Caryl Chessman | |
|---|---|
 Chessman on November 25, 1953 | |
| Born | Carol Whittier Chessman May 27, 1921 St. Joseph, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 1960 (aged 38) |
| Cause of death | Execution by gas chamber |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Kidnapping for the purpose of robbery with infliction of bodily harm (3 counts) Kidnapping for the purpose of robbery Attempted rape Assault with a deadly weapon First degree robbery (8 counts) Attempted robbery Robbery Grand theft |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Date apprehended | January 23, 1948 |
| Imprisoned at | San Quentin State Prison |
Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 – May 2, 1960) was a convicted robber, kidnapper, serial rapist, and writer who was sentenced to death for a series of crimes committed in January 1948 in the Los Angeles area. Chessman was charged with 17 counts and convicted under a loosely interpreted "Little Lindbergh law" – later repealed, but not retroactively – that defined kidnapping as a capital offense under certain circumstances. His case attracted worldwide attention, and helped propel the movement to end the use of capital punishment in the state of California.[1]
While in prison, Chessman filed numerous legal actions of dubious merit that led to him being considered vexatious. One judge wrote in 1957: "[Chessman is] playing a game with the courts, stalling for time while the facts of the case grow cold."[2] Chessman wrote four books, including his 1954 memoir Cell 2455, Death Row. The book was adapted for the screen in 1955 and stars William Campbell as a character modelled after Chessman.
He was executed in California's gas chamber in 1960.
- ^ "FindLaw's Supreme Court of California case and opinions". Findlaw. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ Heggins Bryant, Nathaniel Zachery (2005). "WORKING INTHEBELLY OF THE BEAST: THE PRODUCTIVE INTELLECTUAL LABOR OF US PRISON WRITERS, 1929-2007" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2020.