The Case That Never Dies: The Lindbergh Kidnapping

by Lloyd C. Gardner

The Case That Never Dies places the Lindbergh kidnapping, investigation, and trial in the context of the Depression, when many feared the country was on the edge of anarchy. Gardner delves deeply into the aspects of the case that remain confusing to this day, including Lindbergh’s dealings with crime baron Owney Madden, Al Capone’s New York counterpart, as well as the inexplicable exploits of John Condon, a retired schoolteacher who became the prosecution’s best witness. The initial investigation was hampered by Colonel Lindbergh, who insisted that the police not attempt to find the perpetrator because he feared the investigation would endanger his son’s life. He relented only when the child was found dead. After two years of fruitless searching, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, a German immigrant, was discovered to have some of the ransom money in his possession. Hauptmann was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. Throughout  the book, Gardner pays special attention to the evidence of the case and how it was used and misused in the trial. Whether Hauptmann was guilty or not, Gardner concludes that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of first-degree murder. Set in historical context, the book offers not only a compelling read, but a powerful vantage point from which to observe the United States in the 1930s as well as contemporary arguments over capital punishment.

Genres: True Crime, Crime, Nonfiction, History, American History

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Anna From Gustine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a poorly written book. It is very detailed and thoroughly researched, but there is no narrative structure. It's just a litany of facts with no insight. It's all over the place. I also have a hard time with the Afterword in which the author states his theory that Lindbergh was behind his son's kidnapping. You see, the child had a weird-looking head and may not have been a great specimen of the master race. So, Lindbergh, a fervent supporter of eugenics, arranged for his death.

Hm. Well, I do think that Lindbergh probably contributed to his son's death by taking a month to pay the ransom and other weird stuff, but, still, that's about as far as I go right now.....

[Ami Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting but DENSE

[Ruby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book satisfied my need to learn more about the event however, the author jumped around in the timeline giving facts regarding the case but didn't correlate the info very well. This made it very difficult to follow at times. His opinion was apparent in several places without substantiation.. A good book if you want some of the facts, not good if you are wanting resolution.

[Lizette Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I heard about this book while watching a history special on TV. So I eagerly pursued a copy of it from the library. Although the story is interesting, and the question of what occurred lives on, this book didn't hit the mark for me. I found that the author documented too many people. The cast of characters became overwhelming and too hard to keep track of from one chapter to the other. If you decide to read it, keep a paper and pen handy so you can keep track of who's who.

[Henry Bjoerka · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a hobby genealogist and distant relative of this Norwegian suspect "Red" Johnson, I received a tip from one of my closest relatives about reading this book written by his friend Lloyd C. Gardner. I wanted to read the book to better understand what kind of situation "Red" Johnson was drawn into, through his close contact with Betty Gow. But I got so much more information about his life eventually. A historical insight into the US in the thirties was also presented to me here. As a Norwegian and interested in history, this book became more exciting and educational for me than I expected.
Thanks for a good book!

[Mary Mehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Researched And Detailed

This book presents well researched and balanced examinations of the Lindbergh kidnapping and the evidence, both scientific and testimonial, which served to convict Bruno Hauptman for the crime.

[Steve Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Confusing. Too many players, which isn't the author's fault. His updated afterward left me puzzled.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: the 1930s kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's son in New Jersey, the investigation, and trial of Bruno Hauptmann are analyzed.

[Bob Buice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

Well researched. Well written. Perhaps a little too much detail. No clear conclusions, but a complicated case. Overall an informative read.

[Carmen Petaccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

i figured out who did it

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhaustive look at the Crime of Century: The Infamous Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping.

With The Case That Never Dies, historian Lloyd C. Gardner offers an exhaustive look at the infamous Lindbergh kidnapping case, tracing the abduction of the superstar aviator’s infant son from the bedroom of his Hopewell, NJ, home right through the byzantine labyrinth of the subsequent investigation and on to the arrest, trial and execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann, the only man convicted of the crime. Gardner leaves no stone unturned as he plumbs a twisted knot of Lindbergh confidantes, con men, law-enforcement agencies, lawyers, witnesses, newspaper men, psychics, and forensics ‘experts’ (and I use that term loosely) as he painstakingly recreates the case detail-by-detail, twist-by-turn.

When it’s all said and done, perhaps the most striking result is where my sympathies lay. First, obviously, is with the Lindberghs (particularly mother Anne) coping with the abduction and murder of their son and at the same plagued by a circus of squabbling lawmen and civilian shysters, leeching onto the cause célèbre of ‘getting the baby Eaglet back’ but more often concerned with their own thinly veiled quests for personal self-aggrandizement. It is true that Lindbergh’s best intentions may have only added fuel to the morbid fire of the carnival, but it’s hard to second guess him. What would you do to get your child back? Probably anything.

But the other set of participants who come across as extremely sympathetic are, oddly enough, the Hauptmanns themselves (again, particularly Richard’s wife, Anna). While it’s hard to excuse Richard Hauptmann entirely – his garage was, after all, pretty well full of Lindbergh ransom money and he was never quite able to explain some pretty shady financial dealings – it’s also impossible to believe that he masterminded and executed the kidnapping, murder, and extortion plot independently. Railroaded by police and prosecutors – who beat him in jail, led a key witness to suicide, selectively considered (and occasionally manufactured) evidence, and denied his defense team the basic tenets of due process – Hauptmann ends up feeling like the quintessential fall guy. It’s hard not to empathize with his plight and the recounting of his execution is heart-wrenching reading.

