"Mysteries at the Museum" Lindbergh Kidnapping: Mysteries at the Museum

1 00:00:06,407 --> 00:00:08,073 I'm throwing open the books on one 2 00:00:08,075 --> 00:00:11,544 of the most shocking crimes of the 20th century. 3 00:00:11,546 --> 00:00:13,746 We're speaking to you now from the General Store 4 00:00:13,748 --> 00:00:15,014 in Hopewell, New Jersey. 5 00:00:15,016 --> 00:00:17,950 The kidnapping of a child, only 20 months old. 6 00:00:17,952 --> 00:00:20,219 Stolen from his crib, right under the nose 7 00:00:20,221 --> 00:00:21,820 of his father who happened to be 8 00:00:21,822 --> 00:00:25,357 the most famous man in the world, Charles Lindbergh. 9 00:00:25,359 --> 00:00:26,492 ANCHORMAN: Charles Lindbergh. 10 00:00:26,494 --> 00:00:28,427 ANCHORMAN #2: Charles Lindbergh took off alone 11 00:00:28,429 --> 00:00:30,696 on a flight to France. 12 00:00:30,698 --> 00:00:34,433 There goes Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis! 13 00:00:38,105 --> 00:00:40,106 ANCHORMAN #3: This is the scene since the news 14 00:00:40,108 --> 00:00:43,241 of the kidnapping had created such intense excitement. 15 00:00:43,243 --> 00:00:46,912 WILDMAN: In 1932, the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby 16 00:00:46,914 --> 00:00:48,647 transfixed the nation. 17 00:00:48,649 --> 00:00:52,051 "Dear Sir, have $50,000 ready." 18 00:00:52,053 --> 00:00:53,386 Hey, look at that! 19 00:00:53,388 --> 00:00:54,987 The whole world was here. 20 00:00:54,989 --> 00:00:58,123 The case was closed more than 80 years ago, 21 00:00:58,125 --> 00:01:03,195 but what if the official story got it wrong? 22 00:01:03,197 --> 00:01:06,131 Now I'm reexamining old evidence... 23 00:01:06,133 --> 00:01:09,335 So, this is in question, though, this board itself? 24 00:01:09,337 --> 00:01:10,669 This board is in question. 25 00:01:10,671 --> 00:01:12,738 -A planted piece of evidence? -Yes. 26 00:01:12,740 --> 00:01:15,074 ...and digging up new questions. 27 00:01:15,076 --> 00:01:16,809 Nobody asked for an explanation. 28 00:01:16,811 --> 00:01:18,344 That is weird? 29 00:01:18,346 --> 00:01:22,114 That cast a whole new light on the crime of the century. 30 00:01:22,116 --> 00:01:24,817 Lindbergh would come to influence the course of events 31 00:01:24,819 --> 00:01:28,487 in ways we're only now beginning to understand. 32 00:01:28,489 --> 00:01:32,224 Why would someone steal the world's most famous child? 33 00:01:32,226 --> 00:01:33,759 How did they do it? 34 00:01:33,761 --> 00:01:37,496 And who was really behind the Lindbergh baby kidnapping? 35 00:01:40,234 --> 00:01:41,767 I'm Don Wildman. 36 00:01:41,769 --> 00:01:44,437 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 37 00:01:44,439 --> 00:01:47,305 examined rare artifacts and epic monuments. 38 00:01:47,307 --> 00:01:48,774 That is unbelievable! 39 00:01:48,776 --> 00:01:52,044 Now I'm digging deeper into some of the most perplexing 40 00:01:52,046 --> 00:01:54,646 and famous cases in history. 41 00:01:54,648 --> 00:01:57,048 My goal -- to get closer to the truth. 42 00:01:57,050 --> 00:01:59,251 Let's burn this place down. Let's burn it down. 43 00:01:59,253 --> 00:02:03,856 On this special episode of "Mysteries at the Museum," 44 00:02:03,858 --> 00:02:06,525 "The Lindbergh Kidnapping." 45 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:14,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 46 00:02:22,276 --> 00:02:25,878 In 1927, the biggest story in America was 47 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,213 about a young pilot from the heartland, 48 00:02:28,215 --> 00:02:30,148 who risked his life in an airplane 49 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:36,021 to shatter the limits of what was possible. 50 00:02:36,023 --> 00:02:38,024 Five years later, a new headline brought 51 00:02:38,026 --> 00:02:42,227 the country together, but this time in tragedy. 52 00:02:42,229 --> 00:02:43,696 ANCHORMAN #3: And now we're going to take you 53 00:02:43,698 --> 00:02:45,097 to Hopewell, New Jersey, 54 00:02:45,099 --> 00:02:46,966 and the greatest search in history! 55 00:02:46,968 --> 00:02:52,038 WILDMAN: A baby was stolen and carried into the night. 56 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,775 They called it the crime of the century. 57 00:02:55,777 --> 00:02:58,710 The baby's father and the daring aviator 58 00:02:58,712 --> 00:03:00,246 were one in the same, 59 00:03:00,248 --> 00:03:03,916 the greatest celebrity the world had ever seen, 60 00:03:03,918 --> 00:03:09,654 Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh. 61 00:03:09,656 --> 00:03:13,859 In 1927, Charles Lindbergh was an unknown pilot 62 00:03:13,861 --> 00:03:15,861 in the Army Air Reserve Corps, 63 00:03:15,863 --> 00:03:18,064 scratching out a living flying air mail 64 00:03:18,066 --> 00:03:20,332 between Illinois and Missouri. 65 00:03:20,334 --> 00:03:22,734 But Lindbergh had loftier ambitions. 66 00:03:22,736 --> 00:03:25,471 With the backing of two St. Louis businessmen, 67 00:03:25,473 --> 00:03:27,540 he commissioned a one-of-a-kind aircraft 68 00:03:27,542 --> 00:03:30,343 to do something no one had done before, 69 00:03:30,345 --> 00:03:33,945 cross the Atlantic Ocean from New York to Paris, 70 00:03:33,947 --> 00:03:37,082 non-stop, in an airplane. 71 00:03:40,421 --> 00:03:42,487 In the years after World War I, 72 00:03:42,489 --> 00:03:45,423 America was a nation in need of a hero. 73 00:03:45,425 --> 00:03:49,094 Prohibition had seen the rise of organized crime, 74 00:03:49,096 --> 00:03:53,532 Warren G. Harding's White House was saturated with scandal, 75 00:03:53,534 --> 00:03:56,635 but the skies were still full of wonder. 76 00:03:56,637 --> 00:03:58,504 It had been less than 25 years 77 00:03:58,506 --> 00:04:00,773 since the Wright brothers first flight. 78 00:04:00,775 --> 00:04:03,509 ANCHORMAN #4: Air travel is rich and sensational. 79 00:04:03,511 --> 00:04:08,247 The noise is deafening. 80 00:04:08,249 --> 00:04:10,449 WILDMAN: Airplanes were fragile things, 81 00:04:10,451 --> 00:04:12,118 made of canvas and wood, 82 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,789 with a range of about 500 miles or 5½ hours. 83 00:04:16,791 --> 00:04:19,391 Flying from New York to Paris would take 84 00:04:19,393 --> 00:04:22,294 a solid day-and-a-half. 85 00:04:22,296 --> 00:04:26,531 Others had tried and lost their lives. 86 00:04:26,533 --> 00:04:29,935 But Charles Lindbergh had great confidence in his skills, 87 00:04:29,937 --> 00:04:34,339 and in the plane he helped design, the Spirit of St. Louis. 88 00:04:34,341 --> 00:04:40,079 In less than 48 hours, Charles Lindbergh would become 89 00:04:40,081 --> 00:04:42,714 the most famous man on Earth. 90 00:04:42,716 --> 00:04:45,150 But within five years, he would be at the center 91 00:04:45,152 --> 00:04:47,286 of an epic tragedy. 92 00:04:47,288 --> 00:04:51,957 On that morning, though, he was still just an unknown pilot, 93 00:04:51,959 --> 00:04:56,295 all alone in a cramped cockpit. 94 00:04:56,297 --> 00:04:58,430 We're going down the runway 95 00:04:58,432 --> 00:05:00,966 to see the Spirit of St. Louis take off! 96 00:05:00,968 --> 00:05:04,303 On board were two canteens, four sandwiches 97 00:05:04,305 --> 00:05:07,773 and 450 gallons of fuel. 98 00:05:07,775 --> 00:05:10,709 There goes Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis! 99 00:05:10,711 --> 00:05:15,981 He left his parachute behind to save weight. 