1 00:00:02,083 --> 00:00:05,250 - At15, the child has been kidnapped. 2 00:00:05,375 --> 00:00:08,417 - Tonight a high-profile kidnapping 3 00:00:08,542 --> 00:00:09,917 grips the world, 4 00:00:10,042 --> 00:00:11,458 when the infant son 5 00:00:11,542 --> 00:00:15,500 of an aviation legend is snatched from his crib at home. 6 00:00:15,583 --> 00:00:17,958 - We're speaking to you now from the press headquarters 7 00:00:18,083 --> 00:00:20,542 during the Lindbergh case. 8 00:00:20,708 --> 00:00:22,958 - After a nationwide manhunt, 9 00:00:23,042 --> 00:00:25,875 the supposed culprit is brought to justice. 10 00:00:26,042 --> 00:00:28,083 But did authorities get the right man? 11 00:00:28,208 --> 00:00:30,750 - Based on the circumstances, there are signs 12 00:00:30,875 --> 00:00:32,333 that this could've been an inside job. 13 00:00:32,458 --> 00:00:34,667 - Now we'll uncover the top theories 14 00:00:34,792 --> 00:00:39,167 surrounding what's been called "the crime of the century." 15 00:00:39,292 --> 00:00:40,750 - How could this have succeeded 16 00:00:40,875 --> 00:00:44,333 without someone having inside knowledge? 17 00:00:44,458 --> 00:00:47,000 - There are at least two or more accomplices 18 00:00:47,125 --> 00:00:49,333 that never got any attention. 19 00:00:49,417 --> 00:00:51,875 - Why was Dr. Condon so heavily involved? 20 00:00:52,042 --> 00:00:54,125 Did he have something to do with this? 21 00:00:54,208 --> 00:00:56,750 - Can new evidence finally reveal the truth 22 00:00:56,875 --> 00:00:59,000 behind this American tragedy? 23 00:00:59,167 --> 00:01:00,417 - The alleged confession said 24 00:01:00,542 --> 00:01:03,792 that I, not Bruno Richard Hauptmann, 25 00:01:03,917 --> 00:01:05,792 am the kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby. 26 00:01:07,208 --> 00:01:11,000 - Who really is responsible for the kidnapping 27 00:01:11,125 --> 00:01:12,750 of the Lindbergh baby? 28 00:01:30,208 --> 00:01:33,583 Hopewell, New Jersey, 1932... 29 00:01:33,708 --> 00:01:35,000 for the past year, 30 00:01:35,125 --> 00:01:37,167 world-famous aviator Charles Lindbergh 31 00:01:37,333 --> 00:01:39,667 has called this area home. 32 00:01:39,792 --> 00:01:42,208 - So Lindbergh has been a major celebrity 33 00:01:42,333 --> 00:01:43,625 ever since he completed 34 00:01:43,708 --> 00:01:48,500 his first transatlantic solo flight in 1927. 35 00:01:48,625 --> 00:01:52,958 - In the drizzly, early morning of May 20, 1927, 36 00:01:53,083 --> 00:01:54,500 the "Spirt of St. Louis" takes off 37 00:01:54,625 --> 00:01:57,875 from Roosevelt Field in Long Island. 38 00:01:58,042 --> 00:02:02,500 And after 33 1/2 hours of flying alone, 39 00:02:02,667 --> 00:02:05,042 Lindbergh lands at Le Bourget Field 40 00:02:05,167 --> 00:02:06,542 outside of Paris. 41 00:02:06,708 --> 00:02:08,667 - Does Lindbergh do something that no one else 42 00:02:08,833 --> 00:02:10,208 has ever done before? 43 00:02:10,333 --> 00:02:12,833 Absolutely. He flies across the Atlantic Ocean 44 00:02:12,917 --> 00:02:14,625 by himself, solo, 45 00:02:14,708 --> 00:02:17,542 on a flight pattern that takes him 2,000 miles 46 00:02:17,708 --> 00:02:19,708 farther than the last transatlantic flight-- 47 00:02:19,875 --> 00:02:22,417 a flight, by the way, which had two aviators, 48 00:02:22,542 --> 00:02:23,792 not one. 49 00:02:23,875 --> 00:02:26,708 - Lindbergh's flight proved that aviation had a future 50 00:02:26,875 --> 00:02:28,833 for passenger transportation. 51 00:02:28,958 --> 00:02:31,083 - This also earns Lindbergh 52 00:02:31,208 --> 00:02:32,875 tons of accolades, tons of awards-- 53 00:02:33,042 --> 00:02:34,458 everything from the Medal of Honor, 54 00:02:34,542 --> 00:02:36,833 the Flying Cross, a Congressional Gold Medal. 55 00:02:36,958 --> 00:02:39,333 - But there's no way Lindbergh would've reached this level 56 00:02:39,458 --> 00:02:43,042 of fame and adulation without one thing-- 57 00:02:43,208 --> 00:02:44,208 radio. 58 00:02:46,208 --> 00:02:47,583 - You have to understand-- at the time, 59 00:02:47,708 --> 00:02:50,667 no smartphones, no Internet, no television. 60 00:02:50,792 --> 00:02:54,417 This is before almost any form of modern communication. 61 00:02:54,542 --> 00:02:57,833 Radio is revolutionizing the way the world connects. 62 00:02:57,917 --> 00:03:00,375 So, when Lindbergh is making this record-breaking flight, 63 00:03:00,500 --> 00:03:02,917 this is the first time that an audience 64 00:03:03,042 --> 00:03:05,458 can actually follow along with an historic event 65 00:03:05,583 --> 00:03:06,583 in real time. 66 00:03:06,708 --> 00:03:10,167 - This is a moment of instantaneous information, 67 00:03:10,333 --> 00:03:12,833 not the delayed information we get in newsreel 68 00:03:12,958 --> 00:03:15,208 or a newspaper account or a book. 69 00:03:15,375 --> 00:03:17,167 This is happening in real time, 70 00:03:17,292 --> 00:03:19,667 and that's very impactful for people. 71 00:03:19,792 --> 00:03:22,167 After this flight, he comes back home. 72 00:03:22,292 --> 00:03:23,833 There's a ticker-tape parade-- 73 00:03:23,958 --> 00:03:25,292 hundreds of thousands of people. 74 00:03:25,375 --> 00:03:28,333 He gets millions of telegrams congratulating him. 75 00:03:28,500 --> 00:03:31,583 Lindbergh is instantly internationally famous. 76 00:03:31,708 --> 00:03:34,083 - But before long, the intensity 77 00:03:34,208 --> 00:03:36,875 of this public adulation becomes overwhelming. 78 00:03:38,375 --> 00:03:41,167 - Lindbergh is badgered constantly by the press. 79 00:03:41,333 --> 00:03:43,042 Everybody wants a piece of him. 80 00:03:43,167 --> 00:03:45,083 - Charles Lindbergh and his wife decided 81 00:03:45,208 --> 00:03:48,292 we've had enough of being in this crazy public eye, 82 00:03:48,375 --> 00:03:52,708 so they bought some land in Hopewell, New Jersey. 83 00:03:52,833 --> 00:03:55,333 - They purchase a remote 600-acre lot, 84 00:03:55,458 --> 00:03:57,208 where they plan to build an estate 85 00:03:57,333 --> 00:03:59,417 that will be their primary home, 86 00:03:59,542 --> 00:04:03,000 along with their 20-month-old son, Charles, Jr. 87 00:04:03,167 --> 00:04:04,417 - Construction on their new home begins 88 00:04:04,542 --> 00:04:06,458 in March of 1931, but the Lindberghs 89 00:04:06,583 --> 00:04:09,000 are just so anxious and so ready to leave New York 90 00:04:09,083 --> 00:04:11,208 that they decide to head out to the house 91 00:04:11,333 --> 00:04:12,833 before it's even completed, 92 00:04:12,917 --> 00:04:15,292 and they start staying there a few days a week. 93 00:04:15,375 --> 00:04:18,417 In addition to Charles, Anne, and Charles Jr., 94 00:04:18,542 --> 00:04:20,500 they've got the nursemaid, Betty Gow, 95 00:04:20,625 --> 00:04:23,125 their butler, Olly Whatley, and his wife, Elsie, 96 00:04:23,208 --> 00:04:24,208 living in the house with them. 97 00:04:24,333 --> 00:04:25,667 They're a pretty tight-knit group. 98 00:04:25,750 --> 00:04:27,667 - Lindbergh increasingly resents 99 00:04:27,792 --> 00:04:30,667 the intrusions on his private life. 100 00:04:30,750 --> 00:04:32,375 The purpose of the construction 101 00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:34,625 of the estate outside of Hopewell 102 00:04:34,708 --> 00:04:38,000 was to give the Lindberghs some breathing room 103 00:04:38,083 --> 00:04:41,958 from the 24-7 press attention that the family is under. 104 00:04:42,042 --> 00:04:45,167 - But before the Lindberghs find their respite, 105 00:04:45,292 --> 00:04:50,250 on March 1, 1932, the unthinkable happens. 106 00:04:50,375 --> 00:04:53,167 - So, shortly before00, the nurse, Betty Gow, 107 00:04:53,292 --> 00:04:56,000 heads into the nursery to check on Charles Jr. 108 00:04:58,750 --> 00:05:02,500 - She is horrified to find out that the crib is empty. 109 00:05:02,625 --> 00:05:03,875 She runs to tell Lindbergh. 110 00:05:04,042 --> 00:05:06,083 He follows her back to Charles Jr.'s room, 111 00:05:06,208 --> 00:05:08,083 and he finds out that she's right. 112 00:05:08,208 --> 00:05:10,083 The baby is gone. 113 00:05:10,208 --> 00:05:12,875 - The house staff immediately begin searching the property. 114 00:05:13,042 --> 00:05:15,000 - They are combing the house high and low, 115 00:05:15,083 --> 00:05:17,417 and while they're searching, Charles Lindbergh comes 116 00:05:17,542 --> 00:05:20,500 across something that confirms his deepest, darkest fears. 117 00:05:20,583 --> 00:05:22,833 Near the window of his son's room, 118 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:24,000 he finds an envelope. 119 00:05:25,667 --> 00:05:27,500 There's a problem with this particular window. 120 00:05:27,667 --> 00:05:31,417 It's warped, which means that it doesn't close properly. 