The crime that gripped a nation.
On a cold March night in 1932, America’s most famous infant vanished from his crib. The son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh was kidnapped in what would become known as “the crime of the century.” The case launched the largest manhunt in U.S. history and changed the way the country viewed child safety and ransom crime forever.
13 Chilling Facts
1. The victim was the son of a national hero.
Charles Lindbergh Jr., 20 months old, was the first child of aviator Charles Lindbergh, who had become a worldwide celebrity for his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic.
2. The kidnapping occurred at the Lindbergh home.
On March 1, 1932, Charles Jr. was taken from his crib on the second floor of the family’s Hopewell, New Jersey, estate. A makeshift ladder was found beneath the window.
3. A ransom note was left behind.
The note demanded $50,000 and warned the Lindberghs not to involve police. More notes followed, escalating the ransom to $70,000.
4. The kidnapper used homemade tools.
The ladder used to enter the nursery was homemade and poorly constructed, breaking under the child's weight as he was taken down.
5. A nationwide search ensued.
Thousands of officers, civilians, and even gangsters like Al Capone offered help. It became the most intensely covered manhunt of the era.
6. A man claiming to be a go-between came forward.
Dr. John Condon, a retired teacher, offered to act as an intermediary to communicate with the kidnapper, known only as John.
7. Ransom was paid — but the baby wasn’t returned.
On April 2, 1932, Lindbergh delivered the $50,000 in marked bills. Despite promises, Charles Jr. was not returned.
8. The body was found over two months later.
On May 12, 1932, the baby’s decomposed body was discovered in the woods just miles from the Lindbergh home. He had suffered a fatal skull fracture.
9. The FBI joined the case.
Though kidnapping wasn’t initially a federal crime, the high-profile nature of the case led President Hoover to involve the FBI — setting the stage for future federal jurisdiction in kidnappings.
10. The ransom bills helped identify a suspect.
Two years later, bills began surfacing. In 1934, one was traced to Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German immigrant and carpenter.
11. Evidence mounted quickly.
In Hauptmann’s garage, police found over $14,000 in ransom money. Wood in the homemade ladder also matched wood in his attic.
12. The trial was a media circus.
Dubbed the “Trial of the Century,” Hauptmann’s 1935 trial attracted journalists from around the world. He maintained his innocence throughout.
13. Hauptmann was executed in 1936.
Despite lingering doubts and controversy, Hauptmann was convicted and executed in the electric chair in April 1936.
A legacy of sorrow and reform.
The Lindbergh case led to sweeping legal changes, including the Federal Kidnapping Act, also known as the “Lindbergh Law.” But for many, questions still linger about whether the full truth was ever uncovered.