100 00:05:15,983 --> 00:05:17,849 ANCHORMAN #2: Charles Lindbergh took off alone 101 00:05:17,851 --> 00:05:19,852 on a flight to France. 102 00:05:19,854 --> 00:05:23,989 In Paris, huge crowds turned out to greet the Lone Eagle. 103 00:05:23,991 --> 00:05:27,593 WILDMAN: 25,000 believers stood vigil in the dark 104 00:05:27,595 --> 00:05:29,995 to await the young hero. 105 00:05:29,997 --> 00:05:32,465 And then, they saw him. 106 00:05:34,868 --> 00:05:36,601 ANCHORMAN #5: Lindbergh's plane has touched to Earth 107 00:05:36,603 --> 00:05:39,672 at 10:24 Paris time. 108 00:05:39,674 --> 00:05:42,274 In the space of a moment, Paris had created 109 00:05:42,276 --> 00:05:45,945 the idol of the age. 110 00:05:45,947 --> 00:05:48,747 WILDMAN: Lucky Lindy had proven transatlantic flight 111 00:05:48,749 --> 00:05:52,150 was possible, and the world would never be the same. 112 00:05:55,823 --> 00:05:58,891 Seven months later, Lindbergh met an ambassador's daughter 113 00:05:58,893 --> 00:06:04,563 named Anne Morrow, they married in 1929. 114 00:06:04,565 --> 00:06:09,168 In June 1930, their first child was born. 115 00:06:09,170 --> 00:06:13,038 Charles A. Lindbergh, Junior. 116 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:14,974 Photographers stalked the family 117 00:06:14,976 --> 00:06:19,244 in hopes of stealing a photo of baby Lindy. 118 00:06:19,246 --> 00:06:21,713 The Lindbergh's longed for more privacy. 119 00:06:21,715 --> 00:06:24,583 In 1931, they broke ground on a new house 120 00:06:24,585 --> 00:06:27,119 in the hills outside Hopewell, New Jersey. 121 00:06:27,121 --> 00:06:29,320 They called it Highfields, it was designed to be 122 00:06:29,322 --> 00:06:31,590 their tranquil retreat from the world. 123 00:06:31,592 --> 00:06:34,326 Instead, Highfields would be the site 124 00:06:34,328 --> 00:06:36,061 of their worst nightmare. 125 00:06:40,668 --> 00:06:45,938 March 1, 1932, 10:46 p.m. 126 00:06:45,940 --> 00:06:48,139 An urgent alert went over the police wire 127 00:06:48,141 --> 00:06:51,944 to every law enforcement agency in New Jersey. 128 00:06:51,946 --> 00:06:56,282 The Lindbergh baby had been kidnapped. 129 00:06:56,284 --> 00:06:58,884 Scholars and conspiracy theorists have been putting 130 00:06:58,886 --> 00:07:01,619 this night under the microscope for 85 years, 131 00:07:01,621 --> 00:07:04,422 and still, there are unanswered questions. 132 00:07:04,424 --> 00:07:08,426 So, I'm turning the clock back to March 1, 1932 133 00:07:08,428 --> 00:07:10,496 and heading straight for Highfields, 134 00:07:10,498 --> 00:07:11,830 the scene of the crime. 135 00:07:18,172 --> 00:07:24,175 The first police officers arrive within minutes. 136 00:07:24,177 --> 00:07:28,313 Colonel Lindbergh rushed them upstairs to the nursery. 137 00:07:28,315 --> 00:07:32,517 The crib where little Charlie had been sleeping was empty. 138 00:07:32,519 --> 00:07:34,520 Lindbergh said the nanny opened the door 139 00:07:34,522 --> 00:07:36,789 to check on the baby at 10:00 p.m. 140 00:07:36,791 --> 00:07:39,124 and found the room just like this. 141 00:07:39,126 --> 00:07:45,063 The whole household had been awake downstairs. 142 00:07:45,065 --> 00:07:47,366 Let's take a look here. 143 00:07:49,203 --> 00:07:51,603 Yeah, all right, so right over there, 144 00:07:51,605 --> 00:07:53,938 that far window is the nursery. 145 00:07:53,940 --> 00:07:56,875 And right beneath, directly beneath the window, 146 00:07:56,877 --> 00:08:00,745 if you look down here, what was once a muddy surface, 147 00:08:00,747 --> 00:08:06,551 they found a whole set of footprints. 148 00:08:06,553 --> 00:08:08,554 They also found a pair of neat, 149 00:08:08,556 --> 00:08:13,092 rectangular indentations, 14 inches apart. 150 00:08:13,094 --> 00:08:15,427 The question is, how did they get inside? 151 00:08:18,499 --> 00:08:22,368 The officers followed the footprints away from the house 152 00:08:22,370 --> 00:08:25,370 and found their answer. 153 00:08:25,372 --> 00:08:28,240 A crude, handmade ladder. 154 00:08:28,242 --> 00:08:30,242 They brought it back to the house and set it 155 00:08:30,244 --> 00:08:33,444 in the marks beneath the nursery window. 156 00:08:33,446 --> 00:08:35,848 A perfect fit. 157 00:08:35,850 --> 00:08:39,384 It seemed clear, this ladder was how the kidnapper got in 158 00:08:39,386 --> 00:08:41,319 and got the baby out. 159 00:08:44,925 --> 00:08:48,660 I've secured very special access to the old Lindbergh house 160 00:08:48,662 --> 00:08:52,264 to step through that evening in person. 161 00:08:52,266 --> 00:08:55,667 March 1, 1932 was a Tuesday. 162 00:08:55,669 --> 00:08:57,202 It was the first time the Lindbergh's 163 00:08:57,204 --> 00:09:00,539 had ever spent a Tuesday here. 164 00:09:00,541 --> 00:09:03,208 Highfields was still under construction, 165 00:09:03,210 --> 00:09:05,944 the Lindberghs came only on weekends. 166 00:09:05,946 --> 00:09:08,947 But that weekend, Charlie caught a cold, 167 00:09:08,949 --> 00:09:12,351 so Anne decided to stay another night. 168 00:09:12,353 --> 00:09:15,086 The nanny, Betty Gow, arrived around 1:00 p.m. 169 00:09:15,088 --> 00:09:18,023 and spent the afternoon tending to Charlie. 170 00:09:18,025 --> 00:09:21,159 Around 6:00 p.m., Betty and Anne Lindbergh took 171 00:09:21,161 --> 00:09:23,295 the baby up these stairs and fed him dinner 172 00:09:23,297 --> 00:09:25,264 at the little table up in his nursery. 173 00:09:25,266 --> 00:09:26,831 Then they dressed him for bed, 174 00:09:26,833 --> 00:09:30,435 and around 7:30 p.m. they bid Charlie goodnight, 175 00:09:30,437 --> 00:09:35,040 turned out the lights and closed the nursery door. 176 00:09:35,042 --> 00:09:38,043 Betty wouldn't check on him until 10:00 p.m., 177 00:09:38,045 --> 00:09:43,781 this was Lindbergh's rule, he didn't want his son coddled. 178 00:09:43,783 --> 00:09:48,120 At 8:25 p.m., Colonel Lindbergh arrived home. 179 00:09:48,122 --> 00:09:49,787 He pulled his car into the garage 180 00:09:49,789 --> 00:09:53,926 and entered the house through the service hall. 181 00:09:53,928 --> 00:09:58,196 At 8:35, Anne and the Colonel walked into the dining room 182 00:09:58,198 --> 00:10:01,400 and sat down to dinner. 183 00:10:01,402 --> 00:10:05,136 At 9:00 p.m., Charles and Anne had finished eating 184 00:10:05,138 --> 00:10:07,873 and came in here to sit by the fire, 185 00:10:07,875 --> 00:10:11,142 it was a cold and windy night. 186 00:10:11,144 --> 00:10:12,610 After a few minutes... 187 00:10:12,612 --> 00:10:16,548 Lindbergh said, "What was that?" 188 00:10:16,550 --> 00:10:19,885 He later told police that he'd heard a cracking noise, 189 00:10:19,887 --> 00:10:23,221 like an orange crate falling from a chair. 190 00:10:23,223 --> 00:10:26,357 But Anne didn't hear a thing and neither did the family dog, 191 00:10:26,359 --> 00:10:29,094 a fox terrier named Wagoosh. 192 00:10:29,096 --> 00:10:31,496 And Wagoosh barked at everything, 193 00:10:31,498 --> 00:10:34,165 but that night, he didn't bark at all. 194 00:10:38,772 --> 00:10:41,039 This was Lindbergh's library. 195 00:10:41,041 --> 00:10:43,841 At 9:30 p.m., he came in here 196 00:10:43,843 --> 00:10:46,578 and sat at his desk, writing, right here. 197 00:10:46,580 --> 00:10:49,381 Directly above the desk was the nursery. 