121 00:05:31,542 --> 00:05:32,917 The latch doesn't actually catch, 122 00:05:33,042 --> 00:05:34,458 so this is the only way 123 00:05:34,542 --> 00:05:37,458 that you could get into the house without a key. 124 00:05:37,583 --> 00:05:39,333 - This was a second-floor window. 125 00:05:39,458 --> 00:05:41,167 This wasn't one you could just 126 00:05:41,333 --> 00:05:44,125 walk up to the house and climb through. 127 00:05:44,250 --> 00:05:45,500 - In the envelope 128 00:05:45,625 --> 00:05:48,500 is a poorly written, misspelled note 129 00:05:48,625 --> 00:05:52,167 demanding $50,000 for the return of the baby. 130 00:05:52,333 --> 00:05:53,292 It's a ransom note. 131 00:05:55,417 --> 00:05:59,208 The note reads, "Dear, sir, have $50,000 ready. 132 00:05:59,333 --> 00:06:01,667 "$25,000 in $20 bills, 133 00:06:01,792 --> 00:06:07,458 "$15,000 in $10 bills, and $10,000 in $5 bills. 134 00:06:07,542 --> 00:06:08,917 "After two to four days, 135 00:06:09,042 --> 00:06:11,875 "we will inform you where to deliver the money. 136 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,458 "We warn you from making anything public 137 00:06:14,583 --> 00:06:16,125 "or notifying the police. 138 00:06:16,208 --> 00:06:17,583 The child is in good care." 139 00:06:17,708 --> 00:06:19,875 - At the bottom of the note, 140 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:22,000 the kidnappers leave a cryptic signature. 141 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:25,417 - They had an image at the bottom 142 00:06:25,542 --> 00:06:27,333 that was two interlocking circles, 143 00:06:27,458 --> 00:06:29,333 couple of squiggly lines, 144 00:06:29,458 --> 00:06:31,917 and then three punch holes. 145 00:06:32,042 --> 00:06:33,875 It's a very strange pattern. 146 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,417 - So the author of the letter actually says 147 00:06:36,542 --> 00:06:39,417 this particular symbol will let you know 148 00:06:39,542 --> 00:06:42,042 that this is authentic correspondence 149 00:06:42,208 --> 00:06:44,375 from me and no one else. 150 00:06:44,542 --> 00:06:46,833 - As if this is some sort of secret code 151 00:06:46,917 --> 00:06:49,083 to verify that the letters are genuine 152 00:06:49,208 --> 00:06:51,583 and that, rather chillingly, 153 00:06:51,708 --> 00:06:53,917 more letters may follow. 154 00:06:54,042 --> 00:06:56,667 - It was as if the kidnappers were saying, 155 00:06:56,833 --> 00:06:59,208 "This is just the beginning." 156 00:06:59,333 --> 00:07:00,833 - As they comb the property, 157 00:07:00,917 --> 00:07:02,500 Lindbergh and his butler, Olly, 158 00:07:02,625 --> 00:07:05,167 find a few additional clues. 159 00:07:05,333 --> 00:07:07,500 - There are also some scraps of wood from a broken ladder 160 00:07:07,625 --> 00:07:08,917 underneath the window, 161 00:07:09,042 --> 00:07:12,000 and they also find a set of muddy footprints. 162 00:07:12,125 --> 00:07:13,500 - By30 p.m., 163 00:07:13,625 --> 00:07:15,875 a small army of police officers arrive 164 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,083 and begin investigating. 165 00:07:18,208 --> 00:07:21,208 - The police realize they have very little to go on. 166 00:07:21,375 --> 00:07:22,667 They've got no fingerprints. 167 00:07:22,833 --> 00:07:24,708 They've got no eyewitnesses. 168 00:07:24,833 --> 00:07:28,167 - And you're in the middle of nowhere, really, 169 00:07:28,333 --> 00:07:29,333 at a massive estate. 170 00:07:29,458 --> 00:07:31,542 So, when it comes to this investigation, 171 00:07:31,667 --> 00:07:33,458 where would you want to start? 172 00:07:33,542 --> 00:07:35,417 On the inside, of course. 173 00:07:39,292 --> 00:07:40,708 It's only natural to start with those 174 00:07:40,875 --> 00:07:43,333 that are closest to the crime, and based on the circumstances, 175 00:07:43,417 --> 00:07:45,167 there are signs that may have indicated 176 00:07:45,333 --> 00:07:47,792 that this could've been an inside job. 177 00:07:47,875 --> 00:07:50,792 First off, the precision of this kidnapping 178 00:07:50,917 --> 00:07:52,792 and how it went down is a bit suspect. 179 00:07:52,875 --> 00:07:56,042 It's as if the person or persons 180 00:07:56,208 --> 00:07:58,500 knew exactly where to go, but how? 181 00:07:58,667 --> 00:07:59,875 Based on the scene outside, 182 00:08:00,042 --> 00:08:02,417 the footprints, the wood from the broken ladder, 183 00:08:02,542 --> 00:08:04,250 it appears that whoever took Charles Jr. 184 00:08:04,375 --> 00:08:06,042 went to one window only, 185 00:08:06,167 --> 00:08:09,583 the window that led directly into the nursery. 186 00:08:09,708 --> 00:08:11,750 We also know that Charles and Anne were awake 187 00:08:11,875 --> 00:08:13,875 at the time of the kidnapping, so there's no way 188 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,667 that there's gonna be somebody outside of the property 189 00:08:15,833 --> 00:08:18,042 moving a ladder from window to window trying to jimmy open 190 00:08:18,167 --> 00:08:20,167 every window before they find the correct one. 191 00:08:20,333 --> 00:08:21,875 They would've been heard. 192 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,500 - There's a dog. The dog doesn't bark. 193 00:08:23,583 --> 00:08:24,833 There's a baby. 194 00:08:24,958 --> 00:08:26,917 Babies cry, but this baby did not cry. 195 00:08:27,042 --> 00:08:30,250 So there's a general sense that there must be someone 196 00:08:30,375 --> 00:08:31,542 who's familiar with the household-- 197 00:08:31,667 --> 00:08:33,000 has to be involved. 198 00:08:33,083 --> 00:08:37,000 - The nursery's condition is also suspicious. 199 00:08:37,083 --> 00:08:40,292 - The baby's blankets after Charles Jr. is taken-- 200 00:08:40,375 --> 00:08:41,792 they're not just left in the crib. 201 00:08:41,917 --> 00:08:43,583 They're actually folded very neatly 202 00:08:43,708 --> 00:08:45,875 and placed on a shelf nearby. 203 00:08:46,042 --> 00:08:47,875 Why would a stranger that's kidnapping 204 00:08:48,042 --> 00:08:50,542 Charles Lindbergh's baby even bother to do that? 205 00:08:50,667 --> 00:08:52,542 That seems more like a routine 206 00:08:52,708 --> 00:08:54,333 of somebody that's in the house 207 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:56,375 that does this frequently. 208 00:08:56,500 --> 00:08:59,583 - Authorities figured that the kidnapper 209 00:08:59,708 --> 00:09:02,125 had to have had inside knowledge of the schedule. 210 00:09:02,250 --> 00:09:05,208 - The Lindberghs are creatures of habit. 211 00:09:05,333 --> 00:09:08,542 They do not go to the house in the country all the time. 212 00:09:08,708 --> 00:09:10,125 Normally they're there on the weekend, 213 00:09:10,208 --> 00:09:11,292 and they leave on Monday. 214 00:09:11,417 --> 00:09:12,583 But Charles Jr. got taken on March 1st, 215 00:09:12,708 --> 00:09:14,042 which was a Tuesday. 216 00:09:14,167 --> 00:09:16,417 - They stayed one extra day at the home 217 00:09:16,542 --> 00:09:18,417 because the baby had a cold, and so they thought 218 00:09:18,542 --> 00:09:20,208 that the country air, the fresh air, 219 00:09:20,333 --> 00:09:21,667 would be good for the baby. 220 00:09:21,750 --> 00:09:22,833 - And the question becomes, 221 00:09:22,958 --> 00:09:25,542 how would a random person know that? 222 00:09:25,708 --> 00:09:27,000 - So, if you're looking at this as an inside job, 223 00:09:27,125 --> 00:09:29,333 your first three suspects should be obvious. 224 00:09:29,458 --> 00:09:30,542 The Lindberghs' staff members-- 225 00:09:30,667 --> 00:09:31,792 you've got Betty Gow, 226 00:09:31,917 --> 00:09:33,250 you've got the butler, Olly, 227 00:09:33,375 --> 00:09:35,167 and his wife, Elsie Whatley. 228 00:09:35,292 --> 00:09:37,167 The Whatleys had been with the Lindberghs 229 00:09:37,292 --> 00:09:40,000 all weekend long, so they pretty much have alibis. 230 00:09:40,125 --> 00:09:42,708 Olly was actually in bed, and Elsie was downstairs 231 00:09:42,833 --> 00:09:44,333 in the kitchen making lemonade. 232 00:09:44,458 --> 00:09:45,750 - But nursemaid Betty Gow 233 00:09:45,875 --> 00:09:48,083 has only arrived that afternoon. 234 00:09:48,208 --> 00:09:51,000 - Does she have time to plan a kidnapping? 235 00:09:51,125 --> 00:09:53,500 The police question her immediately. 236 00:09:53,625 --> 00:09:55,333 - According to Betty's statement on March 1st, 237 00:09:55,417 --> 00:09:58,792 Anne calls Betty and asks her to come to the weekend estate, 238 00:09:58,875 --> 00:10:01,000 and Betty agrees, even though she had plans 239 00:10:01,167 --> 00:10:02,500 at the time with her boyfriend, 240 00:10:02,667 --> 00:10:04,792 Henry "Red" Johnson. 241 00:10:04,875 --> 00:10:06,667 Betty says that she called her boyfriend 242 00:10:06,833 --> 00:10:09,417 to cancel her plans because she had to go into work. 243 00:10:09,542 --> 00:10:10,625 Police question Johnson, 244 00:10:10,750 --> 00:10:12,208 and he backs up his girlfriend's story. 