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Caryl Chessman

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Caryl Chessman Famous memorial

Birth
Saint Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan, USA
Death
2 May 1960 (aged 38)
San Quentin, Marin County, California, USA
Burial
Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea. Specifically: Ashes scattered by airplane off Santa Cruz, California. Add to Map
Memorial ID
View Source
Criminal. Called the "Red Light Bandit." Chessman had been in and out of prisons all his adult life, when as a 27 year old parolee from Folsom Prison in 1948 he was arrested as the bandit. The bandit would come up on to unsuspecting persons parked in there car and flash a red light resembling that of a policman's and rob and beat up the men, sometimes kidnapping the women and taking them to other locations and have them perform sexual acts on him. He signed a confession, but later recanted. To overwhelming testimony and eyewitness accounts from the victims he was convicted on 17 counts of robbery, kidnapping and bodily harm. Under the "Lindbergh Law" passed in 1933 he was eligible for a death sentence or life in prison due to the bodily harm on the women. After fighting death row for 12 years, writing 4 books and even appeals from famous people, he was sentenced to die in San Quentin's Gas Chamber. On May 2, 1960, Chessman was executed.
Criminal. Called the "Red Light Bandit." Chessman had been in and out of prisons all his adult life, when as a 27 year old parolee from Folsom Prison in 1948 he was arrested as the bandit. The bandit would come up on to unsuspecting persons parked in there car and flash a red light resembling that of a policman's and rob and beat up the men, sometimes kidnapping the women and taking them to other locations and have them perform sexual acts on him. He signed a confession, but later recanted. To overwhelming testimony and eyewitness accounts from the victims he was convicted on 17 counts of robbery, kidnapping and bodily harm. Under the "Lindbergh Law" passed in 1933 he was eligible for a death sentence or life in prison due to the bodily harm on the women. After fighting death row for 12 years, writing 4 books and even appeals from famous people, he was sentenced to die in San Quentin's Gas Chamber. On May 2, 1960, Chessman was executed.

Bio by: The Silent Forgotten



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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Jan 3, 2003
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7051380/caryl-chessman: accessed ), memorial page for Caryl Chessman (27 May 1921–2 May 1960), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7051380; Cremated, Ashes scattered at sea; Maintained by Find a Grave.