Cemetery John: The Undiscovered Mastermind Behind the Lindbergh Kidnapping

By Robert Zorn

For eighty years, the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's infant son has gone unsolved. Evidence, opinion, and logic have discredited the notion that Bruno Richard Hauptmann--executed in 1936--acted alone. In this meticulous and authoritative account of the trial and the times of the Lindbergh kidnapping, Robert Zorn clears away decades of ungrounded speculation surrounding the case. Inspired by his father's relationship with the actual accomplices--including the mastermind--he presents the clearest ever picture of a criminal partnership that would shake every class and culture of American society.

Using personal possessions and documents, never-before-seen photographs, new forensic evidence, and extensive research, Robert Zorn has written a shocking and captivating account of the crime and the original "Trial of the Century." From the ecstatic riots that followed the Spirit of St. Louis on either side of the Atlantic, to the tragic night that would shake America's sense of security, to the horror of the New Jersey morgue where Lindbergh insisted on verifying the identity of his son, Zorn's skillful treatment meets this larger-than-life story and gives it definitive shape by revealing the true events behind the crime, for the first time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Jun 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781468301939

Reviews for Cemetery John

[eliz12_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting - but not entirely convincing - premise.As a child, George Zorn hears a conversation that he believes reveals the true identity of the Lindbergh baby kidnapper. His son, author Robert Zorn, follows through and comes to the conclusion that a German immigrant named John Knoll was the real mastermind behind the event. Robert Zorn does manage to find many convincing bits of evidence; for me, the most compelling was a contemporary analysis comparing Knoll's writing to the writing in the kidnap notes. There were other coincidences, as well, notably the fleshy mount on the finger of the kidnapper, and the same on Knoll's finger.What lacked was a single concrete link: no deathbed confession from Knoll, no proof that he actually knew Hauptmann (who was, inarguably, involved in the kidnapping), none of the marked bills discovered in his possessions after he died. So the speculation here is fascinating and well-researched, but I wasn't left convinced.

[briannad84 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent book. This is the first time I've really read into the Lindbergh Kidnapping and I'm glad it was this one! Very unique perspective involving the author's father.

[suzanne_mitchell-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Story of the supposed kidnapper of Lindbergh baby