245 00:10:12,375 --> 00:10:17,167 However, in Johnson's car, they do find a bottle of milk. 246 00:10:17,250 --> 00:10:22,833 - This bottle of milk was really suspicious to police. 247 00:10:22,958 --> 00:10:26,042 They wondered, you know, is that there to feed a baby? 248 00:10:26,167 --> 00:10:27,833 - There are some theorists that suggest 249 00:10:27,917 --> 00:10:29,875 that when Betty Gow called her boyfriend 250 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:32,042 to cancel the plans, that's not actually what she was doing. 251 00:10:32,208 --> 00:10:34,667 She was actually calling him to signal to him 252 00:10:34,792 --> 00:10:36,875 that, yes, he should kidnap the baby. 253 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:38,500 - Apart from a bottle of milk, 254 00:10:38,667 --> 00:10:41,458 police have no evidence that implicates Johnson 255 00:10:41,583 --> 00:10:42,833 or Betty Gow. 256 00:10:42,917 --> 00:10:46,500 - Lindbergh intervenes to prevent the police 257 00:10:46,667 --> 00:10:49,500 from really interrogating and bearing down 258 00:10:49,667 --> 00:10:51,750 on the servants in his own household, 259 00:10:51,875 --> 00:10:54,667 who he trusted without qualification. 260 00:10:54,792 --> 00:10:56,750 - And that meant that Betty Gow 261 00:10:56,875 --> 00:10:58,792 wasn't looked at any further. 262 00:10:58,875 --> 00:11:02,167 That line of inquiry goes cold, but then they find another. 263 00:11:07,708 --> 00:11:09,083 - When famed aviator Charles Lindbergh's 264 00:11:09,208 --> 00:11:13,667 infant son is kidnapped on March 1, 1932, 265 00:11:13,833 --> 00:11:16,458 it creates an unprecedented media uproar. 266 00:11:18,833 --> 00:11:21,708 - It's a cliché nowadays to call something 267 00:11:21,833 --> 00:11:24,833 a crime of the century, but this really was. 268 00:11:24,958 --> 00:11:27,667 This was one of the biggest cases, 269 00:11:27,750 --> 00:11:30,667 not just in America, but in the world. 270 00:11:30,833 --> 00:11:34,167 - We have here a flash which reads as follows... 271 00:11:34,250 --> 00:11:36,750 - News of the kidnapping leaks almost immediately, 272 00:11:36,875 --> 00:11:39,583 and journalists just flock to the Lindbergh estate. 273 00:11:39,708 --> 00:11:40,833 It's a madhouse. 274 00:11:40,958 --> 00:11:43,333 - Of course, everybody wants to help. 275 00:11:43,500 --> 00:11:44,708 One of the people who wants 276 00:11:44,875 --> 00:11:47,958 to provide criminal expertise to this case 277 00:11:48,083 --> 00:11:50,000 is the notorious gangster Al Capone, 278 00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:52,708 who--currently residing in the Cook County Jail. 279 00:11:52,875 --> 00:11:55,750 He offers his criminal and gangster contacts 280 00:11:55,875 --> 00:11:59,083 to help the police find the Lindbergh baby 281 00:11:59,208 --> 00:12:03,125 if they will just temporarily release him from prison. 282 00:12:03,208 --> 00:12:06,958 The police do not take Al Capone up on his offer. 283 00:12:08,292 --> 00:12:11,667 - That was indicative of just how widespread 284 00:12:11,792 --> 00:12:13,625 this story had gotten. 285 00:12:13,708 --> 00:12:15,958 It was reaching everybody. 286 00:12:16,042 --> 00:12:19,125 - Al Capone, sitting in a cell in Chicago, 287 00:12:19,250 --> 00:12:22,292 finds out about this news only 12 hours after it happens. 288 00:12:22,417 --> 00:12:25,667 Mind you, there is no Internet during this time. 289 00:12:25,833 --> 00:12:27,000 But let's also remember-- 290 00:12:27,125 --> 00:12:29,500 the ransom note specifically said 291 00:12:29,625 --> 00:12:31,667 do not make this a public deal. 292 00:12:31,833 --> 00:12:34,000 Do not get the police involved. 293 00:12:34,125 --> 00:12:36,542 - Is all the media attention 294 00:12:36,708 --> 00:12:39,500 jeopardizing the life of the child? 295 00:12:39,583 --> 00:12:43,167 - The Lindberghs soon learn the answer to that question. 296 00:12:43,333 --> 00:12:47,500 - So, on March 6th, another ransom note arrives. 297 00:12:47,625 --> 00:12:50,667 - And it follows the pattern of the first ransom note. 298 00:12:50,750 --> 00:12:52,083 You've got the same handwriting. 299 00:12:52,208 --> 00:12:54,125 You've got the same signature with the squiggly lines. 300 00:12:54,250 --> 00:12:57,583 And you've got the three holes, but the tone of this letter 301 00:12:57,708 --> 00:12:59,375 is much more threatening. 302 00:12:59,500 --> 00:13:01,083 - And it starts off by saying, 303 00:13:01,208 --> 00:13:05,792 "Dear, sir, we've warned you not to make anything public." 304 00:13:05,875 --> 00:13:08,542 - "Now you have to take consequences." 305 00:13:08,708 --> 00:13:10,333 And the consequences are severe. 306 00:13:10,458 --> 00:13:11,833 The kidnappers basically say 307 00:13:11,958 --> 00:13:13,792 that they're going to keep the baby 308 00:13:13,875 --> 00:13:15,333 until things quiet down. 309 00:13:15,417 --> 00:13:19,000 As long as this case continues to get as much attention 310 00:13:19,083 --> 00:13:21,333 as it's getting from the police and the media 311 00:13:21,417 --> 00:13:22,708 and the newspapers, 312 00:13:22,833 --> 00:13:27,042 Lindbergh is not getting his son back anytime soon. 313 00:13:27,208 --> 00:13:28,875 - Because of that transgression, 314 00:13:29,042 --> 00:13:31,083 the kidnappers now have decided 315 00:13:31,208 --> 00:13:33,667 that instead of a $50,000 ransom, 316 00:13:33,750 --> 00:13:36,917 they want a $70,000 ransom. 317 00:13:37,042 --> 00:13:41,167 - 70 grand back then is like a million dollars today. 318 00:13:41,250 --> 00:13:43,792 - So they don't actually wait until things die down. 319 00:13:43,875 --> 00:13:46,083 In fact, the story continues to get bigger and bigger 320 00:13:46,208 --> 00:13:47,083 as it goes on. 321 00:13:47,208 --> 00:13:48,833 But regardless, within a couple of days, 322 00:13:48,958 --> 00:13:51,375 the kidnappers carry on with their plan. 323 00:13:51,542 --> 00:13:53,958 In a series of notes that were sent both on March 8th 324 00:13:54,083 --> 00:13:55,833 and March 10th, the kidnappers 325 00:13:55,917 --> 00:13:59,333 are asking for a volunteer to serve as the go-between 326 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:00,917 for the handoff of the money. 327 00:14:01,042 --> 00:14:03,667 Ultimately, they agree to let a former school principal 328 00:14:03,792 --> 00:14:06,167 from the Bronx be that volunteer. 329 00:14:06,250 --> 00:14:09,292 And his name is Dr. John Condon. 330 00:14:09,417 --> 00:14:11,875 So probably seeking some fame for himself, 331 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:13,958 Condon placed an ad in his local paper 332 00:14:14,083 --> 00:14:15,875 offering up $1,000 reward 333 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:18,875 if the kidnappers were to give up the baby to a priest. 334 00:14:19,042 --> 00:14:21,000 Apparently the kidnappers saw this ad, 335 00:14:21,125 --> 00:14:22,667 asked him to be the middleman, 336 00:14:22,750 --> 00:14:24,167 and he agreed to do it. 337 00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:26,375 And at this point, the police have so few leads 338 00:14:26,542 --> 00:14:28,292 that they decide, "Go with it. 339 00:14:28,417 --> 00:14:31,208 Why not? Let's see how this plays out." 340 00:14:31,375 --> 00:14:34,083 - With the support of the Lindberghs and police, 341 00:14:34,208 --> 00:14:37,208 Condon begins corresponding with the kidnappers. 342 00:14:37,333 --> 00:14:38,750 - So, over the course of two weeks, 343 00:14:38,875 --> 00:14:40,708 there is a chain of back-and-forth, 344 00:14:40,875 --> 00:14:41,958 this, like, cat-and-mouse game. 345 00:14:42,042 --> 00:14:44,375 Condon would put ads in the local paper, 346 00:14:44,500 --> 00:14:47,167 and the kidnappers would respond with their letters. 347 00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:49,500 And this back-and-forth keeps the Lindberghs hopeful 348 00:14:49,625 --> 00:14:52,625 that their son is still alive and a solution will be reached 349 00:14:52,750 --> 00:14:54,708 where they'll be able to get him back. 350 00:14:54,875 --> 00:14:57,208 They eventually arrange a meeting between Condon 351 00:14:57,375 --> 00:15:01,083 and the kidnappers at a cemetery in the Bronx. 352 00:15:01,208 --> 00:15:03,333 - According to Condon, at this meeting, 353 00:15:03,458 --> 00:15:06,458 he finally learns the kidnapper's identity. 354 00:15:10,750 --> 00:15:14,042 - Condon says he meets a man who calls himself John, 355 00:15:14,167 --> 00:15:18,500 whom the media and the police will soon dub "Cemetery John." 356 00:15:18,625 --> 00:15:21,917 - Cemetery John tells Condon he's part of a group 357 00:15:22,042 --> 00:15:23,583 of Scandinavian sailors. 