Research Paper On Lindbergh Kidnapping

The Lindbergh Baby The Lindbergh kidnapping was referred to by the press as “The Crime of the Century”. On March 1st, 1932 Charles Lindbergh III was kidnapped at 20 months from his home in Hopewell, New Jersey. Bruno Richard Hauptmann was given to the death penalty for the kidnapping and murder of the baby. The mystery behind the Lindbergh baby can be summed up in two theories: that Bruno Hauptmann was responsible and that he wasn’t. So, the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby was arguably the most tragic kidnapping of the 20th century. Charles Lindbergh the father was an aviator and was the 1st to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. To start with, at around 10 pm the Lindbergh’s nanny first discovered the baby missing and authorities began looking for the baby and the kidnapper (Barclay). The only thing the kidnapper left behind was a “homemade ladder with a broken step” outside the baby’s room (Newton 218). Eventually, The baby’s body was found near the mansion, with huge

Outside of the baby’s window there was a ladder the kidnapper had left. A wood expert was called to testify that the ladder used to kidnap the Lindbergh’s son included a plank from the floor of Hauptmann’s attic”(Newton 220). Secondly, Hauptmann’s handwriting was compared to the ransom notes and they did match (Barclay). Meanwhile, when the police had searched Hauptmann’s house they found the ransom money in a closet (Hart). One of the bills from the money was tracked down to a gas station. One of the attendants at that gas station, gave the authorities a description that led to Hauptmann (Bondi 278). This evidence did not help Hauptmann. The pubic was getting pretty convinced that Hauptmann was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh child. Although, the ladder, the handwriting similarities, and finding the ransom money was the main evidence of the case another theory still