(Of course, at the other end of spectrum, it’s Prosecutor David Wilentz, Chief Defender Edward J. Reilly, and Judge Thomas Trenchard, who ratchet themselves to the top of the vileness scale. Pompous, bombastic, biased, and bullying, the three of then seemed to collude toward a Hauptmann conviction (either by design or stupidity) that would put the whole sordid affair as quickly behind them as they could get it. The result seemed based not-at-all on fairness, not a search for the truth, but the requirement of a conviction – with the added bonus of piling just a bit more fat on their monster egos.)

Since this is the only Lindbergh book I've read, other writers may slant things a bit differently, but Gardner feels scrupulously objective. As histories go, it’s hard to imagine a better, more complete recounting of this tragic event. (In fact, truth-be-told, there are places where I daresay the narrative dips a little too deep into the handwriting and wood-comparison details, becoming pretty dry reading). More of Gardner himself in the narrative would have helped too; his opinions and disbelief at the behavior of some of the participants helped not only with clarifying the story but also brought a little extra punch to the text. Still, even with these flaws, The Case That Never Dies, is pretty much all the average reader needs to know about what was the ‘Crime of Century’ and all the controversies that still surround it.

[John Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to imagine the legal circus that surrounded the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby taking place today. Witnesses allowed to meet the suspect one-on-one (outside of a lineup), conflicting testimony given by the same experts (who were also allowed to opine), arguably fabricated evidence, positive identification made by voice, no preservation of either the crime scene or the evidence, no sharing of evidence with the defense counsel, and on and on. It's amazing Hauptmann wasn't just hung the minute he was picked up. Granted, he himself provided ample reasons for suspicion, little of which was mitigated by his own attorneys who, by themselves, were reason enough for a successful appeal. That said, the standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt" was largely ignored by all involved, especially the presiding judge, and the story itself seems more a primer in "how not to" than anything else. (None of which did Hauptmann or his widow or son any good.)

Lloyd Gardner does an admirable job of assembling the characters, accounts and ever-changing set of circumstances and "facts" that continue to surround and spring from this case even 80 years later. A very worthwhile read for anybody interested in the sometimes ugly (and fatal) collision of celebrity and justice.

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gardner's tone is very dry, and this honestly gets a little dull at times, but it is a thorough look at all the evidence, both for and against Richard Hauptmann. There was enough pointing to his involvement (possession of nearly $14,000 of the ransom money for one), and I've always thought it odd that the prosecution relied so heavily on witnesses who were incredibly sketchy, such as a few nearby residents of Hopewell which denied seeing any strangers in the area the day after the kidnapping, but two years later not only remembered that they saw someone and just forgot to tell the cops, but were positive it was Hauptmann.

I doubt anyone will ever be able to explain the complete clusterfuck that was "Jafsie's" involvement in the case. The more I read about him, the stranger it is.

[Jill Crosby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had been led to believe that this book, being a more recent publication, was going to provide new insight into the details of the Lindbergh kidnapping. What I got instead was a cool 400 pages of seemingly cut & pasted material, culled from books and other sources over the years. Truly---if I had been forced to read One. More. Statement. About "The Kidnap Ladder" or "Rail 16," I may have suspended my belief in the dark, deep evil of book burning and lit this monster on fire. If you're looking for some fresh insight into this 80-year-old mystery, skip this book which offers little in the way of original scholarship, and stick with some of the older texts instead.

[Thierry Sagnier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years ago I wanted to write a novel about the Lindbergh kidnapping, so I bought a whole bunch of books dealing with the subject from various angles. Was Hauptmann guilty? Was he set up by J. Edgar? Was Lindbergh himself somehow complicit in a frame-up?
Of the dozen or so books I read, this was the best. It reads like a really good detective and doesn't purport to save the case, though there's no doubt Gardner has ideas of his own. A must-read for conspiracy fans.

[Tina Kover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dense and surprisingly dull for a book so full of information about one of the most fascinating cases in the annals of crime history. Still, I certainly learned some new facts, which is always a bonus considering how much I've read about this case. For serious students of the kidnapping only, in my opinion.

[Kristina W · Rating 3 out of 5]

(guessing at 2005, for reading date)
Very interesting, with additional details I wasn't aware of and hadn't heard. Living where it all happened, I can visualize locales mentioned. Also, having had Gardner as a prof once upon a time, there is added personal interest.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Started strong w/ some info I'd not read anywhere else, but I can't agree that Hauptmann was innocent.

[Maribeth Voss · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only CSI had existed back then ...

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weirdly dry and boring for such a fascinating crime. Think a different type of writer might have been able to construct a more flowing narrative.

[randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this murder case is old but it never gets old reading about it. there are a lot of interesting people who may or may not be involved and we will never know which ones were part of it.

[Karen Belom · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like the book that never dies

[John Rosenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems to set up Hauptmann, but postscript elaborates on that.

[Anna Stahl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring!! I wasn’t able to finish it because it was soooo long and drawn out.