358 00:15:23,708 --> 00:15:27,333 The baby is being taken care of by these sailors on a boat. 359 00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:30,375 - He says the baby is safe and that we need 360 00:15:30,542 --> 00:15:33,500 to make an exchange for the ransom money. 361 00:15:33,625 --> 00:15:37,333 - This Cemetery John is about 30 to 35 years old, 362 00:15:37,458 --> 00:15:39,375 athletic build, 5'9". 363 00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:42,792 Based on Condon's description, police prepare a sketch 364 00:15:42,917 --> 00:15:44,125 of Cemetery John. 365 00:15:44,250 --> 00:15:46,250 He has a light complexion, light hair, 366 00:15:46,375 --> 00:15:49,708 pointed chin, and he has a Scandinavian accent. 367 00:15:49,875 --> 00:15:51,167 Meanwhile, during the meeting, 368 00:15:51,250 --> 00:15:53,792 Condon wisely asks the kidnappers 369 00:15:53,917 --> 00:15:56,000 for proof that they have the baby. 370 00:15:56,167 --> 00:16:00,375 - On March 16th, Condon receives that proof. 371 00:16:00,542 --> 00:16:03,667 - Cemetery John promises to send some evidence. 372 00:16:03,792 --> 00:16:06,167 What turns up at Condon's house 373 00:16:06,250 --> 00:16:09,125 is a gray sleeping suit 374 00:16:09,208 --> 00:16:11,750 that Charles Jr. was sleeping in 375 00:16:11,875 --> 00:16:13,833 the night he was taken. 376 00:16:13,958 --> 00:16:15,750 - From here, you've got a number of things 377 00:16:15,875 --> 00:16:17,542 that are happening in quick succession. 378 00:16:17,708 --> 00:16:19,167 There are several more exchanges 379 00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:20,583 between Condon and the kidnappers, 380 00:16:20,708 --> 00:16:23,333 trying to haggle over what the actual ransom should be. 381 00:16:23,458 --> 00:16:26,125 - Condon and the kidnappers ultimately agree 382 00:16:26,250 --> 00:16:29,000 on the original $50,000 ransom amount. 383 00:16:29,125 --> 00:16:31,917 - Police decide to use gold certificates 384 00:16:32,042 --> 00:16:33,625 to pay the ransom. 385 00:16:33,708 --> 00:16:35,500 This is actually a clever move by the authorities, 386 00:16:35,625 --> 00:16:37,167 because here's the thing-- those gold certificates 387 00:16:37,333 --> 00:16:40,333 have the same value as dollars, but for the past 70 years, 388 00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:43,792 the United States had tied its currency to what was, 389 00:16:43,875 --> 00:16:45,292 at the time, the gold standard. 390 00:16:45,417 --> 00:16:47,375 They were a legal tender of money, 391 00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:49,083 but they were a bit more unique. 392 00:16:49,208 --> 00:16:51,000 The idea that the police had was, 393 00:16:51,125 --> 00:16:53,458 if they pay up the ransom in these certificates, 394 00:16:53,583 --> 00:16:56,042 because there's so few of them in circulation now, 395 00:16:56,167 --> 00:16:58,458 if they're spent, they're easier to track down. 396 00:16:58,583 --> 00:17:00,833 But that whole plan will have to come later. 397 00:17:00,917 --> 00:17:02,708 Right now the Lindberghs only care 398 00:17:02,875 --> 00:17:04,417 about getting their baby back, 399 00:17:04,542 --> 00:17:07,583 and they firmly believe that tonight is the night 400 00:17:07,708 --> 00:17:09,125 that it happens. 401 00:17:09,208 --> 00:17:11,333 - On April 2, 1932, 402 00:17:11,458 --> 00:17:14,000 John Condon goes to do the money exchange 403 00:17:14,083 --> 00:17:15,750 to the kidnapper. 404 00:17:15,875 --> 00:17:18,083 At the exchange, the kidnapper gives 405 00:17:18,208 --> 00:17:21,583 John Condon a letter and then disappears with the money. 406 00:17:21,708 --> 00:17:24,500 The letter says that the boy's on a boat called the "Nelly." 407 00:17:24,583 --> 00:17:27,458 The "Nelly" is a small boat, about 28 foot. 408 00:17:27,542 --> 00:17:30,083 It has two women on it, who apparently know nothing. 409 00:17:30,208 --> 00:17:32,583 They've just simply been hired to watch a baby. 410 00:17:32,708 --> 00:17:37,042 And you can find this boat between Horseneck Beach 411 00:17:37,208 --> 00:17:39,500 and Gay Head near Elizabeth Island. 412 00:17:41,083 --> 00:17:42,583 - And when Condon shares this information, 413 00:17:42,708 --> 00:17:44,583 police race off to this marina 414 00:17:44,708 --> 00:17:46,375 at Martha's Vineyard to find this boat, 415 00:17:46,542 --> 00:17:48,208 because you have to understand-- 416 00:17:48,375 --> 00:17:49,833 these cops are trying to get there as quickly as possible, 417 00:17:49,958 --> 00:17:51,667 because think about it--if you're the first police officer 418 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:55,500 to find Charles Lindbergh's kidnapped baby, 419 00:17:55,583 --> 00:17:57,667 it's like your guaranteed to be a hero. 420 00:17:57,833 --> 00:18:00,750 Police get to this marina, and they search every slip, 421 00:18:00,875 --> 00:18:02,208 every boat. 422 00:18:02,333 --> 00:18:04,042 "Nelly" is never found, 423 00:18:04,208 --> 00:18:05,833 and the baby Lindbergh is never found. 424 00:18:08,583 --> 00:18:11,750 - The thing about this Scandinavian gang theory 425 00:18:11,875 --> 00:18:13,167 and all this is, they're assuming 426 00:18:13,333 --> 00:18:14,875 that we're gonna get the baby back, 427 00:18:15,042 --> 00:18:16,292 and that's not what happened. 428 00:18:16,375 --> 00:18:18,333 And this really sets a new tone, I think, 429 00:18:18,458 --> 00:18:20,500 in relation to this whole experience, 430 00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:23,167 'cause people now are really more concerned 431 00:18:23,292 --> 00:18:26,208 on some level about the fate of Charles Jr. 432 00:18:26,333 --> 00:18:28,000 - With their ransom paid, 433 00:18:28,125 --> 00:18:29,917 there is no further communication 434 00:18:30,042 --> 00:18:32,000 from the alleged kidnappers. 435 00:18:32,167 --> 00:18:34,083 - The kidnapper has the money, 436 00:18:34,208 --> 00:18:36,792 but the Lindberghs do not have the baby. 437 00:18:36,875 --> 00:18:41,333 - It was like losing Charles Jr. for a second time. 438 00:18:42,667 --> 00:18:44,333 - Then on May 12th, 439 00:18:44,458 --> 00:18:46,542 the news everyone's feared. 440 00:18:46,708 --> 00:18:49,542 - It's about six weeks after the ransom drop. 441 00:18:49,667 --> 00:18:51,375 A truck driver named Orville Wilson 442 00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:53,500 and his assistant, William Allen, 443 00:18:53,625 --> 00:18:55,333 pull the truck over to the side of the road 444 00:18:55,458 --> 00:18:57,708 in Mount Rose, New Jersey, which is a little less 445 00:18:57,875 --> 00:19:00,458 than five miles away from the Lindbergh estate. 446 00:19:00,583 --> 00:19:03,125 - William Allen was a Black man 447 00:19:03,208 --> 00:19:04,667 who worked as a trucker. 448 00:19:04,833 --> 00:19:07,667 One of the disgusting parts of American history 449 00:19:07,750 --> 00:19:10,208 is that he wasn't allowed to use the bathroom 450 00:19:10,333 --> 00:19:11,833 wherever he wanted. 451 00:19:11,917 --> 00:19:16,125 So he pulled over to use the restroom in the woods. 452 00:19:16,208 --> 00:19:18,708 He walked in a ways, 453 00:19:18,875 --> 00:19:22,083 so as not to be spotted by anybody passing by, 454 00:19:22,208 --> 00:19:25,167 and he noticed something on the ground. 455 00:19:25,333 --> 00:19:28,333 At first, he assumes it's a dead animal. 456 00:19:28,500 --> 00:19:32,417 But as he gets closer, he realizes it's a small child. 457 00:19:33,708 --> 00:19:35,708 - It's obvious that the head has been crushed 458 00:19:35,875 --> 00:19:39,208 and animals are starting to scatter the remains. 459 00:19:39,375 --> 00:19:42,500 All that is really left is a tattered white T-shirt. 460 00:19:44,167 --> 00:19:46,208 - The men notify police, 461 00:19:46,375 --> 00:19:48,042 who bring in the Lindberghs' nursemaid, 462 00:19:48,167 --> 00:19:51,667 Betty Gow, to identify the body. 463 00:19:51,750 --> 00:19:55,667 - She confirms that the body is of Charles Lindbergh Jr. 464 00:19:57,542 --> 00:20:01,750 - A funeral director conducts a rudimentary autopsy 465 00:20:01,875 --> 00:20:05,333 and declares that this child died from a blow to the head. 466 00:20:05,417 --> 00:20:07,875 - This funeral director establishes that the baby 467 00:20:08,042 --> 00:20:09,667 died probably two months ago. 468 00:20:09,792 --> 00:20:12,083 That time line means that much of the time 469 00:20:12,208 --> 00:20:13,958 that these notes were being exchanged 470 00:20:14,042 --> 00:20:15,417 around returning the baby, 471 00:20:15,542 --> 00:20:17,583 he was most likely already dead. 472 00:20:17,708 --> 00:20:20,417 - Grieving parents Charles and Anne 473 00:20:20,542 --> 00:20:22,375 have their son cremated. 474 00:20:22,542 --> 00:20:27,208 And the investigation turns from kidnapping to murder. 475 00:20:27,333 --> 00:20:30,167 - So, naturally, this marks a huge shift for police, 476 00:20:30,250 --> 00:20:32,750 because if this child died the very night 477 00:20:32,875 --> 00:20:34,125 that he was kidnapped, 478 00:20:34,208 --> 00:20:36,250 well, this puts them back at square one. 479 00:20:36,375 --> 00:20:38,208 And in this case, 480 00:20:38,333 --> 00:20:41,792 square one means that maybe their initial instinct 481 00:20:41,875 --> 00:20:43,167 was right all along. 482 00:20:43,292 --> 00:20:44,958 Maybe this was an inside job. 483 00:20:50,083 --> 00:20:52,500 - In May of 1932, 484 00:20:52,583 --> 00:20:55,375 the case of missing infant Charles Lindbergh Jr. 485 00:20:55,542 --> 00:20:59,125 turns from kidnapping to murder. 486 00:20:59,250 --> 00:21:00,458 - The police were confident 487 00:21:00,542 --> 00:21:02,167 a man named Cemetery John was involved. 488 00:21:02,333 --> 00:21:05,042 He and a group of accomplices send ransom demands 489 00:21:05,167 --> 00:21:08,583 and eventually collect $50,000. 490 00:21:08,708 --> 00:21:11,500 Once they pay the ransom, Cemetery John is gone, 491 00:21:11,625 --> 00:21:14,667 and they find the body of Charles Jr. 492 00:21:14,833 --> 00:21:17,167 and find out that he apparently died 493 00:21:17,292 --> 00:21:19,500 the very night he was taken. 494 00:21:19,625 --> 00:21:22,375 - With no new leads, police focus their attention 495 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,583 on the Lindberghs' extended family. 496 00:21:24,708 --> 00:21:27,042 - The lingering question is why baby Lindbergh 497 00:21:27,167 --> 00:21:28,292 was targeted at all, 498 00:21:28,375 --> 00:21:29,667 and why on a Tuesday, 499 00:21:29,792 --> 00:21:31,708 when the Lindberghs were not usually there? 500 00:21:31,833 --> 00:21:35,292 And how did the kidnapper know which window to enter? 501 00:21:35,375 --> 00:21:37,167 As the investigators work through a long list 502 00:21:37,333 --> 00:21:40,292 of Lindbergh family and friends and associates, 503 00:21:40,375 --> 00:21:41,667 eventually they find someone 504 00:21:41,750 --> 00:21:43,792 whose story doesn't quite add up. 505 00:21:43,875 --> 00:21:46,833 And they jump at the chance to label her a suspect. 506 00:21:50,083 --> 00:21:53,458 - New Jersey State Police question a domestic worker 507 00:21:53,542 --> 00:21:55,500 named Violet Sharpe. 508 00:21:55,667 --> 00:21:58,750 - Sharpe is a 20-something immigrant from England, 509 00:21:58,875 --> 00:22:01,333 who works for Anne's mother at her house, 510 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:03,458 serving her meals, which means that she's working 511 00:22:03,542 --> 00:22:04,792 for the baby's grandmother. 512 00:22:04,917 --> 00:22:07,167 - So the minute they begin questioning her, 513 00:22:07,250 --> 00:22:09,542 Violet becomes very nervous. 514 00:22:09,667 --> 00:22:11,333 She doesn't want to answer questions. 515 00:22:11,417 --> 00:22:13,000 Sometimes she's a little belligerent. 516 00:22:14,875 --> 00:22:19,000 It's obvious to the officers that she is being evasive. 517 00:22:19,083 --> 00:22:20,917 But why? 518 00:22:21,042 --> 00:22:21,958 - And her story keeps changing. 519 00:22:22,083 --> 00:22:24,167 At first, she says that she's on a blind date 520 00:22:24,250 --> 00:22:26,417 on the night of the kidnapping, but she can't remember the name 521 00:22:26,542 --> 00:22:29,250 of her date or the other couple that she was with. 522 00:22:29,375 --> 00:22:30,500 - She claims she went to a movie, 523 00:22:30,583 --> 00:22:31,750 but she can't remember which one. 524 00:22:31,875 --> 00:22:34,417 And later, she claims she went to a roadhouse 525 00:22:34,542 --> 00:22:36,208 and not a movie at all. 526 00:22:36,375 --> 00:22:38,042 - So the police decide that they need to take 527 00:22:38,208 --> 00:22:39,750 a closer look at Miss Sharpe, 528 00:22:39,875 --> 00:22:42,458 so they ask her for all of her bank statements 529 00:22:42,583 --> 00:22:44,417 and all of her financial records 530 00:22:44,542 --> 00:22:46,333 to see if there have been any large deposits 531 00:22:46,458 --> 00:22:47,958 that've been made. 532 00:22:48,042 --> 00:22:50,292 They also ask her to come in and to give an official account 533 00:22:50,417 --> 00:22:52,708 of her whereabouts during the day of the kidnapping. 534 00:22:52,875 --> 00:22:55,333 - They're pushing so hard because they're convinced 535 00:22:55,417 --> 00:22:57,250 that Violet Sharpe must know something. 536 00:22:57,375 --> 00:23:01,417 - So the police schedule several interviews 537 00:23:01,542 --> 00:23:03,083 with Violet Sharpe. 538 00:23:03,208 --> 00:23:05,833 And the last one, she just doesn't turn up to. 539 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,542 - And they start to think, "Is she on the run? 540 00:23:08,667 --> 00:23:11,125 Did something spook her? Where is she at?" 541 00:23:11,208 --> 00:23:13,500 Sadly, on June 10th, 542 00:23:13,583 --> 00:23:17,208 one month after baby Lindbergh's body's discovered, 543 00:23:17,333 --> 00:23:20,083 Miss Sharpe's body is also discovered. 544 00:23:20,208 --> 00:23:21,833 She had ended up committing suicide 545 00:23:21,958 --> 00:23:23,750 by eating silver polish. 546 00:23:23,875 --> 00:23:27,000 And, ultimately, after her death, 547 00:23:27,167 --> 00:23:30,625 investigators are actually able to prove her alibi 548 00:23:30,708 --> 00:23:32,833 for the night of March 1st. 549 00:23:32,958 --> 00:23:36,875 Turns out, she was on a date after all. 550 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,833 - Eventually every member of the Lindbergh inner circle 551 00:23:40,917 --> 00:23:44,250 is questioned and discarded as a suspect-- 552 00:23:44,375 --> 00:23:47,167 everyone, that is, except for one, 553 00:23:47,250 --> 00:23:49,333 Charles Lindbergh himself. 554 00:23:52,458 --> 00:23:54,458 - Today when we have any kind of crime 555 00:23:54,583 --> 00:23:56,667 involving a child or a family, 556 00:23:56,750 --> 00:23:58,542 the family members are the first suspects, 557 00:23:58,667 --> 00:24:00,333 especially in kidnapping. 558 00:24:00,458 --> 00:24:03,875 - The first person you would look at would be the parents. 559 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,500 In 1932, no one is going to question Lindbergh 560 00:24:07,583 --> 00:24:09,833 or imagine that the hero of the age 561 00:24:09,958 --> 00:24:13,667 could have anything to do with an exploit so sociopathic 562 00:24:13,750 --> 00:24:16,333 as the kidnapping of his own son. 563 00:24:16,500 --> 00:24:18,250 - One of the things that happens over time 564 00:24:18,375 --> 00:24:19,958 is that people thinking about the crime 565 00:24:20,083 --> 00:24:23,333 start to notice odd things about Lindbergh's behavior. 566 00:24:23,500 --> 00:24:26,000 Theories start to emerge that perhaps Lindbergh 567 00:24:26,125 --> 00:24:28,292 is involved in some way. 568 00:24:28,375 --> 00:24:30,083 - Lindbergh had tremendous influence 569 00:24:30,208 --> 00:24:32,250 over the investigators that were involved in this case. 570 00:24:32,375 --> 00:24:33,833 In fact, according to one story, 571 00:24:33,958 --> 00:24:36,000 when the police arrived at his home, 572 00:24:36,125 --> 00:24:39,000 Lindbergh is standing outside with a rifle, 573 00:24:39,125 --> 00:24:40,458 and he tells them, 574 00:24:40,542 --> 00:24:44,208 "If anyone disobeys me, they're going to get shot." 575 00:24:44,375 --> 00:24:47,125 - And the only statement that Lindbergh actually gives 576 00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:49,833 is a one-page account where he can't really attest 577 00:24:49,958 --> 00:24:52,875 to his own whereabouts the day before the event. 578 00:24:53,042 --> 00:24:55,333 Lindbergh has very strong connections 579 00:24:55,458 --> 00:24:57,208 to the New Jersey State Police, 580 00:24:57,333 --> 00:24:59,875 and it's documented that he wanted them to be in charge. 581 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,375 Some say that Lindbergh wants control of the investigation. 582 00:25:03,542 --> 00:25:05,042 - And here's another curious detail. 583 00:25:05,167 --> 00:25:08,000 When the police want to copy down all the serial numbers 584 00:25:08,125 --> 00:25:12,167 on those gold certificates, Lindbergh strongly objects. 585 00:25:13,708 --> 00:25:15,917 - Why would Lindbergh want to limit the scope 586 00:25:16,042 --> 00:25:18,125 of the search for his son's killer? 587 00:25:19,583 --> 00:25:21,000 - People have suggested 588 00:25:21,125 --> 00:25:23,667 that it was actually Lindbergh himself who was responsible 589 00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:26,000 for the murder of his own son in a prank gone wrong, 590 00:25:26,083 --> 00:25:30,125 and the kidnapping was just a ruse after the fact. 591 00:25:30,208 --> 00:25:32,542 - Charles Lindbergh is a practical joker. 