198 00:10:52,052 --> 00:10:56,454 At 10:00 p.m., Betty Gow went to check on the baby. 199 00:10:56,456 --> 00:10:59,057 A heartbeat later, she raced down the stairs 200 00:10:59,059 --> 00:11:03,128 and burst into Lindbergh's library. 201 00:11:03,130 --> 00:11:05,530 Little Charlie was gone. 202 00:11:08,869 --> 00:11:11,002 This is the nursery. 203 00:11:11,004 --> 00:11:14,472 The crib was right here, 204 00:11:14,474 --> 00:11:16,408 it was empty. 205 00:11:16,410 --> 00:11:21,346 But the kidnapper did leave one critical clue. 206 00:11:21,348 --> 00:11:24,482 A small white envelope, right on the windowsill. 207 00:11:24,484 --> 00:11:26,652 It was a ransom note. 208 00:11:27,955 --> 00:11:30,756 "Dear Sir, have $50,000 ready." 209 00:11:30,758 --> 00:11:32,624 $50,000. 210 00:11:32,626 --> 00:11:33,891 This is 1932, 211 00:11:33,893 --> 00:11:38,229 that's $900,000 in today's money. 212 00:11:38,231 --> 00:11:41,166 "After two to four days we will inform you 213 00:11:41,168 --> 00:11:42,967 where to deliver the money. 214 00:11:42,969 --> 00:11:46,437 We warn you not to be making 'anyting' public," 215 00:11:46,439 --> 00:11:50,241 "anyting" public, "or for notifying police. 216 00:11:50,243 --> 00:11:55,047 The child is in 'gut' care," gut with a T. 217 00:11:55,049 --> 00:12:00,786 "Indication for all letters are signature and three holes." 218 00:12:00,788 --> 00:12:02,854 So, take a look at this weird symbol here, 219 00:12:02,856 --> 00:12:06,858 this is three circles with three punched holes. 220 00:12:06,860 --> 00:12:10,729 This was to ensure the family that if they received 221 00:12:10,731 --> 00:12:13,131 any future letters with this symbol, 222 00:12:13,133 --> 00:12:14,999 that it was authentic communication 223 00:12:15,001 --> 00:12:18,736 from the kidnappers themselves. 224 00:12:18,738 --> 00:12:21,740 12 more ransom letters would follow. 225 00:12:21,742 --> 00:12:24,676 Lindbergh would even try to negotiate with the kidnappers 226 00:12:24,678 --> 00:12:29,414 through a top secret go-between, but that was all still to come. 227 00:12:29,416 --> 00:12:31,883 On that first night, Colonel Lindbergh cared 228 00:12:31,885 --> 00:12:36,922 about only one thing, where was his baby? 229 00:12:47,968 --> 00:12:51,569 WILDMAN: On the night of March 1, 1932, 230 00:12:51,571 --> 00:12:55,106 a toddler was kidnapped from this very house. 231 00:12:55,108 --> 00:12:58,643 The child's father was world-famous aviator, 232 00:12:58,645 --> 00:13:01,112 Charles Lindbergh. 233 00:13:01,114 --> 00:13:03,181 We're speaking to you now from the General Store 234 00:13:03,183 --> 00:13:05,650 in Hopewell, New Jersey. 235 00:13:05,652 --> 00:13:07,385 WILDMAN: Word of the kidnapping quickly reached 236 00:13:07,387 --> 00:13:09,854 every corner of the country. 237 00:13:09,856 --> 00:13:11,389 ANCHORMAN #6: Jim and the boys are all day 238 00:13:11,391 --> 00:13:12,591 and all night pounding out their latest information 239 00:13:12,593 --> 00:13:16,128 to be sent to the eager-awaiting public. 240 00:13:16,130 --> 00:13:19,397 WILDMAN: The story led the news for a solid month. 241 00:13:19,399 --> 00:13:23,001 But the barrage of press made Lindbergh anxious. 242 00:13:23,003 --> 00:13:25,337 The ransom note had explicitly warned him 243 00:13:25,339 --> 00:13:30,008 not to notify the police, or make anything public. 244 00:13:30,010 --> 00:13:32,878 Lindbergh asked for privacy for his family, 245 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:38,483 but in actuality, the aviator was up to something. 246 00:13:38,485 --> 00:13:41,820 On the morning of April 2, 1932, 247 00:13:41,822 --> 00:13:44,689 Lindbergh slipped past the press unnoticed 248 00:13:44,691 --> 00:13:48,026 and headed for the George Washington Bridge. 249 00:13:48,028 --> 00:13:51,363 He had urgent business in New York. 250 00:13:51,365 --> 00:13:52,630 I'm heading across the river 251 00:13:52,632 --> 00:13:56,635 at the New York City Borough of the Bronx. 252 00:13:56,637 --> 00:13:59,637 Lindbergh had found a back channel to the kidnappers. 253 00:13:59,639 --> 00:14:02,173 For three weeks, he had been quietly negotiating 254 00:14:02,175 --> 00:14:04,509 with them through a secret go-between. 255 00:14:04,511 --> 00:14:06,511 The police were kept on the sidelines 256 00:14:06,513 --> 00:14:09,181 and the press was totally in the dark. 257 00:14:09,183 --> 00:14:11,116 Lindbergh couldn't risk letting them in 258 00:14:11,118 --> 00:14:14,953 on what was about to happen. 259 00:14:16,656 --> 00:14:21,392 A box of money in exchange for his baby. 260 00:14:21,394 --> 00:14:23,795 And it all began right here. 261 00:14:23,797 --> 00:14:25,730 Richard? How ya doin'? 262 00:14:25,732 --> 00:14:28,666 Hi, Don. How are you? Nice to see you. 263 00:14:28,668 --> 00:14:32,603 Richard Sloan has spent years studying the Lindbergh case 264 00:14:32,605 --> 00:14:35,607 and its connection to the Bronx. 265 00:14:35,609 --> 00:14:38,276 -So this is the actual house? -That's right. 266 00:14:38,278 --> 00:14:42,948 Dr. John F. Condon's house. 267 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:46,618 Dr. John F. Condon was a retired public school principal, 268 00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:48,886 and a pillar of his community. 269 00:14:48,888 --> 00:14:51,756 But more recently, he had led a double life 270 00:14:51,758 --> 00:14:54,826 as Colonel Lindbergh's secret go-between. 271 00:14:54,828 --> 00:14:59,297 The two men were total strangers just three weeks earlier. 272 00:14:59,299 --> 00:15:02,033 In a fit of bravado, Condon publicly offered 273 00:15:02,035 --> 00:15:04,169 to meet with the kidnappers in person 274 00:15:04,171 --> 00:15:06,237 on behalf of the Lindberghs. 275 00:15:06,239 --> 00:15:09,574 To his complete shock, the kidnappers accepted. 276 00:15:12,512 --> 00:15:15,513 And now the time had come to follow through. 277 00:15:20,921 --> 00:15:24,922 So, April 2, 1932, that night, set the scene for me. 278 00:15:24,924 --> 00:15:26,191 Who's in the house? 279 00:15:26,193 --> 00:15:30,595 Condon and Lindbergh are here and the cash, 280 00:15:30,597 --> 00:15:33,665 waiting for a signal from the kidnapper 281 00:15:33,667 --> 00:15:36,468 to tell him where to take the money. 282 00:15:36,470 --> 00:15:39,470 Around 8:00 p.m., a taxi driver appeared 283 00:15:39,472 --> 00:15:42,474 at Condon's door with an envelope. 284 00:15:42,476 --> 00:15:44,075 At the bottom of the note was 285 00:15:44,077 --> 00:15:46,411 the kidnappers signature symbol. 286 00:15:46,413 --> 00:15:49,814 "Dear Sir, take a car and follow Tremont Avenue," 287 00:15:49,816 --> 00:15:51,282 here in the Bronx, 288 00:15:51,284 --> 00:15:54,819 "to the east until you reach Bergen Greenhouse." 289 00:15:54,821 --> 00:15:57,889 "Don't speak to," this is like a movie, oh, my gosh! 290 00:15:57,891 --> 00:15:59,824 "Have the money in one bundle. 291 00:15:59,826 --> 00:16:02,761 We give you three quarters of an hour to reach the place." 292 00:16:02,763 --> 00:16:05,163 45 minutes. -That's not a lot of time. 293 00:16:05,165 --> 00:16:08,366 So, Lindbergh and Condon take the money. 294 00:16:08,368 --> 00:16:09,834 And get in the car and go. 295 00:16:09,836 --> 00:16:12,103 Wow, let's go! 296 00:16:14,707 --> 00:16:18,376 Condon and Colonel Lindbergh drove east through the Bronx. 