Unsolved
1874–1875 · Pennsylvania
Charley Ross
In 1874 two men lured a four-year-old into a buggy in Germantown and demanded $20,000. Charley Ross was never found, and America learned to fear strangers.
Kind of crime
Kidnapping
Ransom kidnappings that changed the law, from Charley Ross to the Lindbergh case.
5 cases4 solved1 unsolved1874–1933
Unsolved
Convicted
1924 · Illinois
Leopold and Loeb
Two rich Chicago students killed Bobby Franks, 14, in 1924 to prove they could commit a perfect crime. A pair of glasses gave them away.
Killed before trial
1931–1935 · Florida
Ma Barker
Hoover called her the brains of a murderous gang. A robber who knew her said she couldn't plan breakfast. Kate Barker and the shootout at Lake Weir.
Executed
1932–1936 · New Jersey
Lindbergh baby kidnapping
A ladder, a misspelled note and $50,000 in gold certificates: how the Lindbergh baby case ended in the electric chair, and why doubts still linger.
Convicted
1933 · Texas
Machine Gun Kelly and the Urschel kidnapping
Blindfolded for nine days, an Oklahoma oilman counted the planes overhead. His memory led the FBI to a Texas farm and put Machine Gun Kelly away for life.