592 00:25:32,667 --> 00:25:35,250 He likes to pull pranks on people, 593 00:25:35,375 --> 00:25:38,083 but it's not funny stuff. 594 00:25:38,208 --> 00:25:39,542 It's dangerous stuff. 595 00:25:39,708 --> 00:25:41,542 There was a time where he actually put kerosene 596 00:25:41,708 --> 00:25:44,417 in an acquaintance's drink and let him drink it. 597 00:25:44,542 --> 00:25:46,292 And he thought that was pretty funny--ha. 598 00:25:47,875 --> 00:25:51,875 Lindbergh kidnapped his baby once before. 599 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,833 Just a week earlier, Lindbergh hid the baby in a closet, 600 00:25:55,917 --> 00:25:59,375 and he allowed Betty and Anne to both get hysterical 601 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:01,792 believing that the baby had been kidnapped, 602 00:26:01,875 --> 00:26:03,875 and Lindbergh thought that was funny. 603 00:26:04,042 --> 00:26:06,625 - Anne Lindbergh wrote a letter to her mother-in-law 604 00:26:06,750 --> 00:26:09,083 the next day explaining what had happened. 605 00:26:09,208 --> 00:26:12,000 She said that when she saw the empty crib, 606 00:26:12,125 --> 00:26:13,667 her first thought was 607 00:26:13,792 --> 00:26:16,917 that Charles had taken the baby again as a joke. 608 00:26:17,042 --> 00:26:19,917 - Theorists suggest that this time, 609 00:26:20,042 --> 00:26:22,583 the prank takes an even darker turn. 610 00:26:22,708 --> 00:26:23,708 - So the night 611 00:26:23,833 --> 00:26:24,958 of the kidnapping, 612 00:26:25,042 --> 00:26:26,250 according to the weather report, 613 00:26:26,375 --> 00:26:28,083 it was cold and windy. 614 00:26:28,208 --> 00:26:29,750 - What if Lindbergh 615 00:26:29,875 --> 00:26:32,167 actually was pranking his family again? 616 00:26:32,333 --> 00:26:35,625 And what if, during the course of that practical joke, 617 00:26:35,708 --> 00:26:37,833 he actually fell down that ladder, 618 00:26:37,917 --> 00:26:40,500 or worse, dropped the baby? 619 00:26:40,667 --> 00:26:44,500 This will be borne out by the autopsy results. 620 00:26:44,667 --> 00:26:47,833 The baby died from a skull fracture. 621 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:49,792 - And Lindbergh immediately ordered 622 00:26:49,917 --> 00:26:51,833 that the child's remains be cremated. 623 00:26:51,917 --> 00:26:54,333 There were never any toxicological tests done. 624 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:56,667 There was no further examination. 625 00:26:56,792 --> 00:27:00,000 He concocted a cover-up of a kidnap story 626 00:27:00,083 --> 00:27:02,958 in order to save his own reputation. 627 00:27:03,042 --> 00:27:06,333 - But some think it wasn't an accident. 628 00:27:06,500 --> 00:27:08,625 - Some people have suggested 629 00:27:08,708 --> 00:27:11,708 that Lindberg took his own child's life on purpose. 630 00:27:15,375 --> 00:27:17,333 - As police search for baby Lindbergh's murderer 631 00:27:17,500 --> 00:27:19,292 in the summer of 1932, 632 00:27:19,375 --> 00:27:21,000 a radical theory suggests 633 00:27:21,125 --> 00:27:24,458 Charles Lindbergh is the culprit. 634 00:27:28,583 --> 00:27:29,833 - In the 1930s, 635 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:33,333 the pseudoscience of eugenics has taken hold, 636 00:27:33,458 --> 00:27:35,792 and Lindbergh is an avid believer. 637 00:27:35,875 --> 00:27:38,667 In eugenics, scientists, what they do is, 638 00:27:38,792 --> 00:27:42,042 they will deem certain genetic traits superior, 639 00:27:42,167 --> 00:27:44,917 and any sort of deformities that show up in somebody 640 00:27:45,042 --> 00:27:46,667 are considered a weakness. 641 00:27:46,833 --> 00:27:49,167 It's a concept that the Nazi party 642 00:27:49,292 --> 00:27:52,500 would actually use to justify in their genocide 643 00:27:52,625 --> 00:27:53,583 against the Jewish people. 644 00:27:55,292 --> 00:27:58,833 Lindbergh was definitely drawn to aspects of Nazism. 645 00:27:58,917 --> 00:28:00,667 He gave speeches. He published papers. 646 00:28:00,792 --> 00:28:03,458 He espoused all of these racist ideas 647 00:28:03,542 --> 00:28:04,958 in front of Congress. 648 00:28:05,042 --> 00:28:07,500 - Could these controversial political beliefs 649 00:28:07,625 --> 00:28:10,167 have led to the death of baby Lindbergh? 650 00:28:10,250 --> 00:28:13,708 - Charles Jr. was born with some mild deformities-- 651 00:28:13,833 --> 00:28:15,125 things like rickets. 652 00:28:15,208 --> 00:28:17,042 His legs bowed. 653 00:28:17,208 --> 00:28:20,542 He didn't have a whole lot of strength in his lower body. 654 00:28:20,667 --> 00:28:24,625 He seemed to be a little slow on development in that area. 655 00:28:24,750 --> 00:28:29,500 It didn't seem as though Charles Jr. fit the mold 656 00:28:29,583 --> 00:28:32,500 of what Charles Lindbergh was saying 657 00:28:32,583 --> 00:28:34,792 was the perfect person. 658 00:28:34,875 --> 00:28:37,625 - So people do ask, "If Charles Lindbergh 659 00:28:37,750 --> 00:28:41,000 "was worried that he had an 'inferior baby,' 660 00:28:41,083 --> 00:28:43,000 "would he be capable of carrying out 661 00:28:43,125 --> 00:28:46,125 the horrible act of murdering him?" 662 00:28:46,208 --> 00:28:49,667 - The idea of Charles Lindbergh doing something so heinous 663 00:28:49,792 --> 00:28:52,167 was absolutely inconceivable. 664 00:28:52,292 --> 00:28:56,958 Nobody could assign something so evil 665 00:28:57,083 --> 00:28:59,500 to such a celebrated man. 666 00:28:59,625 --> 00:29:01,875 - And that includes investigators. 667 00:29:02,042 --> 00:29:04,875 They stop looking into the Lindbergh family, 668 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,833 and the case goes cold. 669 00:29:10,917 --> 00:29:14,000 In the two years after the Lindbergh baby's death, 670 00:29:14,125 --> 00:29:16,458 police question nearly 1,000 persons of interest 671 00:29:16,542 --> 00:29:18,750 with no luck. 672 00:29:18,875 --> 00:29:21,833 Then in the summer of 1934, 673 00:29:21,958 --> 00:29:23,875 detectives finally catch the break 674 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,667 they've been looking for. 675 00:29:25,792 --> 00:29:28,542 It's all due to a seed they planted 676 00:29:28,667 --> 00:29:30,167 at the very beginning. 677 00:29:32,042 --> 00:29:35,625 - They put together that $50,000 in ransom money 678 00:29:35,708 --> 00:29:37,583 with gold certificates, 679 00:29:37,708 --> 00:29:39,500 and they wrote down the serial numbers 680 00:29:39,625 --> 00:29:42,250 so they would be easy to locate. 681 00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:46,000 - So the more that those are spent, 682 00:29:46,083 --> 00:29:49,125 the better the odds that somebody's going to notice. 683 00:29:49,208 --> 00:29:51,917 - Months later, they start to surface 684 00:29:52,042 --> 00:29:54,000 in New York City. 685 00:29:54,125 --> 00:29:57,167 - It takes a while to really figure out 686 00:29:57,333 --> 00:29:59,500 exactly where all the bills are being spent, 687 00:29:59,625 --> 00:30:01,500 but when they do, they realize 688 00:30:01,583 --> 00:30:03,458 that it's along a specific path. 689 00:30:03,542 --> 00:30:07,000 - They're being spent along the Lexington Avenue subway. 690 00:30:07,083 --> 00:30:10,042 This subway connects the Bronx to the East Side of Manhattan. 691 00:30:10,167 --> 00:30:12,917 - One turns up at the East River Savings Bank, 692 00:30:13,042 --> 00:30:15,958 another at the Loew's Sheridan Square Theatre. 693 00:30:16,083 --> 00:30:17,917 Another comes from the grocery store 694 00:30:18,042 --> 00:30:19,292 in the Yorkville neighborhood 695 00:30:19,375 --> 00:30:22,042 and another at the Exquisite Shoe store. 696 00:30:22,167 --> 00:30:25,333 - Ultimately, $5,100 worth of ransom bills 697 00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:28,583 are recovered, but it's one in particular 698 00:30:28,708 --> 00:30:30,958 that cracks the case wide open. 699 00:30:31,042 --> 00:30:34,500 - September 18, 1934, 700 00:30:34,667 --> 00:30:36,625 one of those gold notes 701 00:30:36,708 --> 00:30:40,083 pops up at a bank in Manhattan. 702 00:30:40,208 --> 00:30:43,000 But this gold certificate has something different. 703 00:30:43,167 --> 00:30:46,667 It has a number written in the margin-- 704 00:30:46,750 --> 00:30:50,667 4U-13-41-NY. 705 00:30:50,750 --> 00:30:53,167 It's a license plate number. 706 00:30:53,333 --> 00:30:56,833 - The bill is traced to a local gas station. 707 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:58,292 - Station attendant Walter Lyle said 708 00:30:58,375 --> 00:31:00,083 that that gold certificate caught his attention 709 00:31:00,208 --> 00:31:02,250 and it felt suspicious to him. 710 00:31:02,375 --> 00:31:04,083 He thought that that customer might have been 711 00:31:04,208 --> 00:31:06,208 a counterfeiter, so to help him remember, 712 00:31:06,375 --> 00:31:08,542 he wrote down the license plate right there on the spot 713 00:31:08,667 --> 00:31:10,042 on that bill. 714 00:31:10,208 --> 00:31:12,500 - Police run the plate and get a name. 715 00:31:16,333 --> 00:31:19,333 - For two years, police only had a sketch 716 00:31:19,417 --> 00:31:21,750 of their prime suspect in the Lindbergh kidnapping. 