297 00:16:18,378 --> 00:16:22,847 They were alone, Lindbergh didn't want the police around. 298 00:16:22,849 --> 00:16:26,651 Nothing could be permitted to endanger his son's life. 299 00:16:26,653 --> 00:16:28,987 So, from the beginning, Lindbergh has wanted 300 00:16:28,989 --> 00:16:31,789 the police to stand down, stay out of the way. 301 00:16:31,791 --> 00:16:33,858 But the police got one concession out of him, right, 302 00:16:33,860 --> 00:16:35,126 about the ransom money. 303 00:16:35,128 --> 00:16:36,728 That's right, they were all trackable. 304 00:16:36,730 --> 00:16:37,996 The bills? 305 00:16:37,998 --> 00:16:39,798 That's right, every serial number 306 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:41,599 of every bill was recorded 307 00:16:41,601 --> 00:16:44,402 and most of them were in gold notes. 308 00:16:44,404 --> 00:16:47,606 The U.S. was about to go off the gold standard, 309 00:16:47,608 --> 00:16:50,008 which would make gold notes obsolete. 310 00:16:50,010 --> 00:16:53,010 So that would make anyone holding a gold note 311 00:16:53,012 --> 00:16:54,612 that much easier to catch? 312 00:16:54,614 --> 00:16:56,414 -That's right. -Got it. 313 00:17:00,887 --> 00:17:05,023 St. Raymond's Cemetery in the East Bronx. 314 00:17:05,025 --> 00:17:09,494 The kidnapper's directions led Condon and Lindbergh here. 315 00:17:09,496 --> 00:17:12,296 And under a table in front of the Bergen Greenhouse, 316 00:17:12,298 --> 00:17:15,834 Condon found more instructions. 317 00:17:15,836 --> 00:17:19,104 "Cross the street and walk to the next corner, 318 00:17:19,106 --> 00:17:23,508 and follow Whittemore Avenue to the south. 319 00:17:23,510 --> 00:17:27,445 Take the money with you, come alone and walk. 320 00:17:27,447 --> 00:17:29,114 I will meet you." 321 00:17:29,116 --> 00:17:31,382 Lindbergh waited in the car, 322 00:17:31,384 --> 00:17:36,321 the kidnappers wanted Condon alone. 323 00:17:36,323 --> 00:17:39,991 So this is the spot, huh? 324 00:17:39,993 --> 00:17:43,528 At this very spot, Condon met a white man, 325 00:17:43,530 --> 00:17:46,865 about 5'10", in his early 30s. 326 00:17:46,867 --> 00:17:51,069 He spoke with a German accent. 327 00:17:51,071 --> 00:17:53,871 He said, "Where's the money?" 328 00:17:53,873 --> 00:17:56,407 and Condon said, "Where's the baby?" 329 00:17:56,409 --> 00:18:01,813 Condon exchanged the $50,000 for a handwritten note. 330 00:18:01,815 --> 00:18:04,082 It was directions to the child. 331 00:18:06,820 --> 00:18:10,554 Anne and Charles allow themselves a gasp of hope. 332 00:18:10,556 --> 00:18:15,093 But the directions were a dead end. 333 00:18:15,095 --> 00:18:20,966 Two months later, their worst fears became a reality. 334 00:18:20,968 --> 00:18:24,235 A tiny child's body, badly decomposed, 335 00:18:24,237 --> 00:18:28,506 was found alongside a road, 336 00:18:28,508 --> 00:18:34,713 less than four miles from the Lindbergh home. 337 00:18:34,715 --> 00:18:37,915 It was little Charlie. 338 00:18:37,917 --> 00:18:40,919 The autopsy found that he died by a blow to the head, 339 00:18:40,921 --> 00:18:43,922 roughly two months earlier. 340 00:18:43,924 --> 00:18:48,092 Perhaps, on the very night of the kidnapping. 341 00:18:48,094 --> 00:18:52,197 Lindbergh processed the loss stoically and silently. 342 00:18:52,199 --> 00:18:56,935 His wife never saw him cry. 343 00:18:56,937 --> 00:19:00,604 But to the police, one thing was now painfully clear, 344 00:19:00,606 --> 00:19:04,275 the apparent kidnapper had stood right here in the open 345 00:19:04,277 --> 00:19:07,612 and then vanished into the shadows. 346 00:19:07,614 --> 00:19:09,814 Could they ever find him again? 347 00:19:09,816 --> 00:19:13,618 Or, had they missed their one best chance 348 00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:15,487 at catching a killer? 349 00:19:28,235 --> 00:19:31,903 WILDMAN: The Lindbergh baby was dead. 350 00:19:31,905 --> 00:19:35,106 Detectives questioned everyone, from Dr. Condon 351 00:19:35,108 --> 00:19:39,043 to the baby's nanny, but the leads went nowhere. 352 00:19:39,045 --> 00:19:44,983 Two whole years passed without a single, viable suspect. 353 00:19:44,985 --> 00:19:52,323 And then, on September 17, 1934, the police got their big break. 354 00:19:52,325 --> 00:19:57,862 A $10 gold note, used to purchase 98 cents worth of gas. 355 00:19:57,864 --> 00:20:01,032 It was a Lindbergh ransom bill. 356 00:20:01,034 --> 00:20:02,667 The alert attendant scribbled down 357 00:20:02,669 --> 00:20:06,337 the man's license plate number. 358 00:20:06,339 --> 00:20:09,007 In that instant, the driver of that car 359 00:20:09,009 --> 00:20:12,944 became forever entwined with the Lindbergh kidnapping. 360 00:20:12,946 --> 00:20:16,414 His name was Bruno Richard Hauptmann. 361 00:20:20,486 --> 00:20:25,289 Richard Hauptmann was born in Germany in 1899. 362 00:20:25,291 --> 00:20:27,558 He was a machine gunner in the Kaiser's Army 363 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,094 during World War I. 364 00:20:30,096 --> 00:20:33,965 Then, later served three years in prison for armed robbery. 365 00:20:33,967 --> 00:20:38,102 Hauptmann snuck into the U.S. illegally in 1923. 366 00:20:38,104 --> 00:20:40,571 He made his living as a carpenter. 367 00:20:40,573 --> 00:20:45,643 The pieces were lining up, carpenter and ladder, 368 00:20:45,645 --> 00:20:48,846 German speaker and German phrasing. 369 00:20:48,848 --> 00:20:53,851 He even resembled the man at the ransom drop. 370 00:20:53,853 --> 00:20:56,320 Look at this, check it out. 371 00:20:56,322 --> 00:20:58,722 This is the house that Richard Hauptmann lived in, 372 00:20:58,724 --> 00:21:00,325 in 1934. 373 00:21:00,327 --> 00:21:02,593 The police brought him here for questioning, 374 00:21:02,595 --> 00:21:05,596 they wanted to know if he had any more gold certificates? 375 00:21:05,598 --> 00:21:09,133 He said, "No," that turned out to be a lie. 376 00:21:09,135 --> 00:21:12,003 The police eventually found cash hidden 377 00:21:12,005 --> 00:21:14,805 in the framework of his garage, 378 00:21:14,807 --> 00:21:17,875 totaling $14,600. 379 00:21:17,877 --> 00:21:21,613 And every bill, Lindbergh ransom money. 380 00:21:26,286 --> 00:21:28,352 Rob, get to the air right away, here's a flash. 381 00:21:28,354 --> 00:21:29,553 Yes, sir. 382 00:21:29,555 --> 00:21:30,821 WILDMAN: Word of Hauptmann's arrest 383 00:21:30,823 --> 00:21:33,624 quickly reached the Lindbergh's. 384 00:21:33,626 --> 00:21:35,293 Charles and Anne had spent the years 385 00:21:35,295 --> 00:21:38,763 since the kidnapping in seclusion. 386 00:21:38,765 --> 00:21:44,368 Now, the greatest public spectacle of all was just ahead. 387 00:21:44,370 --> 00:21:47,505 It would be called the trial of the century. 388 00:21:47,507 --> 00:21:49,039 ANCHORMAN #7: Such dramatic possibilities 389 00:21:49,041 --> 00:21:53,244 had not escaped the press, every top reporter was here. 390 00:21:57,250 --> 00:21:59,183 -Harry, how you doing? -Good. 391 00:21:59,185 --> 00:22:01,319 WILDMAN: Harry Kazman's has read the entire 392 00:22:01,321 --> 00:22:04,455 32 volume court transcript 393 00:22:04,457 --> 00:22:07,125 and staged an annual re-enactment of the trial. 