Kidnapping of Howard Woolverton
The kidnapping of Howard Woolverton, which began in South Bend, Indiana, the evening of January 26, 1932, and concluded when Woolverton returned to his home unharmed about 24 hours later, received extensive contemporary newspaper coverage, impacted the way the press covered kidnapping in the following weeks, and played a leading role in passage of the Federal Kidnapping Act later that year.
Howard Woolverton | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 26, 1880 South Bend, Indiana |
| Died | January 27, 1960 South Bend, Indiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | manufacturer, banker |
| Known for | kidnap victim |
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover attributed the crime to George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Kelly's wife Kathryn Kelly, and Edward Doll.
At the time of the kidnapping, Woolverton was secretary and treasurer of the Malleable Steel Range Manufacturing Company, based in South Bend, Indiana. The firm, founded by his father, Jacob Woolverton, lives on as Southbend, a division of the Middleby Corporation.