Hauptmann's Ladder: A Step-by-Step Analysis of the Lindbergh Kidnapping

True Crime History

by Richard T. Cahill Jr.

THE 2015 INDIEFAB TRUE CRIME BOOK OF THE YEAR

In 1936, Bruno Richard Hauptmann was executed for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr. Almost all of America believed Hauptmann guilty; only a few magazines and tabloids published articles questioning his conviction. In the ensuing decades, many books about the Lindbergh case have been published. Some have declared Hauptmann the victim of a police conspiracy and frame-up, and one posited that Lindbergh actually killed his own son and fabricated the entire kidnapping to mask the deed. Because books about the crime have been used as a means to advance personal theories, the truth has often been sacrificed and readers misinformed.

Hauptmann’s Ladder is a testament to the truth that counters the revisionist histories all too common in the true crime genre. Author Richard T. Cahill Jr. puts the “true” back in “true crime,” providing credible information and undistorted evidence that enables readers to form their own opinions and reach their own conclusions.

Cahill presents conclusions based upon facts and documentary evidence uncovered in his twenty years of research. Using primary sources and painstakingly presenting a chronological reconstruction of the crime and its aftermath, he debunks false claims and explodes outrageous theories, while presenting evidence that has never before been revealed. Hauptmann’s Ladder is a meticulously researched examination of the Lindbergh kidnapping that restores and preserves the truth of the crime of the century.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History, Crime

416 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2014

About the author

Richard T. Cahill Jr. received a B.A. in history and political science from Mount Saint Mary College and a J.D. from Albany Law School. His professional experience includes clerking for a criminal court judge, serving as both an assistant district attorney and a criminal defense attorney, and practicing civil law.

Reviews

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d heard of Charles Linbergh, I think I’d even heard of his son being kidnapped but little more than that yet reading this it seems that this crime is part of the American collective consciousness in much the same way as Britain’s Moors Murderers or other infamous crimes.

The killing of a child is enough of an event but the tragedy was turned into farce and the stuff of films which the audience deem too fantastical to be realistic. The facts of the case are fairly straightforward – one night a kidnapper accessed the open window of the infant’s room using a ladder and took the child, demanding a ransom for his safe return. The ransom was paid and several months later the child’s remains were found showing that he’d likely died the night he was taken. A couple of years later a carpenter named Hauptmann was arrested and found guilty of the kidnapping.

Terribly sad but little more than a tawdry little tale of greed except for the events that surrounded it. An elderly man unconnected to the family becomes the go-between for the Lindberghs and the kidnapper after sending a series of cryptic messages in the personal columns of the local newspaper. There are meeting in cemeteries, false confessions, false accusations, marked money, the mob, suicides and suspicious servants. There is so much noise around the case that it is a miracle that it was ever solved. With the distance of time it makes for an exciting, darkly amusing case but one can only imagine how additionally distressing it must have been for the Lindbergh family.

Apparently there have been several books that have claimed the hapless German woodworker was innocent and framed by the police but this book refutes that and goes into (excessive?) detail of the evidence and the trial to prove his guilt. (So much detail that in the space of one book I have gone from being unaware that there was even a thing as a wood identification expert to growing close to being one). I found it persuasive and struggled to see how anyone could argue for his innocence but such is the nature of true crime books and I’m sure if I read one of the opposing ones I’d be equally swayed.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulous, even-handed exploration of the Lindbergh kidnapping and subsequent trial. The author avoids the sensationalism and overly dramatic writing that mars many a "true crime" book. The result is a detailed, somber, factual account based on over twenty years of research that debunks many of the sensational claims of conspiracies and police cover-ups of the past and is sure to be the definitive examination of the case for years to come. Highly recommended.

[andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a terrific, exceptionally researched investigation into this century year old controversial crime. I appreciated how unbiased Cahill approached the subject and how doggedly he corrected myths and half-truths that have been floating around as part of the Lindburgh lore for decades. The fact that he has been both a prosecuting and a defensive lawyer gave me great trust in his even-handed approach to not only building the case, but truthfully analyzing its weak points, and where the failures lay.
In the end, it is hard to argue against his conclusions, as he methodically and objectively lays out the case. While fairly pointing out where there was poor police work, dubious allegations, and questionable moves by the prosecution, he still puts together a strong, factual case full of witness testimony and damning physical evidence.
However, as he writes in his epilogue follow-up, putting all other testimony and exhibits aside, the ladder, and the story that sole piece of evidence lays out, is irrefutable. It alone is enough to warrant the verdict handed down, thus making the title of this book exceptionally clear.
For me, this is THE DEFINITIVE work on the Lindburgh kidnapping and lays to rest any question or controversy that the Hauptmann verdict and execution were just.
Can't recommend this book enough.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. This book was a very detailed deep dive into the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. The author used primary sources to clarify many myths about the kidnapping and subsequent manhunt and trial. A couple of shocking things I learned - that the NJ police let Lindbergh run the investigation for a couple of months (until the baby’s body was found). Also, that Hauptmann was not charged with kidnapping. Kidnapping in 1932 was a misdemeanor (!), so he was charged with stealing the baby’s clothes. Theft was a felony, thus he could be charged with felony murder since the child died during the theft.