394 00:22:07,127 --> 00:22:08,926 Hey, look at that! 395 00:22:08,928 --> 00:22:10,928 Now, that's cool! 396 00:22:10,930 --> 00:22:13,531 So this is as it was in the day, back in 1935? 397 00:22:13,533 --> 00:22:19,737 1935, January 2nd, and the whole world was here. 398 00:22:19,739 --> 00:22:22,941 For the newspapers, it was irresistible. 399 00:22:22,943 --> 00:22:27,211 Lucky Lindy, America's hero, versus Bruno Richard Hauptmann, 400 00:22:27,213 --> 00:22:28,680 the German machine gunner. 401 00:22:28,682 --> 00:22:30,214 ANCHORMAN #7: The trial was beginning, 402 00:22:30,216 --> 00:22:32,750 the charge, murder in the first degree. 403 00:22:32,752 --> 00:22:37,221 WILDMAN: Hauptmann insisted he was innocent 404 00:22:37,223 --> 00:22:40,892 but he was already the most hated man in America. 405 00:22:40,894 --> 00:22:43,360 This is the defense? Yes. 406 00:22:43,362 --> 00:22:47,631 Hauptmann was sitting there, prosecution over here. 407 00:22:47,633 --> 00:22:49,100 So where's Lindbergh? 408 00:22:49,102 --> 00:22:53,304 Lindbergh is right about where you're standing. 409 00:22:53,306 --> 00:22:56,707 Tourists climbed in windows for a peek of him. 410 00:22:56,709 --> 00:22:59,577 Vendors hocked souvenirs outside. 411 00:22:59,579 --> 00:23:02,579 But Lindbergh took the trial seriously. 412 00:23:02,581 --> 00:23:05,116 The prosecution sat him front and center 413 00:23:05,118 --> 00:23:06,784 so he could follow it all. 414 00:23:06,786 --> 00:23:11,722 And, so the jury could feast their eyes on the tragic hero. 415 00:23:11,724 --> 00:23:13,657 ANCHORMAN #8: Now, Charles Lindbergh would be sitting 416 00:23:13,659 --> 00:23:15,693 10 feet away from the man accused 417 00:23:15,695 --> 00:23:18,863 of murdering their first child. 418 00:23:18,865 --> 00:23:21,131 WILDMAN: The State argued that Richard Hauptmann was 419 00:23:21,133 --> 00:23:23,468 a lone wolf. 420 00:23:23,470 --> 00:23:25,403 He climbed the ladder and committed 421 00:23:25,405 --> 00:23:28,605 the murder all by himself. 422 00:23:28,607 --> 00:23:33,811 Then collected the ransom and stashed it in his garage. 423 00:23:33,813 --> 00:23:37,015 He quit his job the day he collected the $50,000! 424 00:23:37,017 --> 00:23:39,617 The very day! 425 00:23:39,619 --> 00:23:42,220 The defense argued that no forensic evidence 426 00:23:42,222 --> 00:23:47,225 linked Hauptmann to the actual scene of the kidnapping. 427 00:23:47,227 --> 00:23:50,695 But the prosecutor had an ace up his sleeve. 428 00:23:50,697 --> 00:23:53,031 In Hauptmann's attic, the police had found 429 00:23:53,033 --> 00:23:55,633 a floorboard cut in half. 430 00:23:55,635 --> 00:23:58,903 A forensic wood expert studied the floorboard 431 00:23:58,905 --> 00:24:01,773 and the ladder found at Highfields. 432 00:24:01,775 --> 00:24:03,908 His testimony is that 433 00:24:03,910 --> 00:24:07,178 this ladder was made from the wood 434 00:24:07,180 --> 00:24:08,912 that was found in the attic. 435 00:24:08,914 --> 00:24:10,848 This is the key piece of evidence, isn't it? 436 00:24:10,850 --> 00:24:14,252 This is what makes sure that the jury knows 437 00:24:14,254 --> 00:24:17,154 that this guy sitting here was actually 438 00:24:17,156 --> 00:24:20,191 the man who made that ladder? -Right. 439 00:24:20,193 --> 00:24:22,193 The State claimed Richard Hauptmann built 440 00:24:22,195 --> 00:24:28,099 the kidnap ladder, the ladder linked him to the murder. 441 00:24:28,101 --> 00:24:30,868 The trial lasted 32 days. 442 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,471 The jury took 11 hours to reach their verdict. 443 00:24:36,209 --> 00:24:39,410 Bruno Richard Hauptmann had been sentenced to die, 444 00:24:39,412 --> 00:24:42,413 and it seemed as if the whole world was glad. 445 00:24:42,415 --> 00:24:45,349 Charles Lindbergh told a writer after the verdict 446 00:24:45,351 --> 00:24:48,953 there was no doubt at all that Hauptmann did the thing. 447 00:24:48,955 --> 00:24:53,624 But even on death row, Hauptmann swore he was innocent. 448 00:24:53,626 --> 00:24:56,294 Were these the ravings of a condemned killer? 449 00:24:56,296 --> 00:24:59,030 Or, was the trial of the century so enthralled 450 00:24:59,032 --> 00:25:03,267 with its heroic aviator that they got it all wrong? 451 00:25:13,779 --> 00:25:18,316 WILDMAN: January 1936, the trial of the century had been 452 00:25:18,318 --> 00:25:24,255 over for a year, but once again, Charles Lindbergh led the news. 453 00:25:24,257 --> 00:25:26,524 Charles, Anne, and their new son, John, 454 00:25:26,526 --> 00:25:30,261 had fled to Europe to escape the press. 455 00:25:30,263 --> 00:25:33,330 America had smothered the Lindberghs with adulation 456 00:25:33,332 --> 00:25:36,466 and ultimately drove them away. 457 00:25:36,468 --> 00:25:39,136 Meanwhile, Richard Hauptmann, the convicted kidnapper 458 00:25:39,138 --> 00:25:45,276 and killer, sat on death row insisting he was innocent. 459 00:25:45,278 --> 00:25:50,014 But the German carpenter had gained a powerful new ally. 460 00:25:50,016 --> 00:25:51,749 So, his office would have been right up, 461 00:25:51,751 --> 00:25:55,085 that's the State House there? -Yes. 462 00:25:55,087 --> 00:25:59,624 New Jersey Governor, Harold Hoffman. 463 00:25:59,626 --> 00:26:01,425 Hoffman had grave concerns 464 00:26:01,427 --> 00:26:04,094 about his own prosecutor's central theory. 465 00:26:04,096 --> 00:26:06,964 Bruno Richard Hauptmann came to the state of New Jersey 466 00:26:06,966 --> 00:26:10,100 on the night of March 1, 1932. 467 00:26:10,102 --> 00:26:13,838 WILDMAN: That Richard Hauptmann was a lone wolf. 468 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:17,308 One day before Richard Hauptmann was scheduled to die, 469 00:26:17,310 --> 00:26:19,643 Governor Hoffman signed a reprieve, 470 00:26:19,645 --> 00:26:22,746 delaying the execution for 30 days, 471 00:26:22,748 --> 00:26:25,916 and then reopened the investigation. 472 00:26:25,918 --> 00:26:29,520 Patrick Bamburak is Governor Hoffman's great-grandnephew 473 00:26:29,522 --> 00:26:32,256 and author of his forthcoming biography. 474 00:26:32,258 --> 00:26:34,725 So why was the Governor so personally 475 00:26:34,727 --> 00:26:36,193 invested in this case? 476 00:26:36,195 --> 00:26:39,664 There was evidence that was being presented in trial 477 00:26:39,666 --> 00:26:43,000 which, to today's standards, would raise reasonable doubt 478 00:26:43,002 --> 00:26:44,868 as to whether or not Bruno Hauptmann committed 479 00:26:44,870 --> 00:26:46,871 that crime by himself. 480 00:26:46,873 --> 00:26:49,206 The State linked Hauptmann to Highfields 481 00:26:49,208 --> 00:26:51,475 with a piece of wood. 482 00:26:51,477 --> 00:26:54,078 They claimed he cut part of a floor plank 483 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:57,214 out of his own attic, pulled out its nails 484 00:26:57,216 --> 00:26:59,550 and fashioned it into an upright section 485 00:26:59,552 --> 00:27:03,220 of the kidnap ladder, known as Rail 16. 486 00:27:05,625 --> 00:27:07,691 Patrick has copies of the original 487 00:27:07,693 --> 00:27:09,960 police photos of Hauptmann's attic. 488 00:27:09,962 --> 00:27:12,363 Let me ask you a very basic question here. 489 00:27:12,365 --> 00:27:14,898 The importance of this board is that 490 00:27:14,900 --> 00:27:17,367 there is physical evidence that ties Hauptmann 491 00:27:17,369 --> 00:27:18,836 to the scene of the crime, yes? 492 00:27:18,838 --> 00:27:21,505 Yes, and this is the only piece of physical evidence 493 00:27:21,507 --> 00:27:23,507 that would tie Bruno Hauptmann to the scene. 