Charles Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped from his home in 1932. His body was found two months later. The crime sparked a massive investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. A man named Bruno Richard Hauptmann was eventually arrested after ransom money was traced back to him. At his highly publicized 1935 trial, Hauptmann was found guilty of first-degree murder and executed the following year. While Hauptmann maintained his innocence, circumstantial evidence strongly linked him to the crime. The case attracted unprecedented media attention and left the Lindbergh family enduring accusations and conspiracy theories for years.

1. THE
LINDBERGH
CASE
BY: ZOE SPADARO

2. THE CRIME
Who was the victim? What
happened to him?
Twenty month year old baby Charles
Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped
from his nursery in Hopewell, New Jersey
on the night of March 1st, 1932, at
approximately 9:00 pm. On May 12th, 1932,
the baby’s body was found dead 45 feet
from a highway that was about 5 miles from
the Lindberg estate. It was eventually
determined that he been dead for around 2
months before his body was found and that
the cause of death was a blow to the head.

3. 1. MARCH 1ST, 1932: BETTY GOW, THE CHILD’S NURSE, NOTICED AND REPORTED TO
THE LINDBERG’S THAT THE BABY WAS GONE. A SEARCH OF THE HOUSE WAS DONE
IN WHICH A RANSOM NOTE WAS FOUND, DEMANDING $50,000.
2. A SECOND RANSOM NOTE WAS FOUND, DEMANDING $70,000.
3. A THIRD RANSOM NOTE WAS FOUND.
4. DR. CONDON OFFERED, AND WAS ACCEPTED, TO BE A “GO-BETWEEN” AND SAID
HE WOULD PAY AN EXTRA $1,000 AND PUBLISHED “IN THE BRONX HOME NEWS”.
5. A FOURTH RANSOM NOTE WAS RECEIVED.
6. MARCH 10TH, 1932: DR. CONDON BEGAN NEGOTIATING WITH NEWSPAPERS BY
THE CODE NAME “JAFSIE”.
7. MARCH 12TH, 1932: CONDON RECEIVED A FIFTH RANSOM NOTE FROM JOSEPH
PERRONE, A TAXICAB DRIVER, AND IT GAVE A CLUE TO ANOTHER NOTE.
8. CONDON FOUND THE SIXTH RANSOM NOTE.
9. CONDON MET “JOHN”, AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN, AT A CEMETERY TO DISCUSS
PAYMENT OF THE RANSOM
10. MARCH 16TH: CONDON RECEIVED THE SEVENTH RANSOM NOTE, WHICH CAME
WITH A "TOKEN OF IDENTITY" OF THE BABY, WHICH WAS A BABY'S SLEEPING SUIT
MAJOR EVENTS TOOK PLACE BETWEEN
THE KIDNAPPING AND THE DISCOVERY
OF THE BABY'S BODY

4. 11. MARCH 21ST: CONDON RECEIVED THE EIGHTH RANSOM NOTE
WHICH TOLD THAT THE KIDNAPPING HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR OVER A
YEAR
12. MARCH 29TH: BETTY GOW FOUND THE LOST CHILD'S THUMB
GUARD WHICH HE HAD BEEN WEARING THE NIGHT OF THE
KIDNAPPING, OUTSIDE OF THE ESTATE
13. MARCH 30TH, THE NINTH RANSOM NOTE WAS RECEIVED BY DR.
CONDON IN WHICH THE RANSOM WAS THREATENED TO BE RAISED TO
$100,000 AND IT PROHIBITED THE NEWSPAPER COLUMN'S HELP
14. APRIL 1ST: DR. CONDON RECEIVED THE TENTH RANSOM NOTE
WHICH STATED HE WAS TO HAVE THE RANSOM MONEY READY BY THE
FOLLOWING DAY
15. APRIL 2ND: CONDON RECEIVED THE ELEVENTH RANSOM NOTE FROM
A TAXICAB DRIVER WHICH GAVE A CLUE TO THE TWELFTH RANSOM
NOTE
16. DR. CONDON FOUND THE TWELFTH RANSOM NOTE WHICH
INSTRUCTED HIM TO AGAIN MEET "JOHN"
17. DR. CONDON MET "JOHN" AND GAVE HIM $50,000 AND IN RETURN
RECEIVED THE THIRTEENTH RANSOM NOTE WHICH STATED THAT THE
BABY COULD BE FOUND ON A BOAT BY MARTHA'S VINEYARD,
MASSACHUSETTS, NAMED "NELLIE"
18. TWO SEARCHES WERE COMPLETED WITH NOTHING FOUND
19. MAY 12TH, 1932: THE BODY OF THE KIDNAPED BABY WAS FOUND
(ACCIDENTLY) ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILES (SOUTHEAST) OF THE
LINDBERGH HOME, 45 FEET FROM A HIGHWAY, BY WILLIAM ALLEN

