Lindbergh Kidnapping Case Study

The case against Bruno Hauptmann for kidnapping the Lindbergh baby in 1935 was known as “the crime of the century.” The Lindbergh Kidnapping was a case where the son Charles Lindbergh, a 20-month-old-baby, was kidnapped from his crib about 9 p.m. in March. The Lindbergh case is well known due to the media attention that it received during the case. Hauptmann was the suspect that paid the price for the crime and died from the electrical chair. In the 1933 controversial court case of the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, the guilty verdict correctly prosecuted Bruno Hauptmann because of a criminal background, evidence, and witnesses. Due to Hauptmann’s criminal background, he served as a likely suspect. Hauptmann had a history in the German Military

Stated by Klein, The physical description of the man in the cemetery, given by John Codon after they meet, match Hauptmann perfectly. Codon said that the man had a German accent, and Hauptmann was a German. The witness helped the police to filter through some of the less likely suspects to narrow down the suspect field to find the right kidnapper. Once they had the description and Codon to help identify the man who he met with made the investigation go faster to make sure that no one got away with the crime. Amends Hochmuth, a man who always sits and watches the intersection by the Lindbergh home, saw crucial information to help the investigation against Hauptmann. Michael Ray, a journalist, states, “Amends Hochmuth was an eighty-four year-old man who loved to sit and watch an intersection near the Lindbergh home. On March 1, 1932, before noon, Hochmuth said he noticed a dirty green Sedan driving from Hopewell at a fast speed. At the last minute, the driver applied the brakes and the car came to a halting stop in front of the ditch and stalled. As the driver attempted to restart the vehicle, Hochmuth claimed he saw a ladder in the car. Hochmuth said he never forgot the green Sedan nor the driver inside” (Ray). The witness help to create a profile of the kidnapper which can be used in court to help against Hauptmann. Hochmuth also saw the evidence in the car of Hauptmann which helps the investigation tie that piece of evidence back to him. The last suspect that was used in the case was Lou Harding. According to Klein, Lou Harding saw the car driving in the area of the Hopewell house before the kidnapping, and the car had a ladder inside. He said that there were only one person in the car and it was a man. The driver stopped and asked for directions to the Lindbergh house. When the witness gave the directions they got a clear visual of who the driver was. This was used to sketch a