717 00:31:23,208 --> 00:31:26,500 Now they finally have a name. 718 00:31:27,917 --> 00:31:30,083 - The police track down the car, 719 00:31:30,208 --> 00:31:32,250 which belongs to one Bruno Richard Hauptmann. 720 00:31:32,375 --> 00:31:36,167 The police now believe they know the true identity 721 00:31:36,292 --> 00:31:37,333 of Cemetery John. 722 00:31:41,208 --> 00:31:42,958 - Hauptmann is a German-born immigrant 723 00:31:43,042 --> 00:31:44,750 illegally living in the United States. 724 00:31:44,875 --> 00:31:45,833 And he was actually charged 725 00:31:45,958 --> 00:31:48,042 with multiple burglaries in Germany, 726 00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:50,958 but he escaped by stowing away on an ocean liner. 727 00:31:51,083 --> 00:31:53,583 He currently lives on East 222nd Street 728 00:31:53,708 --> 00:31:56,125 in the Bronx with his wife, Anna, and their young child, 729 00:31:56,208 --> 00:31:58,500 and he works odd jobs as a carpenter. 730 00:31:58,625 --> 00:32:01,125 As soon as investigators connect the bill to Hauptmann, 731 00:32:01,208 --> 00:32:03,417 they immediately put him under constant surveillance, 732 00:32:03,542 --> 00:32:06,208 hoping that he'll slip up and incriminate himself. 733 00:32:06,375 --> 00:32:07,250 At some point, 734 00:32:07,375 --> 00:32:08,917 Hauptmann realizes that he's being watched. 735 00:32:09,042 --> 00:32:10,667 Now, maybe he knows he's guilty, 736 00:32:10,833 --> 00:32:13,000 or maybe he's worried about his status in the United States. 737 00:32:13,125 --> 00:32:15,458 Either way, he decides to jump in his car 738 00:32:15,542 --> 00:32:16,500 and make a break for it. 739 00:32:18,458 --> 00:32:22,500 - And it's a straight-ahead gangster-film chase, 740 00:32:22,667 --> 00:32:24,042 riding through the streets. 741 00:32:24,208 --> 00:32:26,542 Police cars after him, 742 00:32:26,667 --> 00:32:28,042 running through traffic. 743 00:32:28,208 --> 00:32:30,125 It's something right out of a movie. 744 00:32:30,208 --> 00:32:33,167 He's finally pinned in on Park Avenue in the Bronx. 745 00:32:34,542 --> 00:32:35,417 Hauptmann is arrested, 746 00:32:35,542 --> 00:32:37,583 and authorities begin a search of his car 747 00:32:37,708 --> 00:32:38,542 and his house. 748 00:32:40,500 --> 00:32:42,167 They're searching through all his belongings, 749 00:32:42,292 --> 00:32:43,417 not finding much of interest, 750 00:32:43,542 --> 00:32:45,667 until they look inside this old garage 751 00:32:45,750 --> 00:32:46,958 at the edge of the property. 752 00:32:47,042 --> 00:32:49,750 - There, in a stack of old gas cans, 753 00:32:49,875 --> 00:32:53,667 police finally find their smoking gun. 754 00:32:53,792 --> 00:32:55,750 - They open some jars, and what do they find? 755 00:32:55,875 --> 00:32:59,125 $14,600 in gold certificates. 756 00:32:59,208 --> 00:33:01,417 - And once they find the cans of ransom money 757 00:33:01,542 --> 00:33:02,667 in Hauptmann's garage, 758 00:33:02,750 --> 00:33:05,208 it's a race to the finish to build a case against him. 759 00:33:05,333 --> 00:33:07,875 And the evidence is pretty damming. 760 00:33:08,042 --> 00:33:09,250 - Detectives check the serial numbers 761 00:33:09,375 --> 00:33:11,833 on every bill found at Hauptmann's place. 762 00:33:11,958 --> 00:33:14,250 And indeed, these are the certificates 763 00:33:14,375 --> 00:33:17,167 that were given as part of the ransom. 764 00:33:17,292 --> 00:33:20,583 - In Hauptmann's attic, there is more evidence. 765 00:33:20,708 --> 00:33:24,000 - Remember, the night Charles Jr. goes missing, 766 00:33:24,083 --> 00:33:25,583 they find those broken pieces of wood 767 00:33:25,708 --> 00:33:27,667 underneath the nursery window that'd come from a ladder. 768 00:33:27,792 --> 00:33:31,292 Well, in Hauptmann's attic, they find a ladder. 769 00:33:32,542 --> 00:33:33,833 - Not just any ladder-- 770 00:33:33,958 --> 00:33:35,833 a handmade telescopic ladder 771 00:33:35,958 --> 00:33:37,917 designed to collapse in on itself. 772 00:33:38,042 --> 00:33:40,167 This allows one person to carry it easily, 773 00:33:40,292 --> 00:33:42,458 while being long enough to reach the height 774 00:33:42,583 --> 00:33:44,667 of Lindbergh's second-story window. 775 00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:50,333 - Was it the ladder used to kidnap the Lindbergh baby? 776 00:33:50,458 --> 00:33:54,833 Hauptmann is a carpenter, and so he has his own tools. 777 00:33:54,958 --> 00:33:58,167 He has the ability to build the ladder. 778 00:33:58,292 --> 00:33:59,458 - And during the attic search, 779 00:33:59,583 --> 00:34:01,833 investigators find a section of floorboard 780 00:34:01,917 --> 00:34:03,333 that had been cut. 781 00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:07,500 - A team of experts study the wood from the floorboards 782 00:34:07,583 --> 00:34:11,750 and forensically compare it to the wood from the ladder. 783 00:34:11,875 --> 00:34:13,625 - And this gets them thinking. 784 00:34:13,750 --> 00:34:15,500 The wood grain in one rail of the ladder, 785 00:34:15,625 --> 00:34:18,542 dubbed "Rail 16" seems to match up perfectly 786 00:34:18,708 --> 00:34:21,500 with that cut section from Hauptmann's attic floor. 787 00:34:21,625 --> 00:34:24,000 And the nail holes also match the nails 788 00:34:24,083 --> 00:34:25,583 used to construct the attic. 789 00:34:25,708 --> 00:34:28,333 So experts are convinced that the ladder is made 790 00:34:28,458 --> 00:34:31,292 from slats in the floor of Hauptmann's attic. 791 00:34:32,625 --> 00:34:35,625 - But police need more for a conviction. 792 00:34:37,125 --> 00:34:39,417 - Of course, owning a ladder isn't a crime. 793 00:34:39,542 --> 00:34:41,833 But then investigators find one more clue. 794 00:34:43,542 --> 00:34:45,500 - They found a phone number written on the wall 795 00:34:45,583 --> 00:34:47,792 in the closet in the kitchen. 796 00:34:47,917 --> 00:34:50,250 Whose phone number was it? 797 00:34:50,375 --> 00:34:52,500 - Dr. John Condon, 798 00:34:52,625 --> 00:34:54,792 the same man who was the intermediary 799 00:34:54,917 --> 00:34:56,000 for the ransom handoff. 800 00:34:56,125 --> 00:34:57,667 Finally, investigators commission 801 00:34:57,833 --> 00:35:00,333 handwriting analysis between Hauptmann's handwriting 802 00:35:00,458 --> 00:35:02,375 and the writing that appeared on the ransom notes, 803 00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:05,625 and they find multiple similarities. 804 00:35:05,708 --> 00:35:09,417 - Both sets of writing contained backward Ns, 805 00:35:09,542 --> 00:35:10,792 curls on the Ys. 806 00:35:10,875 --> 00:35:13,792 Additionally, he spelled some of the same words wrong. 807 00:35:15,167 --> 00:35:16,458 - On September 24th, 808 00:35:16,542 --> 00:35:18,667 Hauptmann is indicted for extorting 809 00:35:18,833 --> 00:35:22,000 the $50,000 ransom from Charles Lindbergh. 810 00:35:22,125 --> 00:35:25,083 Shortly after, on October 8th, 811 00:35:25,208 --> 00:35:27,000 he's also indicted for the murder 812 00:35:27,083 --> 00:35:29,250 of Charles Lindbergh Jr. 813 00:35:33,500 --> 00:35:36,083 - Hauptmann is represented by Edward J. Riley, 814 00:35:36,208 --> 00:35:37,500 an attorney actually hired 815 00:35:37,625 --> 00:35:39,250 by "The New York Daily Mirror" 816 00:35:39,375 --> 00:35:41,792 for exclusive rights to Hauptmann's story. 817 00:35:43,917 --> 00:35:46,625 - The trial brought hundreds of reporters 818 00:35:46,708 --> 00:35:48,083 into town. 819 00:35:48,208 --> 00:35:50,875 People couldn't find hotel rooms for miles. 820 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:52,583 It was huge. 821 00:35:52,708 --> 00:35:56,917 - He quit his job the day he collected the $50,000, 822 00:35:57,042 --> 00:35:59,042 the very day! 823 00:35:59,208 --> 00:36:02,167 - After a conviction and two failed appeals, 824 00:36:02,333 --> 00:36:05,000 Hauptmann is executed by the electric chair 825 00:36:05,125 --> 00:36:07,500 on April 3, 1936. 826 00:36:11,208 --> 00:36:13,375 - And that's it, everyone. Mystery solved. 827 00:36:13,500 --> 00:36:15,125 We now know the truth of what happened. 828 00:36:15,250 --> 00:36:16,417 Or do we? 829 00:36:20,250 --> 00:36:22,417 - Even after the conviction of Richard Hauptmann 830 00:36:22,542 --> 00:36:25,208 for the murder of Baby Lindbergh, 831 00:36:25,375 --> 00:36:29,167 not everyone's convinced he's solely responsible. 832 00:36:29,292 --> 00:36:31,167 - Obviously, the police want to close this case 833 00:36:31,250 --> 00:36:33,667 as neatly and as efficiently as possible. 