In this episode of Unexplained America, your host Lisa will discuss the 'Crime of the Century' -the kidnapping and death of Charles Lindbergh Jr. --AKA Baby Charlie--Listener discretion of kidnapping/death of a child.
This is Part 2 and this will have one more part--in Part 2, we pick up on the night of March 1, 1932, we begin with the police showing up at the Lindbergh home, the ransom note and other evidence collected at the scene.
By March 6th, 1932, the kidnappers send a 2nd notice advising to keep the press coverage down about the ransom and increasing the ransom from $50,000.00 to $70,000.00.
Within days, a Dr. John Condon, offers his own money and his help in being a liason for the Lindbergh's and the kidnappers.
On March 12, 1932, Dr. Condon meets with the kidnapper--a man going by the name "John"--this meeting happens in a cemetery and the kidnapper wears a hat, coat, and handkerchief over his face. He speaks with a German accent according to Dr. Condon. In this meeting, they agree that Dr. Condon will hand over the ransom but wants some evidence of the baby first so kidnapper states he will send the baby's white sleeper.
The white sleeper is sent to Dr. Condon with another letter. A couple of weeks go by with several back and forth notes but finally a meeting is set up for April 2, 1932, to exchange the actual ransom. This meeting happens-the money is exchanged. The kidnapper gives Dr. Condon written instructions on where Baby Charlie is....however, this is all false. The baby who was supposed to be on a boat was not found.
On May 12, 1932, a truck driver pulls off the road to use the bathroom--he is 4 miles from the Lindbergh's home. He finds a badly decomposed body. The police are called, the Lindberghs are called and an autopsy is done. By Friday May 13, 1932, the baby is fully identified as Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr.. Now the Lindberghs's are fully devastated and the hunt is on for a killer and not just a kidnapper.
This episode will track the route taken for authorities to finally make an arrest on September 19, 1934.
Listen to hear full details.
References for this Episode:
https://crimeofthecentury.weebly.com/body-found.html
https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/lindbergh-kidnapping
https://www.acams.org/en/opinion/the-lindberg-case-how-banker-helped-solve-it
https://www.nj.gov/state/archives/slcsp001.html
https://www.history.com/articles/charles-a-lindbergh
https://www.nightmarehouses.com/articles/highfields
https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/lindbergh-kidnapping
https://hopewelltwp-nj.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/HISTORY-BOOK.pdf
'Phone Trick May Save Baby'; 'Family Plays Part; Hysteria Ruled Out': 'Kidnaping Chronology'--whole Page 8 of paper--Daily News (New York, New York): Thus. March 3, 1932
Episodes DID include other information via:
https://www.newspapers.com/
https://www.ancestry.com/
Big Thanks go out to Gage Fears for his original music made for Unexplained Arkansas the Podcast usage--His contact below--find him on Instagram!!
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Xoxoxoxo, Lisa
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