Charles Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping – FBI & Police Files

Description

The Lindbergh Kidnapping: Timeline and Key Figures

• March 1, 1932: Charles A. Lindbergh Jr., the 20-month-old son of aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, is kidnapped from their home in Hopewell, New Jersey. This event immediately becomes one of the most notorious crimes of the 20th century.
• March 2, 1932 – April 5, 1936: Extensive newspaper reporting covers the unfolding events of the kidnapping, investigation, trial, and execution.
• Circa 1932 (Post-Kidnapping): A series of communications occurs between the kidnapper(s) and representatives of the Lindbergh family regarding the ransom.
• Circa 1932 (Post-Kidnapping): Ransom money is paid to the kidnapper(s).
• Circa 1932 (Post-Kidnapping): Despite the ransom payment, the murdered baby’s body is discovered a few miles from the Lindbergh home.
• 1934: The FBI generates 28,500 pages of information on the case, which is summarized into a 405-page report.
• 1934: After a long investigation, Bruno Richard Hauptmann is arrested for the kidnapping and murder.
• September 22, 1934: Attorney General of the United States, Homer Cummings, delivers a radio address titled “Lessons of the Lindbergh Kidnapping,” detailing inter-agency law enforcement cooperation on the case.
• 1934 (After Hauptmann’s arrest): A 30-page summary report is compiled by the FBI following Hauptmann’s arrest.
• February 13, 1935: Bruno Richard Hauptmann is convicted for the crime.
• April 3, 1936: Bruno Richard Hauptmann is executed.
• 2016: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) publishes a 41-page presentation titled “Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping Case and Its Impact.”

Cast of Characters

• Charles Lindbergh: American aviator, and father of the kidnapped child, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. His fame made the kidnapping a highly publicized national and international event.
• Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Wife of Charles Lindbergh, and mother of the kidnapped child, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.
• Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.: The 20-month-old son of Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, who was kidnapped from their home in Hopewell, New Jersey, and later found murdered.
• Bruno Richard Hauptmann: The individual arrested, tried, convicted, and ultimately executed for the kidnapping and murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.
• J. F. Condon: An individual whose address and telephone number were found written on a wall in Hauptmann’s Bronx home, suggesting a connection to the ransom notes or communications. (While the sources only briefly mention him, his name’s presence in Hauptmann’s residence is a significant detail implying his involvement in the case’s events.)
• Al Capone: Not directly involved in the kidnapping, but a notorious criminal who offered to help find the Lindbergh baby if he was released from prison, an offer that was reported in newspapers.
• Homer Cummings: Attorney General of the United States. He delivered a radio address in September 1934 discussing the multi-agency law enforcement efforts in resolving the Lindbergh kidnapping case.
• George Johnson: The prosecutor of Al Capone. He maintained a scrapbook containing newspaper articles detailing Capone’s offer to assist in the search for the Lindbergh baby.