NE - Charles Starkweather & Caril Ann Fugate

[Marie]

Charles Starkweather - 50 Years Later - A Special Report

Read the Stories
Photo Galleries
Video Interviews
Follow Charlie's Path
Newspaper Archives
The Victims
Readers Remember

The bodies fell 50 years ago this winter. A young girl. An old man. Teenagers and parents. Rich and poor. Killed in the city and in the country.

Charles Starkweather took 11 lives by the time he and Caril Fugate were cornered in Wyoming at the end of January 1958.

And a half-century later, the wounds he opened haven't yet healed.

 

[Lola]

Thanks for posting that Marie....the more things change, the more they stay the same, no?

 

[believe09]

Great link, and great report...

 

[White Rain]

I didn't read the links, don't have time, but....does anyone know if Caril is still around or what she's been doing all her life?

 

[Marie]

I didn't read the links, don't have time, but....does anyone know if Caril is still around or what she's been doing all her life?

Yes, she's still around. Apparently has never been in trouble since being released early, and rumored to be working as a nurses aide. Still claims to not have known that Charles killed her parents and baby sister until much later, which is unbelievable to many who think she was in on it (the whole murder spree) or had to have noticed the dead bodies lying around the house property.

 

[Taximom]

"Michelle" commented after one of those articles:

"If the police in Lincoln would have followed up on his wife's and bosses suspicion of Starkweather, the other deaths may have been prevented. "

Like Lola said...the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Thanks for this link, Marie. Do you know of any books, movies or documentaries about Starkweather? I think I saw something on TV once, but can't remember what it was called. I'll have to google that when I'm done reading all you provided.

 

[Mira]

"Badlands" was based on the case. some have said that "Natural Born Killers" was loosely based on this series of murders, as well.

i dont know how much the young girl was involved. id like to think that she was just foolish and 14.

 

[Taximom]

Wow, I saw "Natural Born Killers" and I would have to say "loosely" is the right word! I'll have to check out "Badlands". Thanks, Mira!

 

[White Rain]

"Michelle" commented after one of those articles:

"If the police in Lincoln would have followed up on his wife's and bosses suspicion of Starkweather, the other deaths may have been prevented. "

Like Lola said...the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Thanks for this link, Marie. Do you know of any books, movies or documentaries about Starkweather? I think I saw something on TV once, but can't remember what it was called. I'll have to google that when I'm done reading all you provided.

I read a book about them.
http://www.amazon.com/Waste-Land-Od...bs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201876659&sr=1-2

here's more, although I have not read these.
http://www.amazon.com/Caril-Ninette...bs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201876659&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Charles-Caril...ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201876659&sr=1-4....this book is going for $98.00 dollars! Wish I had a copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Starkweather-...=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201876659&sr=1-5

http://www.amazon.com/Outside-Valen...=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201876659&sr=1-7


There were two more listed on amazon that are currently unavailable. I didn't realize there were so many books about the case.

 

[Taximom]

Thanks, White Rain! :blowkiss: $98!!! Yikes. I wonder if the library has that one.

 

[Marie]

I guess, besides 11 people being killed by a teenager, the main reason this case is still so fascinating is the question of whether Caril was involved or not. Charles claimed she helped kill at least two of the victims and there will always be those who think she had many opportunities to get away if she really wanted to (was she really so scared?). And Del Harding, the reporter who covered the case from the beginning has said: "Based on my extensive personal knowledge of the case, I have NO doubt at all that she was guilty."

It's really hard to fathom that a 13/14yo girl would plan and participate in the murder of her own baby sister, mother, step-father & 7 other innocent people, but we've sure seen the same thing posted and talked about here more than once (teenagers killing for inheritance or because the parent/s won't let them be with their 'one true love').

Then again, there's no question that Charles was a hard case sociopath. Caril could have been scared of him and had no idea what he was planning/doing. A guy like him would be a hard person for a young girl to stand up against.

 

[Bobbisangel]

There is a made for TV movie about this whole case. Starkweather was a real creep that had a passion for killing I thought. I don't see how Carol couldn't have known that he had murdered her family. They didn't approve of him and he murdered them. They stayed at her house for a few days. Where did she think her parents and baby sister were if they weren't dead? Carol went so far as putting a note on the outside of the front door...according to the movie anyway...saying that her mother has the flu so no one could come in and her mom couldn't answer the door. Someone had come over but Carol didn't answer the door.

Why did she got out of prison early? How many years did she serve? It seemed to me she was "in love" with Charles and went along with anything that he wanted to do. He was probably her first love as she was so young. She was an attractive girl in her pictures but he was creepy.

Just like now days with some kids...if the parents don't want you to date a certain guy or if they think that you are to young...get rid of your parents.

 

[kline]

There is a book about the case called 'Caril' written by a former reporter..this book sparked Bruce Springsteeen's inspiration for his 'Nebraska' album.
The above mentioned tv movie was pretty accurate.I beleive it was called 'Murder In the Heartland'
Crime Library also has apretty indepth section on the murder spree.
Facinating case.

 

[Snick1946]

http://journalstar.com/news/local/9...cle_e4af669e-eec2-5cbd-8ca3-a42e87cd4ec4.html

55 years later, this case still is divisive for many in Nebraska, just look at the comments. Not sure how I feel about her but in any case am not happy to hear this happened and hope she can recover,

 

[STANDREID]

My own opinion is that she was most probably involved in some of the murders but she is the only one left who knows for sure. I remember when they were on the loose and in the news and people around here were frightened by rumors that they were on their way to Illinois. At the time, I was 12 years old.

 

[wfgodot]

Starkweather's ex-girlfriend Caril Fugate, who went along on 1958 killing spree critically injured in wreck. (omaha.com)

LINCOLN — Her name still evokes heated emotions more than 55 years after she accompanied her boyfriend on a killing spree that terrorized Nebraska.
---

article at the link

 

[Herding Cats]

I have some problems with Fugate's conviction, inasmuch as there were some interesting things (like the note for 'help' in her pocket when arrested) that most folks don't know about; not to mention her age at the time of the crimes.

She served the time she was given. She picked up what pieces were left, and moved on. She married, had a career, and is now an elderly woman who just lost her husband in a horrific car accident...and she's laying in critical condition in the hospital.

No matter how you feel about her conviction, she did as the law demanded. I hope she makes it through this accident.

Best-
Herding Cats

 

[JerseyGirl]

'Starkweather' tells true crime tale at Florence theater

http://www.omaha.com/go/starkweathe...cle_ef5bb3eb-3adc-5d8f-8319-4275ded9af5f.html

 

[SStrues]

My father was a probation officer when Charles and Caril went on the killing spree. He met her after she was taken into custody and always said she was stone cold evil. According to him, she knew what was going on the whole time and probably orchestrated the murder of her family. Recently she was in a car accident that left her in ICU - but I don’t know the specifics.

 

[MajorHoople]

Below are a few recent news articles about Charles Starkweather

Photos: The Starkweather case

posted Feb 27, 2020

Photos: The Starkweather case