834 00:36:33,750 --> 00:36:35,667 And looking at the evidence they have, 835 00:36:35,750 --> 00:36:38,333 Hauptmann appears extremely guilty. 836 00:36:38,417 --> 00:36:40,083 - It seems very likely 837 00:36:40,208 --> 00:36:41,708 that he was involved in these crimes. 838 00:36:41,833 --> 00:36:44,583 - But even the highest authorities wonder, 839 00:36:44,708 --> 00:36:45,833 did he act alone? 840 00:36:50,250 --> 00:36:51,958 - While Hauptmann is awaiting execution, 841 00:36:52,083 --> 00:36:53,542 the governor of New Jersey himself, 842 00:36:53,667 --> 00:36:55,875 Harold Hoffman, visits him in his cell. 843 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:57,417 He also brings along 844 00:36:57,542 --> 00:36:59,875 a translator who speaks fluent German. 845 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,292 - While there were no notes released 846 00:37:02,417 --> 00:37:03,667 from this talk, 847 00:37:03,750 --> 00:37:06,625 it seems like it was a pretty influential talk. 848 00:37:06,750 --> 00:37:08,458 - After talking with Hauptmann, 849 00:37:08,542 --> 00:37:10,208 the governor implores court officials 850 00:37:10,375 --> 00:37:12,708 and the police to keep on investigating. 851 00:37:12,833 --> 00:37:15,875 - He ended up granting him a reprieve. 852 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,583 - Governor Hoffman felt that there was more to the story 853 00:37:18,708 --> 00:37:21,333 than what the state had put forward at the trial. 854 00:37:21,417 --> 00:37:24,083 And he wanted to make sure that everyone who was involved 855 00:37:24,208 --> 00:37:26,958 was identified and brought to justice. 856 00:37:27,042 --> 00:37:28,625 - As we know, of course, 857 00:37:28,750 --> 00:37:31,417 that request from the governor isn't followed upon, 858 00:37:31,542 --> 00:37:33,000 and Hauptmann takes the fall 859 00:37:33,125 --> 00:37:34,667 as the one and only perpetrator 860 00:37:34,792 --> 00:37:36,125 of that crime. 861 00:37:36,208 --> 00:37:37,583 Hoffman doesn't give any more reprieves, 862 00:37:37,708 --> 00:37:39,417 and the execution takes place 863 00:37:39,542 --> 00:37:40,833 four years after the kidnapping. 864 00:37:42,042 --> 00:37:43,500 - For the next six decades, 865 00:37:43,667 --> 00:37:45,667 Hauptmann's guilt is generally accepted, 866 00:37:45,750 --> 00:37:49,208 along with the idea that he acted alone. 867 00:37:49,375 --> 00:37:51,625 Then in 2003, 868 00:37:51,750 --> 00:37:55,375 a state police archivist makes a startling discovery. 869 00:37:55,500 --> 00:37:57,500 Sitting right there in the archive 870 00:37:57,625 --> 00:38:01,292 is a board with a signed confession written on it. 871 00:38:01,375 --> 00:38:04,333 - It's written in German, but it translates to, 872 00:38:04,458 --> 00:38:07,083 "I was one of the kidnappers of Lindbergh's baby, 873 00:38:07,208 --> 00:38:09,583 not Bruno Richard Hauptmann." 874 00:38:09,708 --> 00:38:11,458 It goes on to state that some of the ransom money 875 00:38:11,583 --> 00:38:13,083 was buried in the town of Summit. 876 00:38:14,667 --> 00:38:16,958 - What's more intriguing still is that there's 877 00:38:17,042 --> 00:38:18,250 a series of screw holes-- 878 00:38:18,375 --> 00:38:21,542 like a table leg or a brace was removed 879 00:38:21,708 --> 00:38:23,917 with a large circle around it. 880 00:38:24,042 --> 00:38:26,167 And when a comparison is made to the ransom note, 881 00:38:26,292 --> 00:38:29,042 these holes line up perfectly 882 00:38:29,208 --> 00:38:31,958 with the holes that were found in those ransom notes. 883 00:38:33,375 --> 00:38:34,417 - The board was apparently reported 884 00:38:34,542 --> 00:38:37,208 to the state police in 1948. 885 00:38:37,375 --> 00:38:39,833 A man found it attached to the bottom of a table 886 00:38:39,917 --> 00:38:41,292 he had recently purchased. 887 00:38:41,375 --> 00:38:44,833 - So authorities did not take this seriously 888 00:38:44,958 --> 00:38:47,792 because there had been dozens of confessions. 889 00:38:47,917 --> 00:38:51,208 Dozens of people had said that they were involved, 890 00:38:51,375 --> 00:38:53,833 in some cases, that they were actually the baby. 891 00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:56,667 - Handwriting comparisons are made 892 00:38:56,750 --> 00:38:58,500 between Hauptmann's writing and the writing on the wood, 893 00:38:58,625 --> 00:38:59,917 and they don't match. 894 00:39:00,042 --> 00:39:03,542 - If Hauptmann didn't write it, who did? 895 00:39:03,667 --> 00:39:06,583 - In 2012, author Robert Zorn 896 00:39:06,708 --> 00:39:09,417 offers a potential lead on who might have written this note. 897 00:39:09,542 --> 00:39:11,542 - In his book "Cemetery John," 898 00:39:11,667 --> 00:39:13,875 he reports that his father, Eugene, 899 00:39:14,042 --> 00:39:16,833 may have witnessed Hauptmann conspiring with two other men 900 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:18,500 in 1932. 901 00:39:18,583 --> 00:39:20,125 Growing up in the South Bronx, 902 00:39:20,250 --> 00:39:22,708 Eugene lived next to a John Knoll. 903 00:39:22,833 --> 00:39:24,458 And one day at an amusement park, 904 00:39:24,542 --> 00:39:26,875 Eugene claims to have seen John Knoll, 905 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:28,667 along with his younger brother Walter, 906 00:39:28,750 --> 00:39:30,500 and Hauptmann in the amusement park 907 00:39:30,583 --> 00:39:32,875 speaking in hushed tones in German, 908 00:39:33,042 --> 00:39:34,667 plotting something. 909 00:39:34,792 --> 00:39:36,500 He recognized the words "Bruno," 910 00:39:36,625 --> 00:39:38,042 which was Hauptmann's first name, 911 00:39:38,208 --> 00:39:39,458 and the word "Englewood," 912 00:39:39,542 --> 00:39:41,750 which was the suburb where Lindbergh's family lived 913 00:39:41,875 --> 00:39:43,417 in New Jersey. 914 00:39:43,542 --> 00:39:45,458 - Zorn puts a few more details together 915 00:39:45,583 --> 00:39:47,417 for this story as well. 916 00:39:47,542 --> 00:39:50,333 John Knoll was a stamp collector, 917 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:52,458 and the Lindbergh ransom notes 918 00:39:52,542 --> 00:39:55,958 use a variety of odd stamps. 919 00:39:56,083 --> 00:39:57,958 And Knoll's residence on the South Bronx 920 00:39:58,042 --> 00:40:01,000 was along the same Lexington Avenue subway route 921 00:40:01,125 --> 00:40:03,500 of which the ghost certificates were spent. 922 00:40:03,667 --> 00:40:05,000 If you look at the sketch, 923 00:40:05,125 --> 00:40:08,042 Knoll and Cemetery John show a striking resemblance. 924 00:40:08,167 --> 00:40:12,958 - Could John Knoll be the real Cemetery John? 925 00:40:13,042 --> 00:40:16,250 - While this information is revealing and interesting, 926 00:40:16,375 --> 00:40:17,667 at this point, it's impossible to prove 927 00:40:17,833 --> 00:40:19,833 that John Knoll was Cemetery John. 928 00:40:21,417 --> 00:40:22,958 It's possible they sent the wrong man 929 00:40:23,042 --> 00:40:24,333 to the electric chair, 930 00:40:24,417 --> 00:40:27,500 or there at least two or more accomplices 931 00:40:27,583 --> 00:40:28,958 that never got any attention. 932 00:40:29,042 --> 00:40:31,667 - For a mystery that's supposedly already solved, 933 00:40:31,792 --> 00:40:33,625 there are still a lot of questions 934 00:40:33,708 --> 00:40:36,167 that people have that linger about this case. 935 00:40:36,292 --> 00:40:38,333 - How could this have succeeded 936 00:40:38,458 --> 00:40:40,792 without someone having inside knowledge? 937 00:40:40,917 --> 00:40:43,792 What about the inconsistencies at the crime scene? 938 00:40:45,708 --> 00:40:47,875 - Why was Dr. Condon so heavily involved? 939 00:40:48,042 --> 00:40:50,292 Did he have something to do with this? 940 00:40:50,375 --> 00:40:52,250 - What about the death of Violet Sharpe? 941 00:40:52,375 --> 00:40:53,792 What about John and Walter Knoll? 942 00:40:53,917 --> 00:40:56,125 - And, of course, the biggest question of all-- 943 00:40:56,250 --> 00:40:59,083 could Lindbergh have possibly orchestrated the whole thing? 944 00:40:59,208 --> 00:41:01,833 For now, we're left with the official story... 945 00:41:01,917 --> 00:41:05,250 at least until a new clue appears. 946 00:41:07,958 --> 00:41:10,375 - As of today, less than 20,000 947 00:41:10,500 --> 00:41:12,667 of the original $50,000 ransom 948 00:41:12,792 --> 00:41:15,333 paid to Cemetery John has been recovered. 949 00:41:15,417 --> 00:41:19,208 If the rest ever turns up, will it tie back to Hauptmann, 950 00:41:19,375 --> 00:41:22,125 or will it point to a new suspect? 951 00:41:22,208 --> 00:41:24,000 I'm Laurence Fishburne. 952 00:41:24,125 --> 00:41:25,417 Thank you for watching 953 00:41:25,542 --> 00:41:27,958 "History's Greatest Mysteries."