The G-Men and the Heiress: The 1934 Alice Speed Stoll FBI Kidnapping Case

by William E. Plunkett

Thomas Robinson Jr. didn't look like a gangster, yet he masterminded the 1934 kidnapping of wealthy Louisville socialite Alice Stoll, hiding out successfully in an Indianapolis apartment. After receiving a $50,000 ransom, he caught a train for New York City where he and a newly-found companion lavished the money across the country, finally settling near Hollywood, California, where with his film star good looks, he fit right in. His story didn't end with his capture, though, for he managed to avoid a death sentence and fought a three-decade legal battle from prison, interspersed with two escapes. The story of Robinson and the Stoll kidnapping proved to be one of the most sensational in an era of sensational stories.

249 pages, Hardcover

Published January 21, 2021