494 00:27:23,509 --> 00:27:25,576 Okay, so this is in question, 495 00:27:25,578 --> 00:27:27,244 though, this board itself? 496 00:27:27,246 --> 00:27:30,047 This board is in question. 497 00:27:30,049 --> 00:27:31,315 Oh, yeah, here we go. 498 00:27:31,317 --> 00:27:33,384 So this is a close up on the rail itself. 499 00:27:33,386 --> 00:27:35,586 So this is a shot of Rail 16, 500 00:27:35,588 --> 00:27:37,921 taken from the ladder, the ladder was taken apart 501 00:27:37,923 --> 00:27:40,257 and placed back across the floor beams. 502 00:27:40,259 --> 00:27:41,659 The state showed the jury 503 00:27:41,661 --> 00:27:43,928 how nail holes in the ladder rail 504 00:27:43,930 --> 00:27:46,063 matched up perfectly with nail holes 505 00:27:46,065 --> 00:27:48,065 in the attic floor beams. 506 00:27:48,067 --> 00:27:50,200 What makes this suspicious? 507 00:27:50,202 --> 00:27:52,069 This photograph. 508 00:27:52,071 --> 00:27:53,938 Oh there you go, that's the rail, right? 509 00:27:53,940 --> 00:27:57,608 Yes, that is the actual rail 16 from the kidnapping ladder. 510 00:27:57,610 --> 00:28:00,945 This photo of a ladder taken at Highfields 511 00:28:00,947 --> 00:28:05,148 the morning after the kidnapping clearly shows rail 16. 512 00:28:05,150 --> 00:28:08,686 According to the state, this section of the ladder 513 00:28:08,688 --> 00:28:10,888 was once one a floor plank nailed down 514 00:28:10,890 --> 00:28:13,957 in Richard Hauptmann's attic. 515 00:28:13,959 --> 00:28:16,827 So where are the nail holes? 516 00:28:16,829 --> 00:28:20,630 Governor Hoffman drew the only logical conclusion. 517 00:28:20,632 --> 00:28:21,832 A planted piece of evidence? 518 00:28:21,834 --> 00:28:23,433 Yes. 519 00:28:23,435 --> 00:28:25,236 If there was no connection between 520 00:28:25,238 --> 00:28:27,304 Hauptmann's attic and the ladder, 521 00:28:27,306 --> 00:28:29,307 then there was no physical link between 522 00:28:29,309 --> 00:28:31,976 Richard Hauptmann and the kidnapping. 523 00:28:31,978 --> 00:28:33,578 This is a little scary. 524 00:28:33,580 --> 00:28:35,913 I mean, why was it so important 525 00:28:35,915 --> 00:28:37,982 for the state of New Jersey to nail this guy? 526 00:28:37,984 --> 00:28:40,650 Well, the eyes of the world were on this case, 527 00:28:40,652 --> 00:28:42,520 Charles Lindbergh was the biggest celebrity 528 00:28:42,522 --> 00:28:44,254 that the world had ever seen. 529 00:28:44,256 --> 00:28:46,857 And there was a lot of pressure from the public 530 00:28:46,859 --> 00:28:50,393 to see justice served and to see this chapter closed. 531 00:28:53,465 --> 00:28:55,132 In the end, the governor's findings 532 00:28:55,134 --> 00:28:56,734 were too little, too late. 533 00:28:56,736 --> 00:28:59,336 Richard Hauptmann lost his appeal, 534 00:28:59,338 --> 00:29:02,806 and his reprieve ran out. 535 00:29:02,808 --> 00:29:06,277 On April 3, 1936, the German carpenter died 536 00:29:06,279 --> 00:29:08,011 in the electric chair 537 00:29:08,013 --> 00:29:11,349 and the case was officially closed. 538 00:29:11,351 --> 00:29:14,218 But what if Governor Hoffman was on the right track? 539 00:29:14,220 --> 00:29:18,556 What if the lone wolf theory was fundamentally flawed? 540 00:29:18,558 --> 00:29:21,158 There's only one way to find out. 541 00:29:32,987 --> 00:29:35,989 WILDMAN: In 1935, Richard Hauptmann was convicted 542 00:29:35,991 --> 00:29:40,994 as the lone wolf kidnapper and killer of the Lindbergh baby. 543 00:29:40,996 --> 00:29:47,734 The official story ended when he went to the electric chair. 544 00:29:47,736 --> 00:29:51,537 But questions still remain about this case. 545 00:29:51,539 --> 00:29:53,606 And they've led me right back to the scene of the crime. 546 00:30:00,148 --> 00:30:01,881 If you bore all the way down 547 00:30:01,883 --> 00:30:03,616 to the center of the state's case, 548 00:30:03,618 --> 00:30:07,019 you find out the whole thing rests on that rickety ladder. 549 00:30:07,021 --> 00:30:10,090 Hauptmann had to use it to get in the nursery window, 550 00:30:10,092 --> 00:30:14,594 and then back out and down with the baby all by himself. 551 00:30:16,498 --> 00:30:21,835 But I want to know if that was even possible. 552 00:30:21,837 --> 00:30:25,905 So I've commissioned a replica of the kidnapper's ladder 553 00:30:25,907 --> 00:30:29,442 built to the exact dimensions of the real thing. 554 00:30:29,444 --> 00:30:31,711 And thanks to the pair of indentations 555 00:30:31,713 --> 00:30:36,783 and careful police notes, I know precisely where it goes. 556 00:30:40,455 --> 00:30:42,455 All this has to happen, remember at night. 557 00:30:42,457 --> 00:30:46,259 You know, this guy is being very, very quiet 558 00:30:46,261 --> 00:30:49,328 on a very awkward ladder. 559 00:30:49,330 --> 00:30:53,066 As soon as you get up here it feels very high. 560 00:30:53,068 --> 00:30:55,001 This thing is not easy to climb. 561 00:30:55,003 --> 00:30:57,937 The rungs are 18 inches apart, 562 00:30:57,939 --> 00:31:02,675 which is six inches more than on a standard ladder. 563 00:31:02,677 --> 00:31:07,147 Now he's almost in, but you got to get higher 564 00:31:07,149 --> 00:31:13,553 in order to open this window from the outside, yikes. 565 00:31:13,555 --> 00:31:16,155 Very quiet, staying quiet. 566 00:31:17,826 --> 00:31:20,026 Even that is loud. 567 00:31:20,028 --> 00:31:22,028 Oh, gosh. 568 00:31:25,099 --> 00:31:27,633 And now because of the placement of the ladder, 569 00:31:27,635 --> 00:31:29,836 I basically have to do an acrobatics. 570 00:31:29,838 --> 00:31:32,505 Oh, gosh. 571 00:31:43,252 --> 00:31:47,721 My, God, terrifying to try and make it through there. 572 00:31:47,723 --> 00:31:51,124 Now I got to kidnap a child. 573 00:31:51,126 --> 00:31:52,459 At the time of the kidnapping, 574 00:31:52,461 --> 00:31:56,596 Charles Lindbergh Jr. was a 30-pound toddler. 575 00:31:56,598 --> 00:31:58,597 The most popular theory is that he was carried 576 00:31:58,599 --> 00:32:01,534 out of the window in a sack. 577 00:32:01,536 --> 00:32:03,737 But standing in front of the window 578 00:32:03,739 --> 00:32:07,807 was a large chest, with a suitcase on top. 579 00:32:07,809 --> 00:32:10,143 Somehow, the kidnapper got out of here 580 00:32:10,145 --> 00:32:13,280 without disturbing that. 581 00:32:13,282 --> 00:32:16,749 This is by far the most crazy part of the situation. 582 00:32:21,223 --> 00:32:24,090 Remember, this is between 7:30 and 10:00. 583 00:32:24,092 --> 00:32:26,159 The whole household is awake. 584 00:32:26,161 --> 00:32:28,561 And so, I've been completely quiet. 585 00:32:28,563 --> 00:32:34,366 Oh, before I leave, I'm gonna leave a note 586 00:32:34,368 --> 00:32:37,970 about what just happened here. 587 00:32:37,972 --> 00:32:40,106 Where is that ladder? 588 00:32:40,108 --> 00:32:42,375 Okay. 589 00:32:42,377 --> 00:32:43,376 All right, here we go. 590 00:32:57,459 --> 00:33:02,328 Okay, well, it's possible. 591 00:33:02,330 --> 00:33:05,598 I've just established that the doing this 592 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,267 is at least physically possible. 593 00:33:08,269 --> 00:33:11,471 The question is whether it's feasible. 