Charles Lindbergh Jr., 1932
Charles Lindbergh Jr., called Charlie, was the son of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife. Charlie was only 20 months’ old on March 1, 1932. His mother and nurse put him to bed around 7:00 that evening, but when his nurse checked on him at 10:00, he was gone from his crib. The window was open, and an envelope lay on its sill. His father grabbed his rifle and ran from the house in search of the baby. The envelope contained a badly-written ransom letter.
A nationwide search began at once, with the radio news reporting the kidnapping by 10:30 that night. The papers reported it in the morning edition on March 2, 1932. In March and early April, the family delivered a ransom, but discovered that they had been double-crossed; the baby was not found.
Little Charlie’s decomposed body was discovered on May 12, 1932 in the woods near the Lindbergh home. He had died of a skull fracture on the very night of the kidnapping. The ransom paid in April was traced, and in September 1934, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was arrested. Some 14,000 dollars of the ransom was found in his possession; however, he maintained his innocence throughout the trial and eventual execution.
The kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. led to legislative action even before the trial was complete. Congress passed the Lindbergh Law, making kidnapping a federal offense if the victim is taken across state lines. The law, for a time, allowed for the use of capital punishment in these cases. Many states also adopted their own laws regarding kidnapping, allowing for the imposition of harsh punishments if an individual was harmed, including death.