The Lindbergh Kidnapping
Crime has always been a part of the world we live in. Whether it be theft, murder, or kidnapping, it has been and always will be a huge factor in society. With crime, comes forensics; the “behind the scenes” work in all cases. Forensics is described as “relating to the use of scientific knowledge or methods in solving crimes or relating to, used in, or suitable to a court of law” (Crime Museum 1). Dubbed as “The Crime of the Century”, The Lindbergh kidnapping has affected the criminal justice system in more areas than one.
Charles Lindbergh Jr. was the 20 month old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh Sr. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Lindbergh Jr. was abducted on March 1st, 1932, at approximately 9:00 p.m. from his second floor nursery in Hopewell, New Jersey (Lindbergh
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(Ahlgren and Monier 7). New Jersey State Police connected Hauptmann to the crime because of a 10 dollar gold certificate he used to buy five gallons of gasoline (Whitehead 1). A teller at Corn Exchange Bank and Trust Company realized that the bill was from the Lindbergh ransom money. When Hauptmann was arrested, police found a 20 dollar gold ransom note in his pocket, and another $13,000 of the ransom money in his garage. Hauptmann was convicted of the murder and kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby and was put to death on April 3, 1936 (Whitehead 2).
The case was directed by the New Jersey State Police, but it turned into a cooperative effort between the New Jersey State Police, New York City State Police, and the FBI (Whitehead 1). The FBI stands for Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The FBI is an intelligence-driven and threat-focused national security organization with both intelligence and law enforcement responsibilities. Their mission is to protect the American people and uphold the United State Constitution” (FBI