Crime and Punishment in the 20th Century Quiz

Answer: Bruno Richard Hauptmann

A lot of people believe Hauptmann to be innocent. I disagree with them but you should look into the case and decide for yourself. I recommend starting with either "The Lindbergh Case" by Jim Fisher or "The Airman and the Carpenter" by Ludovic Kennedy. The case remains fascinating today.

Answer: The California Supreme Court abolished the death penalty in 1972.

Manson was 32 at the time of the killings and had already spent half his life in jail. In a television interview, Patricia Krenwinkel, one of Manson's disciples who participated in the bloodshed, stated with tears in her eyes that she was now "Older than Rosemary LaBianca was when I killed her." It was a chilling moment--but also heartbreaking. Two lives snuffed out--the murderer's and the victim's--in one act of madness.

Answer: Caril Ann Fugate

The three alternate names in this question--Betty Jean Bartlett, Lillian Fencl and Clara Ward--were all victims of Starkweather's killing spree, which left a total of 11 people dead. Charlie was executed in June of 1959; Caril Ann was paroled in 1976 but has always claimed that she was not a willing participant in the crime spree.

It is rumored that she has changed her name, married, and lives a normal life in Michigan. But it's only a rumor. No one knows for sure where she is or if she's still alive.

Answer: For burglarizing the Democratic National Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC

The other 3 burglars were Bernard L. Barker, James W. McCord and Frank A. Sturgis. Indicted along with them were G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt Jr.

Frank Wills, the security guard who stumbled upon the burglars, played himself in the film "All the President's Men".

Answer: Joan Robinson Hill, his first wife

According to the book, "Blood and Money", Ash Robinson, Joan Robinson Hill's rich, powerful and doting father, hired someone to murder his son in law. Hill had been tried for Joan's murder, whose mysterious death was thought by many to be by poison. The trial ended in a mistrial when Ann Kurth, Hill's second wife, made unfounded and overly-prejudicial statements in her testimony against her ex-husband.

As it became clear that the prosecution was in no hurry to put Hill on trial a second time, Robinson took action and, allegedly, had his ex-son in law murdered.

Incidentally, "Racehorse" Haynes was Hill's attorney in the first trial. And he never had an affair with Joan Robinson Hill. I just made that up. Don't sue me.

Answer: Richard Hickock and Perry Smith

Hickcock and Smith were hanged in 1965 for the senseless massacre of the Clutters. The youngest family member, Kenyon, was only 15 years old at the time of his death. This murder, of course, was the basis for Truman Capote's masterful non-fiction novel, "In Cold Blood". See the superb film "Capote" for a compelling account of both the crime and the creation of this literary breakthrough.

Answer: Steven Weed

Weed wrote a book on the kidnapping, "My Search for Patty Hearst." He then promptly disappeared from the public eye, his 15 minutes clearly having run out.

Answer: Matthew Shepard

At a press conference to announce that Matthew had died after several days in a coma, the doctor who had treated Matthew broke down; his heartfelt emotional display was broadcast worldwide. The doctor soon received hate mail; one letter read, "Do you cry like that for all of your patients or just the faggots?" Hatred brings out the worst in all of us.

Answer: An American Tragedy

Dreiser's novel was filmed twice, most memorably in 1951 as 'A Place in the Sun' with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and, as the victim, Shelly Winters. It's interesting to note that murderers achieved celebrity back in 1906 as well as today. Young girls would send Gillette love notes and ask for autographed photos. Chester was more than happy to oblige.

Answer: Mark David Chapman

All of life's important lessons can be learned by listening to the Beatles:
All You Need is Love
We Can Work It Out
Living is easy with eyes closed
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Turn off your mind relax and float downstream
Take a sad song and make it better
The word is 'love'
Chapman claimed to have been a Beatles' fan. Clearly, he didn't listen closely enough.