5. WHAT AGENCIES INVESTIGATED THE CRIME?
* THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE: ASSUMED CHARGE OF THE
INVESTIGATION AS SOON AS NOTIFIED BY THE HOPEWELL
POLICE
* THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE
* THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE: PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
MOVED ALL THE CASE WORK TO BE CENTRALIZED HERE
* THE FBI
WHAT TECHNIQUES DID THEY USE IN THE
INVESTIGATION?
* THEY TRACKED THE GOLD NOTES THAT WERE USED TO PAY
THE RANSOM: THIS WAS A FAIRLY NEW AND UNHEARD OF
TECHNIQUE AT THE TIME
* ARRESTED HAUPTMANN AWAY FROM HIS HOUSE SO THAT
THEY COULD CATCH HIM WITH A GOLD NOTE IN IS
POSSESSION: THIS TECHNIQUE MADE EVEN MORE EVIDENCE
THAT WOULD BE USED AGAINST HAUPTMANN
THE INVESTIGATION

6. THE INVESTIGATION
(CONTINUED)
What evidence was there to work with?
• The first ransom note found on the nursery windowsill the night
of the kidnapping
• Traces of mud found on the nursery floor
• The ladder that had been used to enter and leave the nursery:
one section was split and broken, which meant the ladder had
broke in the ascent or descent
• A total of thirteen ransom notes
• A chisel found in the nursery
• A thumb guard belonging to the baby that Betty Gow found many
days after the kidnapping

7. THE INVESTIGATION
(CONTINUED)
What evidence led to the arrest of the suspect, Hauptmann?
• The gold notes: A gold note was found at a bank with a license
plate number written on it by a gas station attendant, John
Lyons, who had passed the bill to the bank. This made him
traceable and he described writing the number down because he
thought it weird to see a gold note because they were rarely
used any more. He was able to give a description of the man,
which matched descriptions of "John" by Dr. Condon.
• A pair of shoes was found in his house that was also paid for by the gold notes from the ransom money.
• Joseph Perrone identified him to be the man that gave him the ransom note to give to Dr. Condon.
• $13,000 of ransom certificates were found in his garage.
• Dr. Condon identified him to be the man that he had paid the ransom money to.
• Owned a dodge sedan which had been described to be seen around the Lindbergh home on the day of the
kidnapping in the beginning of the investigation.
• His handwriting matched that of the writing in the ransom notes.
• A chisel was missing from a tool set he owned, and it matched the one at the crime scene.
• Dr. Condon's address and phone number were written in a closet in Hauptmann's house.
• Hauptmann had not worked a day after the ransom was paid, but yet he suddenly could spend money lavishly.

