| Lindbergh kidnapping | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Hopewell Township, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°25′26″N 74°46′04″W / 40.4240°N 74.7677°W |
| Date | March 1, 1932 |
Attack type | Child murder by head trauma, child abduction |
| Victim | Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., aged 1 |
| Burial | Ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean |
| Motive | Inconclusive; possibly ransom |
| Convicted | Bruno Richard Hauptmann |
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | |
| Sentence | Death by electric chair |
| Litigation | Two lawsuits filed by Hauptmann's wife against the state of New Jersey, arguing his innocence (both dismissed) |
On March 1, 1932, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. (born June 22, 1930), the 20-month-old son of colonel Charles Lindbergh and his wife, aviatrix and author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, was murdered after being abducted from his crib in the upper floor of the Lindberghs' home, Highfields, in East Amwell, New Jersey, United States.[1] On May 12, the child's corpse was discovered by a truck driver by the side of a nearby road.[2][3]
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.[4] Hauptmann's guilt or lack thereof continues to be debated in the modern day. Newspaper writer H. L. Mencken called the kidnapping and trial "the biggest story since the Resurrection".[5][6] Legal scholars have referred to the trial as one of the "trials of the century".[7] The crime spurred the U.S. Congress to pass the Federal Kidnapping Act (commonly referred to as the "Little Lindbergh Law"), which made transporting a kidnapping victim across state lines a federal crime.[8]
- ^ Gill, Barbara (1981). "Lindbergh kidnapping rocked the world 50 years ago". The Hunterdon County Democrat. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
So while the world's attention was focused on Hopewell, from which the first press dispatches emanated about the kidnapping, the Democrat made sure its readers knew that the new home of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh was in East Amwell Township, Hunterdon County.
- ^ Aiuto, Russell. "The Theft of the Eaglet". The Lindbergh Kidnapping. TruTv. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ^ "Lindbergh Kidnapping Index". Retrieved 16 October 2013.
- ^ Linder, Douglas (2005). "The Trial of Richard "Bruno" Hauptmann: An Account". University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Archived from the original on 9 July 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
- ^ Notorious Murders Archived March 8, 2014, at the Wayback Machine; CrimeLibrary.com; accessed August 2015
- ^ Newton, Michael (2012). The FBI Encyclopedia. North Carolina, US: McFarland. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-7864-6620-7. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ Bailey, Frankie Y.; Chermak, Steven (2007). Crimes and Trials of the Century [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 167. ISBN 978-1-57356-973-6.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (26 March 2007). "This Day on Capitol Hill: February 13". The Politico. Retrieved 24 June 2009.