Criminal trials become famous for a variety of reasons. In the 1920s the Sacco and Vanzetti trial and execution prompted demonstrations and violent riots around the globe and divided opinion in the U.S. The kidnapping of the son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh in the 1930s similarly caused outrage and horror and led to the passing of the Federal Kidnapping Act. As for the trials of Dr. Sam Sheppard in the 1950s, it was the weakness of his alibi in the murder of his pregnant wife that drew so much attention, while in the 1940s John George Haigh's method of dissolving the bodies of his victims in sulphuric acid had Britain captivated. This book describes these and other fascinating cases––many re-examined to surprising effect with the latest advances in detection and forensics.