8. KEY FIGURES
Members of the Lindbergh family:
• Anne Morrow Lindbergh: the daughter of a multimillionaire banker and
ambassador to Mexico; mother of Charles Lindbergh
• Colonel Lindbergh/ Charles A Lindbergh: a pilot who was the first person to
fly by themselves across the Atlantic Ocean which brought him much fame;
father of Charles Lindbergh
• Mrs. Dwight Morrow: Mrs. Lindbergh's mother; grandmother of Charles
Lindbergh
Household employees of the Lindbergh family:
• Betty Gow: the child's nurse who was the one that noticed that Charles
Lindbergh was gone and reported it to his parents
• Violet Sharpe: Mrs. Morrow's waitress who committed suicide when asked to
be questioned
Main investigators:
• Dudley Shoenfeld: investigated all of the physical evidence
• Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf: the Superintendent of the New Jersey
State Police
• FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover

9. KEY FIGURES
(CONTINUED)
Dr. Condon:
• The man that offered and became the "go-between" for the Lindbergh's
• He received many of the ransom notes
• He met with "John" twice
“Cemetery John”:
• The man who Dr. Condon met with to give the ransom money too
• Was later identified to be Bruno Richard Hauptmann, despite many accusations and
descriptions that did not match him 100% (most descriptions did match though)
Bruno Richard Hauptmann:
• A German carpenter who had lived in the US for about 11 years
• Had a criminal record for robbery, went to jail, and then fled Germany to come to the
US
• He was deported twice before he successfully entered the US, still as an illegal alien
• Claimed that he was not guilty and claimed that a fur dealer by the name of Isidor
Fisch had left the money found at his house in defense

10. WHERE WAS THE TRIAL HELD?
FLEMINGTON, NEW JERSEY IN 1935
WHO WERE THE ATTORNEYS FOR THE PROSECUTION
AND DEFENSE?
* PROSECUTOR: DAVID WILENTZ: BELIEVED THAT THE EVIDENCE WITH THE MONEY
WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING PIECES OF EVIDENCE
* DEFENSE: EDWARD REILLY: A FLAMBOYANT ATTORNEY WHO WENT SO FAR AS TO
ACCUSE THE POLICE AS PLANTING THE EVIDENCE TO MAKE IT LOOK AS THOUGH
HIS CLIENT HAD COMMITTED THE CRIME
WHO WERE THE KEY WITNESSES AND WHAT DID THEY SAY?
* DR. CONDON: EXPLAINED THE MAN THAT HE MET, "JOHN", IDENTIFIED JOHN TO
BE HAUPTMANN
* JOSEPH PERRONE: HAD GIVEN A DESCRIPTION, WHICH MATCHED HAUPTMANN
* BETTY GOW: IDENTIFIED THE SHIRT FOUND ON THE BABY'S BODY TO BE ONE
THAT SHE HAD MADE FOR HIM; STATED THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW ANY OF THE
GANG MEMBERS THAT SHE WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT
* AMANDUS HOCHMUTH: LIVED ON THE ROAD OF THE LINDBERGH ESTATE; TOLD
OF HOW HE HAD SEEN A MAN IN A GREEN CAR WITH A LADDER IN IT PASS HIS
HOUSE ON THE MORNING OF THE KIDNAPPING; HE IDENTIFIED THE MAN HE SAW
TO BE HAUPTMANN
THE TRIAL

