Caryl Chessman
Caryl Whittier Chessman (May 27, 1921 – May 2, 1960) was a convicted robber, kidnapper and serial rapist who was sentenced to death for a series of crimes committed in January 1948 in the Los Angeles area. Chessman was charged with 17 counts and convicted under a loosely interpreted "Little Lindbergh law" – later repealed, but not retroactively – that defined kidnapping as a capital offense under certain circumstances. His case attracted worldwide attention, and helped propel the movement to end the use of capital punishment in the state of California.
Caryl Chessman | |
|---|---|
Chessman on November 25, 1953 | |
| Born | Carol Whittier Chessman May 27, 1921 St. Joseph, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 1960 (aged 38) San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by gas chamber |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Kidnapping for the purpose of robbery with infliction of bodily harm (3 counts) Kidnapping for the purpose of robbery Attempted rape Assault with a deadly weapon First degree robbery (8 counts) Attempted robbery Robbery Grand theft |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
Date apprehended | January 23, 1948 |
| Imprisoned at | San Quentin State Prison |
While in prison, Chessman was considered vexatious, with one judge writing in 1957, "[Chessman is] playing a game with the courts, stalling for time while the facts of the case grow cold." Chessman wrote four books, including his 1954 memoir Cell 2455, Death Row. The book was adapted for the screen in 1955 and stars William Campbell as a character modelled after Chessman.
He was executed in California's gas chamber in 1960.