Lindbergh Kidnapping

The son of Anne Morrow Lindbergh and famous aviator, Colonel Charles Lindbergh, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was abducted on March 1, 1932. The toddler of twenty months, was taken from his nursery in East Amwell, New Jersey. Friends of the Lindberghs, New Jersey State Police, and military associates of Lindbergh Sr., were all trying to help in any way they can. It was on May 12, 1932, that the body of Charles Jr. was found. The child’s corpse was discovered by an assistant truck driver, William Allen. When the authorities were called, the body lay partially buried about four and a half miles from his home and forty- five feet from the highway. A coroner’s examination revealed that the cause of death was a skull fracture from a blow to the head; it was also found that the child had been dead for about two months. This tragic event lead Congress to make kidnapping illegal and sent in the FBI to begin the investigation for the kidnapper.

From the minute the Lindberghs had become informed that their son was snatched from his room, the investigation for the kidnapper began. The night after Charles Jr. was reported missing the FBI took over the investigation and began working directly with Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. With the FBI now on the case, New Jersey State Police were able to expand their jurisdictions and communications to New York State Police.

Everyone knew how serious the case was; everyone was on edge with the case, trying their hardest to find the infant. The real abolition of all doubts on the severity of the kidnapping was the day after Charles’ dead body was found, May 13, 1932. The President directed all government investigators to be prepared to assist the New York or New Jersey State Police.

Government officials were trying their absolute hardest to find the kidnapper, they’d done everything they felt they could. At last, they’d discovered suspect Bruno Richard Hauptmann, FBI officials carefully observed the