11. WHAT ROLE IN THE CASE DID FORENSICS
PLAY?
○ A BOARD CUT FROM THE FLOOR OF HAUPTMANN'S HOME MATCHED THE WOOD OF THAT USED
TO MAKE THE LADDER THAT WAS USED IN THE KIDNAPPING
○ HANDWRITING ANALYSIS WHICH MATCHED HAUPTMANN'S HANDWRITING TO THAT ON THE
RANSOM NOTES
○ THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF FORENSIC EVIDENCE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO DIRECT EVIDENCE
FOUND SUCH AS DNA OR FINGERPRINTS.
HOW DID THE MEDIA HANDLE THE STORY?
○ THE MEDIA ATTACKED THIS CASE, MAKING IT A COMPLETE FRENZY
AND CAUSING MORE SHOCK THAN A PRESIDENTIAL ASSASSINATION
○ AROUND 16,000 CARS CAME TO THE COURT HOUSE IN THE FIRST WEEKEND OF TRIAL
○ ONE SUNDAY, AROUND 5,000 PEOPLE SQUISHED TOGETHER INTO THE COURTHOUSE - THIS WAS
MORE THAN THE ENTIRE FLEMINGTON POPULATION
○ REPORTERS SNEAKED A CAMERA AND A MICROPHONE INTO THE TRIAL AND MADE NEWSREELS
WITHOUT BEING AUTHORIZED - THIS CAUSED FOR NEW RULES FOR BANNING PHOTOGRAPHY
AND RADIO BROADCASTING IN THE COURT ROOM
○ THE CASE WENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND INTO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, LIKE EUROPE
○ 50,000 WORDS ON THE CRIME WERE WRITTEN BY HEARST'S INTERNATIONAL NEWS SERVICE,
JUST ON THE DAY OF THE KIDNAPPING.
○ A REPORTER AND CAMERAMAN WENT SO FAR AS TO SNEAK INTO WHERE THE BODY OF THE
VICTIM WAS TO TAKE PICTURES OF IT WHICH THEY THEN COPIED AND SOLD
○ IT ATTRACTED OVER 100 REPORTERS FROM BOTH AMERICA AND EUROPE AND 35
RADIO/TELEGRAPH OPERATORS.
WHAT WAS THEE VERDICT?
○ THAT RICHARD HAUPTMANN WAS GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND WOULD BE
SENTENCED TO DEATH
THE TRIAL (CONTINUED)

12. WHAT HAPPENED TO HAUPTMANN AFTER THE
TRIAL ENDED?
HE WAS ELECTROCUTED TO DEATH ON APRIL 3RD, 1936.
HOW LONG WAS THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE
VERDICT AND HAUPTMANN'S EXECUTION?
○ VERDICT: REACHED ON FEBRUARY 13TH, 1935
○ EXECUTION: APRIL 3RD, 1936
○ IT TOOK OVER A YEAR FOR THE EXECUTION TO OCCUR
BECAUSE:
* HAUPTMANN HAD MADE AN APPEAL TO THE
SUPREME COURT, WHICH WAS LATER DENIED ON DECEMBER
9TH, 1935.
* ON JANUARY 17TH, 1936, HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
EXECUTED BUT THE GOVERNOR OF NJ GRANTED HIM A 30 DAY
REPRIEVE.
* HAUPTMANN WAS EVENTUALLY RESCHEDULED TO BE
EXECUTED THE WEEK OF MARCH 30TH, 1936.
* HAUPTMANN PETITIONED FOR CLEMENCY, BUT THAT
WAS DENIED ON MARCH 30TH, 1936.
THE AFTERMATH

13. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LINDBERGH'S AFTER
THE TRIAL ENDED?
○ THEY ENDURED STRESS FROM PEOPLE TRYING TO PROVE
THAT HAUPTMANN WAS INNOCENT: A FEW PEOPLE CLAIMED
TO BE THE LINDBERGH BABY ALL GROWN UP, POSSIBLY TO
SEEK THE LINDBERGH INHERITANCE
○ MR. LINDBERGH WAS SOMETIMES ACCUSED OF MURDERING,
OR AT LEAST HAVING TO DO WITH SOMETHING IN THE
MURDER OF HIS SON
THE AFTERMATH
(CONTINUED)

14. MY TAKE
I do believe that many of the alternate theories are
definitely persuading, however I still believe that the
jury reached the correct verdict with the evidence that
there was. The main thing, to me at least, that is very
persuading, was that there was no direct evidence
linking Hauptmann to committing the crime, only
circumstantial. There were no fingerprints, DNA, or
exact evidence that put Hauptmann at the crime scene
and committing the crime. However, the circumstantial
evidence found is extremely key to the case and
definitely goes against the sake of Hauptmann. It would
be quite hard for all of the evidence found to be linked
to Hauptmann, if he didn't commit the crime.