Charles Lindbergh Analysis

On March 1st, 1932 in a crime that captured the attention of the entire nation, Charles Lindbergh III, was kidnapped from his family’s mansion in Hopewell, New Jersey. Charles Lindbergh III was the 20-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Anne. Charles Lindbergh, who became an international celebrity after he flew the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, and his wife Anne discovered a handwritten ransom note demanding $50,000 in their son’s empty room. The so-called “nursery note” bore a symbol or logo consisting of three interlocking circles and three small holes, which would later become a distinguishable feature in future extortion letters sent by opportunists trying to cash in on the crime.

The

Only one of the prints taken, had a match to a known person- a police officer. In relation to the outsole shoe impression found in the mud, there was never anything officially done with it or a cast made of it which could have played a vital role in finding the perpetrator. There was also severe lack in the forensic archaeological/anthropological standpoint. When looking for the victim and the actual discovery of the body, there were many key steps that were missed. For instance, what search methods were used in locating possible remains? The deceased’s body was located just two miles from the Lindbergh estate, so how is it possible that a search team never came across it? Once the body was found, the skull had a hole in it and some of the body parts were missing (1). While the body was extracted, there was never investigation into the soil from which the body was found, or where the missing remains may have been. The body was later identified as being that of Charles Lindbergh III based on the size and style of the accompanying garments (3). The fact that this was the only confirmation of identification astounds me. Given technology was not as advanced as it is today, I feel as if there should have been some other form of positive ID. In retrospect, a

Altogether, sixteen document examiners had either testified or were willing to testify against Hauptmann. The Lindbergh kidnapping is historic in the fact that virtually every handwriting expert, at the time, had weighed in with the prosecution. Some of the examiners included: Albert S. Osborn, Albert D. Osborn, Elbridge W. Stein, and John E Tyrrell. With the review of the ransom notes, this case proved exactly how important questioned documents can be to a case. Without the help of Albert S. Osborn, and the other handwriting experts, who knows how the case would have concluded. The Lindbergh case also changed how we look at forensic botany since there was no soil collection of where the body was found. The identification of the wood used, the physical marks left by tools on the wood, and comparisons of the wood structure were also key components to the further development of forensic botany. On February 11, 1935 Hauptmann was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to death. Hauptmann died in the electric chair on April 3, 1936. At the time of the sentencing, virtually no one considered Hauptmann to be innocent. In the aftermath of the crime, the most notorious of the 1930s, kidnapping was made a federal