victim. he used that to fuel the hate he had already into more hatred. but there was one person the 18-year-old starkweather didn t hate. he had eyes for a spunky and rebellious 13-year-old named carol ann fugate. he became intrigued with carolyn. she was with him too. he was so funny. put me on a pedestal. he always wanted to buy me things. the two cruised around lincoln in char low s 49 ford hot rod, charlie was a crack shot and into guns. carol s parents didn t like him one bit. they weren t impressed with him as a person. they were concerned about the age difference between them. this empty lot in the low income belmont section is all that remains of where carol was living at the time with marion bart let, a night watchman, and 36-year-old mother velda. also living there was her
in your view, carol ann was there and watching awful this and knew exactly what was happening to her family? yes. no doubt in my mind. it is not true. it s not true. various people came to the home looking for charlie. trying to reach out to carol ann fugate s mother. and her demeanor was very odd. mrs. bartlet s mother wanted to get in the house. carol said we re all sick. go away. carol had a sign on the door. stay out, everybody sick with the flu. it was signed ms. bartlet. the only ms. bartlet in her house was her almost-year-old sister who couldn t read or write yet. that was her sign. gee, maybe somebody will figure this out and ask for do something. because i am afraid to do something. other family members and the lincoln police stopped by during the week. but carol talked them out of coming inside.
while charlie and carol were tried separately, only for the robbery and killing of 17-year-old robert jenson. after a two-week trial in may 1958, starkweather was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. that october, one week before her trial began, carol held a press conference. i was at the interview and watched carol in her usual icy cold demeanor answer questions. did he say why he couldn t? i presented to the public, you know, this person that, you know, well, she s hard and she s this and she s that, not knowing that behind that was a person who was terrified. despite what he said when he was arrested, starkweather testified against fugate, claiming she was a willing participant in the horrific murder spree. in november, 15-year-old carol ann fugate was found guilty of murder while in the perpetration of a robbery.
carol ann fugate admits she did hold a gun on the couple at one point and took $4 out of johnson s wallet an act that would later cost her dearly. she claims she did it at starkweather s command. january 27th. with six people murdered, charlie and carol drove back into lincoln in jenson s car. and parked in the wealthy country club section of town and slept inside the car. the next morning they cruised around the neighborhood looking for a police to hide out. dumped jenson s car and get a new one. they end up at a house that he became familiar with while he worked on the trash route. this is the home stark weather chose to hide out in. owned by wealthy and well respected 47-year-old businessman, c. lower ward and wife clara. carol ann waited in the car in the rear of the driveway. inside were 46-year-old clara ward and 51-year-old maid, lillian fencil. armed with guns and a knife.
although facing the death penalty, carol was sentenced to life in prison. did you think she t got a fair trial? yes. she was not charged with actually killing anyone. that s what you call felony murderer, if you re a willing paent, you re equally guilty. john stef fence berry, the co-author of 12th victim disagrees with the verdict. she was not acting as a free atlanta any time. in order to commit a crime, you have to act as a free agent. for charles starkweather, justice was swift. an a failed series of appeals he was executed on june 25th, 1959. dale harding was a witness. gave him three jolts of electricity. he was raised up from the chair and down each time. looked like a leather mask over his face so you couldn t see his expressions. and my immediate impression was that was too quick and too clean and too merciful compared to what he had done to bob jenson