The Reid Scale: Classic Unsolved Murder Cases

[sdreid]

To clarify, in general, those found not guilty by reason of insanity or incompetent to stand trial would fit within Level 0.

[sdreid]

There could be another subjective element in the case of serial type murders. For example, if I consider Tabram a Ripper victim then she'd be in with the rest in what I'd consider a Level #3 case but if I thought she wasn't a victim of JtR then she would probably belong at Level #4 because there really aren't any good named suspects in her murder other than the ones for Jack, that is, unless someone can bring me up to speed. This is an inexact science.

[sdreid]

Ahh! I see that the film Crime of the Century was supposedly based on Kennedy's book but I don't remember it being decidedly pro-Hauptmann.

[sdreid]

Graham - Yes, that's my best take on Condon too.

[sdreid]

Level 2: Cases where there is no standing conviction but where there is a somewhat better than even chance that one perpetrator did it.

Level 2: Cases where there is no standing conviction but where there is a somewhat better than even chance that one suspect did it.

That's what I meant to say.

Note: "one suspect" could also be one pair of suspects or one group of suspects

[Graham]

Hi Stan,

I don't think Condon was anything to do with the crime - he just kind of cottoned on and wanted to be important.

The way Lindbergh handled the thing always seemed weird to me - he seemed to trust silly old Condon more than the police and the FBI. I also get the impression that a lot of important evidence kind of went missing....

Graham

[sdreid]

Condon could have been connected but I tend to think not.

Gaston Means and John Curtis both tried to fraudulently shake down Lindbergh for ransom money.

[Graham]

Hi Tom,

Do you mean Dr J F Condon, otherwise known as Jafsie? He wrote a crap book called Jafsie Tells All. For some reason that escapes me, Lindbergh seemed to trust this silly old fart, who claimed he met the kidnapper and/or murderer at a cemetery in the Bronx.

I don't think it was so much a case of Fish (Fisch?) 'relocating', as of getting the hell out of the USA while the going was good. He conveniently died in Germany before he could be hauled in for further questioning.

Personally, I think the fact that it was proved that Hauptmann bought gas with the marked bonds, as were provided by Lindbergh as part of the ransom deal, sealed his fate. I am 99% sure that Hauptmann killed the child, but whether intentionally or accidentally, I can't say.

This seems to be a 'cold case' these days...

Cheers,

Graham.

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Stan, Jafsie is the guy I was referring to. Thanks. What are your thoughts on his involvement?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[sdreid]

Tom - All I can think of is Jafsie and the guy who tried to claim he was in on the crime then was charged with fraud, I think.

There was also the mysterious J. J. Faulkner who turned in a large sum of ransom money but was never identified.

[sdreid]

Graham - I'm not sure I can help you much. There was that movie Crime of the Century but I don't recall if it was based on a book. I believe the film left the Fisch question up in the air. The movie was pretty good in my view.

[sdreid]

Level 1: Cases where there is a standing conviction but some doubt about it (James Hanratty) or cases where there is no conviction but where there is little doubt regarding the perpetrator (Bella Kiss).

Level 2: Cases where there is no standing conviction but where there is a better than even chance that one suspect did it (Lizzie Borden).

Level 2: Cases where there is no standing conviction but where there is a somewhat better than even chance that one perpetrator did it.

Upon review, I thought I should add one word to Level 2 in order to further differentiate it from Level 1 (second category).

[Tom_Wescott]

Hi Stan and Graham,

I do think Hauptmann was involved, but certainly not alone. Can you recall the name of the suspicious fellow who injected himself in the case and later wrote a book? Some suggested he was involved. I published an article with a little theory of my own. That man (whose blasted name skips me!) was an authority on symbols and their meanings. The ransom letters were all signed with a Vesica Pisces, which as you probably know, means 'fish'. Hauptmann's alleged accomplice was Isador Fisch. Unfortunately, Isador relocated out of the country and died before Hauptmann was caught. I wonder if Fisch wasn't being set up as a fall guy before he died and rendered the point moot?

Yours truly,

Tom Wescott

[Graham]

Hi Stan,

Maybe this is off-thread, but my take on the Lindberg Kidnap was that Fish was the brains behind the thing, and Hauptmann was the 'leg-man' who got it slightly wrong...

It's been some time since I read up on this case (Ludovic Kennedy's great book being the last) so can you point me towards some more modern interpretations?

Cheers,

Graham

[sdreid]

Hi Graham,

Yes, I think I would put Hauptmann at Level 1 but I'm sure some would prefer to put him at 0. Personally, I think he was likely involved although not necessarily directly.