The Lindbergh Kidnapping—A Psychiatric View

Abstract The Lindbergh kidnapping provides an illustration of the need of the public to see certain crimes as the result of conspiracy even when evidence points to a lone operator explanation. The Lindbergh kidnapping, like the assassination of President Kennedy and the killing of Jack Ruby, gave rise to conspiratorial theories. Responsible, political leaders and law enforcement officials have been induced by the emotional need to see these crimes as conspiracies to act in a less than professional manner. The Lindbergh kidnapping showed that forensic psychiatry can be of great value in crime investigations. The Lindbergh trial remains to this day an example of excellence in terms of scientific, forensic testimony.