Petition
for DNA Testing on the Lindbergh Ransom Envelopes
I respectfully urge the New Jersey State Police to authorize modern DNA testing on the 13 ransom envelopes—and the 10 stamps affixed to 7 of them—connected to the infamous 1932 Lindbergh kidnapping case. These items are currently housed at the NJ State Police Museum in West Trenton, NJ.
Advancements in forensic science now allow for
the non-invasive extraction of DNA from
unsealed envelope seals without damaging or destroying the envelopes themselves.
Testing these envelopes could provide a definitive answer as to whether Bruno
Richard Hauptmann, the man executed for the crime, was truly guilty—or if
justice was miscarried.
The Lindbergh case
remains one of the most debated in American history. DNA analysis could settle
lingering doubts once and for all, serving both historical accuracy and the
pursuit of truth. We stand with historians, forensic experts, and the general
public in supporting this crucial step toward clarity and justice. Every state
has an Open Public Records Act, called OPRA for short. OPRA is designed to
promote transparency of the Government and public awareness of Government
actions and decisions concerning issues. On October 9, 1981, New Jersey
Governor Brendan Byrne signed Executive Order 110, which opened up the Lindbergh
kidnapping case file and exhibits to the public. This is the 1st and only
criminal case in New Jersey's history in which a Governor opened the case file
up to the public.
The week that he did this, Bruno Richard Hauptmann's widow, Anna Hauptmann filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the State of New Jersey for wrongfully executing her husband.
Governor Byrne opened
the case files and exhibits up to the public in EO 110 because he felt that NJ
was not hiding anything, and he wanted to demonstrate to the public that Bruno
Richard Hauptmann was guilty. DNA testing was not known in 1981, and would not
become known until 1986. Had DNA testing existed in October 1981, there is
little doubt Governor Byrne would have authorized DNA testing of the stamps and
envelopes sent by the presumed kidnapper or kidnappers.
That moment
has now come.
I call on the New Jersey State Police to authorize DNA testing
on these envelopes and stamps to
determine once and for all whose DNA information is contained on those exhibits.
To support this effort, please copy and paste this letter into an email,
add your
name and the date to the bottom, and then email it to: