American aviation and military officer Charles Lindbergh made history on May 20, 1927, when he made his first solo flight as a pilot across the Atlantic.
Less than five years later, on March 1, 1932, tragedy struck his family when his 20-month-old baby, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., was kidnapped from his New Jersey home, leaving behind a ransom demand for $50,000.
The kidnapping and the upcoming trial attracted considerable media attention.
When the search for the 20-month-old baby began, many ransom demands were received until Lindbergh Jr.’s remains were accidentally found.
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr., son of the historic aviator Charles Lindbergh, was kidnapped on March 1, 1932. (Getty Images and NY Daily News via Getty Images)
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- When was Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. kidnapped?
- Did they ever find Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.?
- What happened at the Lindbergh kidnapping trial?
1. When was Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr. kidnapped?
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was kidnapped on March 1, 1932, when he was just 20 months old.
According to FBI.gov, the Lindbergh baby was abducted from his second-floor nursery of the family’s home near Hopewell, New Jersey, around 9 p.m.
About an hour after his disappearance, the baby’s nurse, Betty Grow, informed his parents, famous aviator Lindbergh and his wife Anne Morrow, of the 20-month-old baby’s disappearance.
There was very little evidence in the room from which the baby was kidnapped other than a ransom note on the windowsill demanding $50,000.
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The New Jersey State Police began investigating this high-profile case, which lasted for several months, with numerous ransom demands following the first.
A search of the crime scene revealed no incriminating evidence. Only unidentifiable muddy footprints and two broken pieces of a ladder used to reach the second-story window were found at the scene.
When the baby was kidnapped from the Lindberghs’ home, it was 20 months old. (BIPS/Getty Images)
According to FBI.gov, no fingerprints were found.
On March 6, 1932, according to the Library of Congress, a second extortion letter was received, postmarked from Brooklyn, New York, increasing the amount demanded to $70,000.
Soon after a third ransom note surfaced, Lindbergh hired retired Bronx teacher Dr. John F. Condon to act as an intermediary between him and the kidnapper.
By March 10, 1932, Condon had the $70,000 ransom and began negotiating payment through newspaper columns under the code name “Jafsie,” according to FBI.gov.
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Condon followed detailed instructions to meet with the suspected kidnapper, who went by the name “John.”
On March 16, along with the seventh ransom note, Condon also received a pair of pajamas belonging to Lindbergh Jr., according to the FBI.gov website.
On April 2, 1932, Condon received two more ransom letters, the 11th and 12th, which prompted him to meet with “John” for a final time. At this meeting, $50,000 was paid in exchange for the safe return of Lindbergh Jr.
Condon received a 13th note detailing the whereabouts of the kidnapped child, who was allegedly being held on a boat named “Nellie” near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, according to FBI.gov.
A search for the baby began around Martha’s Vineyard, but the boat was not found.
2. Did they ever find Charles Augustus Lindbergh, Jr.?
Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was found, but not because the blackmail note led investigators to his whereabouts.
On May 12, 1932, Lindbergh Jr.’s badly decomposed body was accidentally discovered by a truck driver about four miles from the family home, according to FBI.gov.
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According to FBI.gov, the medical examiner’s examination determined the cause of death to be a blow to the head. When the 20-month-old baby was found, he had already been dead for about two months.
The body of the Lindbergh baby was found badly decomposed on May 12, 1932. (Getty Images)
3. What happened at the Lindbergh kidnapping trial?
After the body was found, New Jersey police offered a $25,000 reward for anyone with valuable information on the case, according to a statement from the Library of Congress.
According to the source, the case was brought to the FBI’s attention in 1933, and almost a year passed before any discoveries were made related to the murder.
A presidential decree was issued ordering the return of all gold and gold certificates to the state treasury. This proved helpful in the case, as a large part of the ransom paid was in gold certificates.
In addition, the New York City Bureau Office has distributed copies of a revised brochure containing the serial numbers of ransom notes to employees who handle cash in banks, grocery stores and gas stations, according to FBI.gov.
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The reporting of the gold certificates eventually led to the arrest of a German-born carpenter named Bruno Richard Hauptmann.
A gas station attendant was suspicious of a $10 gold certificate being used as payment and wrote down the license plate number of the man who used it, according to FBI.gov.
After that, according to FBI.gov, Hauptmann’s house came under surveillance by authorities, and on the night of September 18, 1934, a man was spotted who matched the description of “John” given by Condon, as well as the description of the man who had purchased the gasoline with the $10 gold certificate.
Bruno Richard Hauptmann was found guilty of the murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. and sentenced to death. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
When Hauptmann was arrested, he admitted to making several purchases with ransom notes, and his home was searched. According to FBI.gov, over $13,000 worth of ransom notes were found in his garage. During his defense, Hauptmann claimed the money was being kept for a deceased friend, according to Britannica.
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According to FBI.gov, Hauptmann was indicted on racketeering charges in Brox County, New York on September 29, 1934, and on murder charges in Hunterdon County, New Jersey on October 8, 1934.
The trial, dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” began on January 2, 1935, in Flemington, New Jersey.
The wood of the ladder used in the kidnapping matched the wood of Hauptmann’s attic floor. Evidence against Hauptmann included Condon’s phone number, which was found in the frame of a closet door in his apartment, and handwriting samples.
The trial ended on February 13, 1935, when the jury, after eleven hours of deliberation, found Hauptmann guilty of premeditated murder.
Hauptmann was sentenced to death and, after unsuccessful appeals, was executed in the electric chair on April 3, 1936.
This case led to the passage of the Federal Kidnapping Act, also known as the Lindbergh Law, in 1932, which made kidnapping a federal crime and allowed the FBI to become involved in kidnappings in which victims were transported across state lines.