The police botched the case in many ways - not securing the scene, not taking casts of footprints, letting so many people handle the ladder. Also, many aspects of the trial are a complete travesty compared to how cases are handled today. However, after reading this book, I believe even more so that Hauptmann was guilty. The wood/ladder evidence is the most compelling, but most of the other evidence points in his direction as well.

[Susan Elmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book though a bit much on the trial coverage. More than 150 pages, detailing every witness and aspect of the trial. I think that part could have been edited down - to 100 pages or even less. But the book offers an interesting examination of this famous case. Although we've probably all heard of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder case, I was not at all familiar with the details of it. With the crime occurring in 1932, most of today's readers likely have very limited knowledge on the specifics of this case and the resulting 'trial of the century' (HA - one of several trials in the 20th century that garnered that title....)

[Shelly Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thorough story. Every single detail of the kidnapping and the trial. The author did an excellent job and did the research. He keeps the story objective most of the time. The narrator sometimes made me fall asleep though. LOL. This is an exciting drama at times and they should have used a better narrator. The reading was flat and stoic for the story. This might be good for others but for me I felt like I would have been more involved with a more dramatic reading.
I learned quite a bit.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is true crime of the highest sort: Richard T. Cahill Jr., a lawyer who has been fascinated with the Lindbergh baby kidnapping since grade school, goes back to the the primary sources to cut through decades of myth and misinformation. The research and lawyerly analysis are revelatory, and the writing is good enough to get the job done. You need to read only one book about this case, and this is it.

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely well researched and I like that it clearly made reference to its sources and cited other authors and researchers to present evidence. It is a narrative legal book, far more interested in analysing the trial and technicalities than in ‘true crime’. If you’re not interested in legal process, assessments of the validity of evidence, and finding out more about the NJ legal system in the 1930s you might find it laborious.

[Jill Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was enjoying (but not loving) this book; it’s a good dive into an old, interesting, controversial crime. I thought it was dealt with very well and nicely annotated.
But, I borrowed it from a library download site and every time I had to leave the site it would jump back to the beginning and I’d have to find my spot. I finally decided I wasn’t THAT interested anymore. I was mid trial and it was getting a bit dull anyway.
Recommended though... I may go back when I can borrow the real book.

[Hy Conrad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was working on a project about the Lindbergh kidnapping and read five books about the kidnapping and trial. This one was the least helpful, repetitive and misleading, trying to counter many of the details that are generally accepted as facts. The author jumps back and forth between events and seems almost purposely confusing in his approach.

[Stephen Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great synthesis of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and trial. Author does an excellent job sticking to the documented facts and leaves his opinion on the most common questions most readers would have about evidence or alternate theories to the end. Highly recommended for any true crime fan.

[Karen Hough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive review of the Lindbergh Kidnapping and subsequent trial.

[Rachelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing. Most of the book was a transcript of the trial.

[Reva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to punt on this 20% through - it was bogged down with so much detail and so slow. Not my type of read.

[Sharon Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent non fiction account of the Lindbergh kidnapping. The author does his best to present all sides of the kidnapping and proved to me that they charged the correct man.

[Bob Buice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles A. Lindbergh, had been named “the most famous person in the world” after flying alone from New York to Paris in 1927. Not surprisingly, the kidnapping and death of 20-month old Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. inflamed the world’s population in the 1930’s. Since the conviction and eventual execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann for this crime, numerous sensationalists have written books, presenting false information, and claiming that Hauptmann was innocent. Richard T. Cahill, Jr. does a scholarly analysis of all evidence, points out the false claims of other writings, and demonstrates that evidence against Hauptmann was insurmountable. He presents quite a bit of detail on the crime and the trial, but not much on the appeals process between the conviction and the execution. His writing style is quite easily readable and his organization is easy to follow. For those who enjoy a crime documentary, without sensationalism, but based on a scholarly analysis of evidence, this book is a good read.

[John Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the facts, Ma'am, as Joe Friday said with some exasperation. And here they are, together with the characters and events of the Lindbergh kidnapping, investigation, and trial.
Thus, similar to Posner's Case Closed (on the Kennedy assassination) and Fisher's The Ghosts of Hopewell (also on the Lindbergh kidnapping), but different in that Mr. Cahill is not attempting to debunk alternative and unorthodox accounts of culprits, motives, and even events, but rather trying to establish a solid foundation for any further enquiry or elaboration.
Mr. Cahill does have his theories and interpretations and insights, and they appear in a well-placed and well-reasoned epilogue.
The book is very well written, and elegantly thought out, and I recommend it highly to beginning and seasoned readers.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book free through 1st reads giveaways. While I received a TON of information, I got a little lost in it. Lots of interrupting ideas with other ideas & details & viewpoints. Very slow read. I would've preferred if the separate theories, etc had been presented individually in sections. Like A, B, C, etc...rather than all mixed together throughout the entire story.

[A.J. Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just started reading and already the author inserts speculation. I find the narrative contrived and omniscient. He ignores inconsistencies. He merely mentions huge deficits in the prosecution case. Some things go unmentioned at all. Written like a true lawyer, smug, biased lawyer. Don't trust lawyers to do "investigative" journalism.

[alKami Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive

Very well researched and written! Answered many questions I once had about the Lindbergh kidnapping. Reflection on the case leaves me very sad.

[randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is one of my favorite unsolved crimes. I have read other books on this case and they cover the same story but they do have different takes on the facts with each other. always interesting.