Here we are at the edge of hard science. The second important assertion in "Who Killed the Lindbergh Baby" came
from John Douglas -- a flat statement that there had to be inside help,
hence the official narrative is shattered and in pieces on the floor of
the nursery. In his book, "The Cases That Haunt Us," published in 2001,
Douglas first advanced his argument that the death of Violet Sharp
provided the necessary clue as to where that help had originated. Her
suicide - he opined - probably came from a fit of remorse over having
inadvertently (?) revealed where the Lindberghs were that night.
Interestingly, the police investigating the crime announced that they
believed that her death went a long way to solving the case. Last night
the show said he had "refined" his position on Violet, and a picture of
her was shown. But there was not much more said in the show. Violet
remains in a deep violet shadow, then. But I think Douglas really did
not want to go too far on that point, however. Was something was left on the cutting room floor? But here is
the problem with that "inadvertent" position. If - as in my first email
-- we now agree that it was a conspiracy, how would it be possible to
get everything together on that short notice? Remember, Richard did not
have a telephone, and actually reported for work that morning. It is
already mid-morning when the decision is made to stay overnight.
Violet's contacts do not seem to fit anywhere along the path of the
crime -- not nearly so close, say, as Betty Gow or Red Johnson. And the
idea that John Knoll was in contact with Violet was never explored,
because there is absolutely no evidence that she would have had contact
with him. Perhaps she was involved in a deeper sense, perhaps Douglas's
intuition here is right, casting aside her acknowledged emotional state
after coming out of the hospital. Her suicide is discussed in "Case"
pp. 106-112.
When the police came to take her away for questioning for a third
time, they were sent to cool their heels in an office -- for half an
hour --- (!), while someone fetched her. What had happened while they
were kept in another room was she had staggered down into the butler's
pantry and collapsed. Then the officers were taken to the study where
Col Lindbergh and a Dr. Phillips met them and told them Violet was
dead. Once again, the person in charge is Col Lindbergh. Once again it
is Col Lindbergh who informs the police that there had been found
a"partially filled can of Cyanide of Potassium Crystals on the shelf in
Miss Sharp's room," along with a glass containing the remaining
undissolved crystals and a discolored spoon. Only then - after all that
-- did Captain Harry Walsh get admitted to the "death room," so to
speak. So perhaps it would be a little uncomfortable to pursue that
death.
A word on conspiracy. It is not really that loaded, but I would have liked to use in my interview the term "cut outs," but it was said that word would not be familiar enough to people who had never watched Cold War spy stories. John LeCarre where are you when I needed you?
Next up Dr. Butts.