594 00:33:11,473 --> 00:33:14,406 I hoped climbing that ladder would give me answers. 595 00:33:14,408 --> 00:33:17,744 But strangely, it's only left me with more questions. 596 00:33:17,746 --> 00:33:20,880 Why choose such a precarious plan? 597 00:33:20,882 --> 00:33:24,350 Was Richard Hauptmann a daring criminal mastermind? 598 00:33:24,352 --> 00:33:30,023 Or, is there some other explanation out there? 599 00:33:41,539 --> 00:33:43,338 WILDMAN: I'm trying to untangle the truth 600 00:33:43,340 --> 00:33:46,542 behind the Lindbergh kidnapping. 601 00:33:46,544 --> 00:33:51,413 And my journey has brought me back to Flemington, New Jersey. 602 00:33:51,415 --> 00:33:53,749 -Okay, right upstairs. -All right. 603 00:33:53,751 --> 00:33:55,351 I'm invited to a special meeting 604 00:33:55,353 --> 00:33:58,353 that I hope can answer some of my questions. 605 00:33:58,355 --> 00:33:59,421 Hey guys, how you doing? 606 00:33:59,423 --> 00:34:00,756 -Good morning. -Hi. 607 00:34:00,758 --> 00:34:03,759 A gathering of experts who have spent years digging 608 00:34:03,761 --> 00:34:05,828 through the Lindbergh archives. 609 00:34:05,830 --> 00:34:07,629 -Hi. -This is Dolores. 610 00:34:07,631 --> 00:34:08,764 Hello, Dolores. 611 00:34:08,766 --> 00:34:11,834 And my host is the archivist, Mark Falzini. 612 00:34:11,836 --> 00:34:13,635 Mark knows the Lindbergh case file 613 00:34:13,637 --> 00:34:15,237 better than anyone else alive. 614 00:34:15,239 --> 00:34:16,572 Oh, very nice to meet you Lloyd. 615 00:34:16,574 --> 00:34:18,773 These are the some of the top scholars 616 00:34:18,775 --> 00:34:19,908 of the Lindbergh case. 617 00:34:19,910 --> 00:34:21,276 -Fantastic. -They do actual 618 00:34:21,278 --> 00:34:23,378 hands-on research at the State Police Consumer Archives. 619 00:34:23,380 --> 00:34:25,113 -May I? -Please. 620 00:34:25,115 --> 00:34:27,383 Fantastic. 621 00:34:27,385 --> 00:34:29,851 Boy, well, you guys are exactly who I need to talk to, 622 00:34:29,853 --> 00:34:34,123 'cause I am full of questions. 623 00:34:34,125 --> 00:34:38,126 All right, so, the state's whole case rests on the fact 624 00:34:38,128 --> 00:34:40,996 that Bruno Richard Hauptmann worked alone. 625 00:34:40,998 --> 00:34:42,398 That he was a lone wolf. 626 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:43,932 Right. 627 00:34:43,934 --> 00:34:45,734 So I have a big problem with the lone wolf theory, myself, 628 00:34:45,736 --> 00:34:48,137 because I just tried something crazy. 629 00:34:48,139 --> 00:34:49,972 But with a replica ladder, 630 00:34:49,974 --> 00:34:52,541 I climbed up into that window, okay? 631 00:34:52,543 --> 00:34:57,346 It's very difficult to pull this off in broad daylight. 632 00:34:57,348 --> 00:35:01,683 Imagine the circumstances the night of the kidnapping. 633 00:35:01,685 --> 00:35:04,086 It's a Tuesday night. 634 00:35:04,088 --> 00:35:06,521 Between 7:30 and 10:00 this happens, yeah? 635 00:35:06,523 --> 00:35:09,958 A very unlikely time to kidnap a child. 636 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:12,361 Absolutely, you've got the household staff, 637 00:35:12,363 --> 00:35:15,497 there all up, they're working, preparing dinner. 638 00:35:15,499 --> 00:35:18,967 Right, you'd kidnap a child at 3:00 in the morning. 639 00:35:18,969 --> 00:35:21,770 And the Lindbergh's had a dog, right, Wagoosh? 640 00:35:21,772 --> 00:35:23,172 I mean, this was a barky dog. 641 00:35:23,174 --> 00:35:24,973 Wagoosh did not bark at all that night. 642 00:35:24,975 --> 00:35:27,175 Why? 643 00:35:27,177 --> 00:35:29,778 MELSKY: Everyone testified that the dog would bark 644 00:35:29,780 --> 00:35:31,780 when he heard a noise except for Lindbergh. 645 00:35:31,782 --> 00:35:33,315 Okay. 646 00:35:33,317 --> 00:35:34,582 Lindbergh said he wouldn't expect the dog to bark, 647 00:35:34,584 --> 00:35:37,919 his testimony was a complete opposite 648 00:35:37,921 --> 00:35:40,789 compared to everyone else's. 649 00:35:40,791 --> 00:35:43,391 And then there's the Tuesday night problem. 650 00:35:43,393 --> 00:35:45,727 March 1st was the first time the Lindbergh's 651 00:35:45,729 --> 00:35:49,064 had ever spent a Tuesday night at Highfields. 652 00:35:49,066 --> 00:35:50,932 Somebody wouldn't expect him to be there 653 00:35:50,934 --> 00:35:53,802 had they been casing the house. 654 00:35:53,804 --> 00:35:56,004 It was only at 10:30 that morning 655 00:35:56,006 --> 00:35:58,873 that Anne Lindbergh decided to stay another night. 656 00:35:58,875 --> 00:36:02,210 How could Richard Hauptmann have known? 657 00:36:02,212 --> 00:36:04,479 So here's a big question I have. 658 00:36:04,481 --> 00:36:07,783 The motive behind this crime, okay? 659 00:36:07,785 --> 00:36:10,618 $50,000 is in the ransom notes, so there's cash, 660 00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:12,487 but put that aside. 661 00:36:12,489 --> 00:36:16,958 Why else would anyone want to kidnap the Lindbergh baby? 662 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,162 -Or make him go away? -Or make him go away? 663 00:36:20,164 --> 00:36:22,097 Sounds like you have a theory. 664 00:36:22,099 --> 00:36:24,566 Well, for that, I think you need to talk to Lloyd. 665 00:36:24,568 --> 00:36:25,968 Lloyd, talk to me. 666 00:36:25,970 --> 00:36:29,037 Lloyd Gardner wrote an exhaustively researched book 667 00:36:29,039 --> 00:36:33,442 on the case and has developed an explosive new theory 668 00:36:33,444 --> 00:36:39,715 about who is actually behind the crime of the century. 669 00:36:39,717 --> 00:36:41,450 After years of working on this book, 670 00:36:41,452 --> 00:36:44,619 I gradually became convinced that there were two factors. 671 00:36:44,621 --> 00:36:47,589 Now here one is the child's health, 672 00:36:47,591 --> 00:36:49,458 the state of the child's health. 673 00:36:49,460 --> 00:36:52,194 And the other is Lindbergh's personality. 674 00:36:52,196 --> 00:36:53,996 Whoa. So hold on. 675 00:36:53,998 --> 00:36:56,532 So what was the state of the child's health? 676 00:36:56,534 --> 00:37:00,135 The child had a number of strange defects. 677 00:37:00,137 --> 00:37:03,405 The physicians who examined Charlie weeks 678 00:37:03,407 --> 00:37:05,541 before the kidnapping noticed 679 00:37:05,543 --> 00:37:07,876 that he had kind of a square head. 680 00:37:07,878 --> 00:37:09,411 He could not stand up straight. 681 00:37:09,413 --> 00:37:11,079 So you're saying the baby was suffering 682 00:37:11,081 --> 00:37:13,549 from a physical condition, what was that? 683 00:37:13,551 --> 00:37:17,152 -It was rickets. -Rickets. 684 00:37:17,154 --> 00:37:20,889 Rickets is a disease that causes weak bones in children. 685 00:37:20,891 --> 00:37:23,625 It was widespread in the early 20th century. 686 00:37:23,627 --> 00:37:27,829 And often treated with a drug called viosterol. 687 00:37:27,831 --> 00:37:31,700 It's impossible to know for sure if Charlie did have rickets. 688 00:37:31,702 --> 00:37:36,505 But Lloyd says there are clues if you know where to look. 689 00:37:36,507 --> 00:37:38,841 During the kidnapping, Anne Lindbergh published 690 00:37:38,843 --> 00:37:41,443 little Charlie's diet, in the hopes that he would 691 00:37:41,445 --> 00:37:43,311 be well cared for. 692 00:37:43,313 --> 00:37:48,517 Charlie needed 14 drops of viosterol every day. 693 00:37:48,519 --> 00:37:50,786 A mega dose. 694 00:37:50,788 --> 00:37:52,788 Lindbergh believed to know 695 00:37:52,790 --> 00:37:55,924 only the fittest should propagate, 696 00:37:55,926 --> 00:38:00,863 and the idea that he could have an imperfect child, 697 00:38:00,865 --> 00:38:04,465 was a terrible burden on him. 698 00:38:04,467 --> 00:38:09,337 In 1930, Charles Lindbergh met Dr. Alexis Carrel. 