certificates with serial numbers matching the ransom money was found in his house. His handwriting and poor spelling and grammar exactly matched the ransom notes. He had John Condon’s address written on a closet wall.
The only question is whether he acted alone. I don’t think there’s enough evidence to say whether or not there were any co-conspirators. Certainly, no forensic evidence has come to light linking anybody else to the crime. Speculative evidence about Violet Sharp and other household members has never gone anywhere.
This.
I think Hauptmann was guilty, but did not act alone. He was probably part of a small conspiracy, perhaps one person on the inside and one on the outside. The prosecution was on shaky ground legally trying to send him to the chair, so they were disinterested in looking for other suspects that might cause their capital case against Hauptmann to blow up, even if the lone wolf theory couldn’t explain certain things, like how the kidnapping was pulled off so smoothly without leaving mud all over the room or disturbing anyone in the household, or why kidnap bills kept turning up after Hauptman was in custody.
I recall, from a Lindbergh biography, that the prosecution put an IRS forensic accountant on the stand who showed that a recent splurge of purchases by the Hauptmanns added up to pretty much the amount missing from the supply in his home. Why would you expect the cash to show up once dispersed in circulation?
If there was anyone other than Hauptmann involved, they didn’t benefit from it in any identifiable way.
Yes, given bills with serial numbers.
Bills that have never appeared.
I would suspect that as popular as Lindbergh was at the time, that shoeshine boys would be looking at the dollar bills they received to check out the serial numbers. 