Image having someone close taken away, imagine how much pain and anguish one would feel. Well, this is how the Lindbergh’s felt when their son was snatched from their arms. The Lindbergh baby kidnapping resulted in the passage of the Lindbergh kidnapping law and the prohibition of courtroom photography.

No one knew hat the night of March 1, 1932 was going to be the worst night for the Lindbergh’s on that evening Anne and the Nursemaid, Betty, put baby Charles to sleep. A while later Charles Lindbergh arrived at the house and ate dinner with Ann, after having dinner he went to his study while Anne got ready for bed; meanwhile Betty went to check on the baby, and she walked into the room, she didn’t hear anything, so she ventured closer to the crib, and when she got close enough to see, she realized the baby was gone. She raced to the study to see if the baby was with his father, but when she saw that he wasn’t their, she went to see if he was with his mother, but he wasn’t with her either. Charles Lindbergh couldn’t believe what was going he first said “Anne they have stolen our baby”(Beverly 15). After searching he found a ransom note but he did not touch it in case of finger prints, and then immediately he called the police saying “[T]his is Charles Lindbergh, my son has just been kidnapped” (Greg n.p.). In minutes the police arrived and Lindbergh told them everything, they took the note and immediately checked for prints, then they gave it to Charles to open. The note stated not to call the police and asked for 50,000 dollars. The home of the Lindbergh’s was chaotic with every news media there, and in minutes everyone in the country knew what was happening. Even though the Lindbergh’s world seemed to be falling apart, the police and many people stepped in and helped. The night of the kidnapping, the police were able to find some clues, the found a shoe print in the baby’s room and outside in the mud, as well as parts of the ladder used and carpenter’s chisel. These clues weren’t much of a help at that moment, but they later became a helping hand in the investigation. Charles Lindbergh took over the investigation over the course of two months, he set up headquarters in the garage, and along with the police, and he followed any leads that came in. Many people offered their help including the President and Al Capone, but Charles only accepted the help from a man who became a very important part of the case and investigation. Dr. John F Condon was so angry at what happened that he sent a letter to the New York Times saying that he was willing to do anything, even add some of his own money, to get the baby back. After placing the letter the kidnapper responded and Condon agreed to become the go between and instructed Condon to contact Lindbergh and if he agreed to this he would pace an ad in the paper saying the money was ready. After a series of notes and telephone calls, the kidnappers raised the money to $70,000. The fifth ransom note was delivered by a taxi driver named Joseph, and he delivered a note to Condon stating for Condon to go to the cemetery where he would find a man named John; there they talked about payment and proof of the baby’s health and safety. Charles received the sleeping suit of the baby as proof of its safety. On April 2, 1932 after a series of notes, Condon was instructed to hand the money to John, and in exchanged he received a note stating where the baby was. The note said that the baby was to be found on a boat named the Nelly between, “Horse neck Beach and Gay head near Elizabeth Island” (The Kidnapping n.p.). Lindbergh searched for his baby he flew his place over, but the baby was not found. On May 12, 1932 that body of the baby was found not fat from the Lindbergh’s home. Two men noticed something strange in the woods after pulling off the road. After a closer look, they realized it was a “decomposed and animal eaten body” (Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping n.p.) It was baby Charles, and after long hours of investigation, it was determined that the baby had been dead all along. After examination it was discerned that the baby been killed from an apparent blow to the head. No longer were they looking for the kidnappers, but for he killers. The police and the investigators went back and interrogated everyone that was close to the family and the case, but once again no one was found. The police kept looking for clues and waited for the marked bills to become public in hope they give clues, but unfortunately it took two years before a strong lead came in. A bank employee noticed that one of the marked bills had a number written on, and it turned out to be a license plate number written down by a gas station attendant who thought the guy looked suspicious. After tracing the license plate, the police arrested Bruno Richard Hauptman. After many question and investigation, “the main evidence besides the money was the testimony from handwriting experts had been written by Hauptman” (Lindbergh Baby Kidnapped n.p.). That convicted Hauptman. Also, the police found more marked bills in his garage and a missing floorboard that matched perfectly the ladder used to kidnap the baby. After long hours in the courtroom, Bruno Richard Hauptman was convicted on February 3, 1935 and died on April 3, 1936 in the electric chair. This case precipitated passing of two adjacent laws which affected the way investigations occurred. First, the Lindbergh Kidnapping Law of 1932 states it was a crime to kidnap and ransom reward or transport a victim to another state or country, excluding when a minor was kidnapped by his or her own parents. The punishment for violation of this law is imprisonment for a term of years or for life. Second, was the banishment of courtroom photography, this stated that courtroom photography was no longer valid in the courtrooms; this was done because it was believed that it was unfair and it affected the ruling of the conviction of Hauptman. It was said that all of the news and media affected the ruling because everyone was so against Hauptman and if he was not convicted the judge would have not been liked and there would have been much controversy. The Lindbergh baby kidnapping affected a lot of people but had a more dynamic influence on the government. It changed the way investigations were completed and done to this day. For example investigations were done after the kidnapping and are still today done more thoroughly. Also crimes of this nature were punished more severely after this case. Furthermore, the laws that were passed became the fundamental order in which criminals were brought in prosecuted.