699 00:38:09,339 --> 00:38:12,274 Carrel studied eugenics, the theory 700 00:38:12,276 --> 00:38:15,010 that humans should create a better race 701 00:38:15,012 --> 00:38:17,079 through selective breeding. 702 00:38:17,081 --> 00:38:19,013 Lindbergh was hooked. 703 00:38:19,015 --> 00:38:22,617 He became a lifelong student of eugenics. 704 00:38:22,619 --> 00:38:24,486 And even met top Nazi's 705 00:38:24,488 --> 00:38:28,890 while he and Anne were living in Europe in the 1930s. 706 00:38:28,892 --> 00:38:31,359 According to Lloyd, Lindbergh also considered 707 00:38:31,361 --> 00:38:34,629 himself a superior specimen and wanted 708 00:38:34,631 --> 00:38:36,698 to spread his good genes. 709 00:38:36,700 --> 00:38:40,035 He and Anne had five children after Charlie. 710 00:38:40,037 --> 00:38:42,237 But Lindbergh fathered seven more, 711 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:45,707 by three different women in Germany. 712 00:38:45,709 --> 00:38:48,243 He visited them twice a year, 713 00:38:48,245 --> 00:38:49,711 and no one knew about it, 714 00:38:49,713 --> 00:38:52,180 until years after his death. 715 00:38:52,182 --> 00:38:54,916 Charles Lindbergh was certainly a man capable 716 00:38:54,918 --> 00:38:57,853 of secrets and deceit. 717 00:38:57,855 --> 00:38:59,455 This is blowing my mind. 718 00:38:59,457 --> 00:39:00,923 And so Lloyd, what are you saying here? 719 00:39:00,925 --> 00:39:03,591 That the whole crime, the whole kidnapping 720 00:39:03,593 --> 00:39:05,860 would have been created by Charles Lindbergh? 721 00:39:05,862 --> 00:39:08,396 Yes. 722 00:39:08,398 --> 00:39:10,065 For what purpose? 723 00:39:10,067 --> 00:39:13,001 Simply to get the child out of public view I think. 724 00:39:13,003 --> 00:39:15,937 Okay, to institutionalize the child? 725 00:39:15,939 --> 00:39:17,338 Possibly. 726 00:39:17,340 --> 00:39:20,342 Lloyd believes Lindbergh planned the kidnapping 727 00:39:20,344 --> 00:39:24,079 as a public cover to exit the boy from their lives 728 00:39:24,081 --> 00:39:26,214 and put him in a medical institution 729 00:39:26,216 --> 00:39:28,983 where the press could never find him. 730 00:39:28,985 --> 00:39:32,754 This indicates a conspiracy with the father 731 00:39:32,756 --> 00:39:34,689 of the baby at the very center of it. 732 00:39:34,691 --> 00:39:37,025 Where was Lindbergh that day? 733 00:39:37,027 --> 00:39:39,427 We don't know. 734 00:39:39,429 --> 00:39:41,897 Lindbergh was actually never directly asked. 735 00:39:41,899 --> 00:39:44,299 He said that he was in New York working, 736 00:39:44,301 --> 00:39:47,703 and that he thought he might had a dental appointment, 737 00:39:47,705 --> 00:39:49,237 but he couldn't remember. 738 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:50,972 Nobody asked for an explanation. 739 00:39:50,974 --> 00:39:53,508 That is weird. 740 00:39:53,510 --> 00:39:55,643 So the timeline on Lindbergh, March 1st 741 00:39:55,645 --> 00:39:58,713 is that he was away from the house all day. 742 00:39:58,715 --> 00:40:00,181 Yes. 743 00:40:00,183 --> 00:40:01,783 And had not come back until the night time, right? 744 00:40:01,785 --> 00:40:02,917 Right. 745 00:40:02,919 --> 00:40:04,853 When Lindbergh comes home, 746 00:40:04,855 --> 00:40:07,322 everything in the household orbits around him. 747 00:40:07,324 --> 00:40:08,523 Sure. 748 00:40:08,525 --> 00:40:10,392 So he comes in through the garage, 749 00:40:10,394 --> 00:40:11,993 and all the servants are with him, 750 00:40:11,995 --> 00:40:16,264 his wife is with him, the dog is with him, I'd say. 751 00:40:16,266 --> 00:40:18,800 The area where the nursery is at into the house, 752 00:40:18,802 --> 00:40:23,471 is all dark, it's all quiet, it's all clear. 753 00:40:23,473 --> 00:40:25,274 Lindbergh being at the center of this, 754 00:40:25,276 --> 00:40:28,677 the architect of it, ties up so many loose ends. 755 00:40:28,679 --> 00:40:30,412 It addresses the Tuesday night issue, you know, 756 00:40:30,414 --> 00:40:33,815 it puts him at the center of the investigation 757 00:40:33,817 --> 00:40:36,418 for a purpose, he's controlling this whole thing. 758 00:40:36,420 --> 00:40:40,622 But the fact remains that this child died. 759 00:40:40,624 --> 00:40:43,091 GARDNER: This is not necessarily a murder plot. 760 00:40:43,093 --> 00:40:44,826 Things could have gone wrong. 761 00:40:44,828 --> 00:40:47,429 The baby suffered a fractured skull. 762 00:40:47,431 --> 00:40:50,031 Many have wondered if he was dropped from the ladder 763 00:40:50,033 --> 00:40:51,433 the night of the kidnapping. 764 00:40:51,435 --> 00:40:55,103 And there are people involved in this whole conspiracy 765 00:40:55,105 --> 00:40:56,638 that knew this. 766 00:40:56,640 --> 00:40:59,374 So that makes it possible that the money involved, 767 00:40:59,376 --> 00:41:02,177 the ransom money, is actually, it's blackmail. 768 00:41:07,517 --> 00:41:09,718 Lloyd believes Lindbergh paid the ransom 769 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:13,454 to keep his co-conspirators silent. 770 00:41:13,456 --> 00:41:16,657 Even if he's right, there are many unanswered questions 771 00:41:16,659 --> 00:41:19,127 about who those co-conspirators were, 772 00:41:19,129 --> 00:41:23,798 and whether Richard Hauptmann was one of them. 773 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,801 In the end, Lloyd's take on the crime of the century 774 00:41:26,803 --> 00:41:29,404 is only a theory. 775 00:41:29,406 --> 00:41:31,406 But it's these enduring questions 776 00:41:31,408 --> 00:41:34,542 that keep the Lindbergh case alive. 777 00:41:34,544 --> 00:41:36,878 Was Richard Hauptmann framed? 778 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:41,550 Was the kidnapping an inside job gone wrong? 779 00:41:41,552 --> 00:41:45,821 And how many people have carried these secrets to the grave? 780 00:41:45,823 --> 00:41:48,356 We may never have all the answers. 781 00:41:48,358 --> 00:41:50,892 We only know that Hauptmann was found guilty 782 00:41:50,894 --> 00:41:54,095 on the flimsiest of evidence. 783 00:41:54,097 --> 00:41:57,499 That he maintained his innocence to the very end. 784 00:41:57,501 --> 00:41:59,434 And that Colonel Charles Lindbergh 785 00:41:59,436 --> 00:42:03,037 sat in that courtroom and watched it all happen. 786 00:42:03,039 --> 00:42:06,974 The State of New Jersey has rested it's case. 787 00:42:06,976 --> 00:42:09,311 Hauptmann said they think when I die, 788 00:42:09,313 --> 00:42:10,779 the case will die. 789 00:42:10,781 --> 00:42:12,580 They think it will be like a book I close. 790 00:42:12,582 --> 00:42:15,183 85 years later, we're still searching 791 00:42:15,185 --> 00:42:17,518 for answers about the crime. 792 00:42:17,520 --> 00:42:20,655 And about the man whose name carried a thousand headlines -- 793 00:42:20,657 --> 00:42:23,592 Charles Lindbergh. 793 00:42:24,305 --> 00:43:24,167 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org