Caril Ann Fugate was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 31, 1943. She was the 14 year old girlfriend of Charlie Starkweather. On January 21, 1958, Fugate later claimed to have come home to find that Starkweather had shot and killed Marion Bartlett, her stepfather, and her mother Velda. Starkweather then choked and stabbed her baby half-sister Betty Jean to death.
The two then went on a killing spree. This brief period of time was terrifying for the people in southeast Nebraska. I was only 22 months old and have no memory of it, but my parents do.
Caril claimed unsuccessfully that she was his hostage and not responsible for any of the killings. Starkweather was executed on June 25, 1959. This is very fast compared to the length of time today before all appeals are finished in any death penalty case. I'm not sure that Caril wouldn't be acquitted today. The trials were held very quickly and we have a different understanding of hostages and the Stockholm syndrome. She has always maintained her innocence. She was released from prison in 1976.
She is clearly a famous Nebraskan but not in a good way. She is a member of Nebraska Nellie's Hall of Shame. Today she turns 67.
Nebraska Nellie
And since you are a movie buff, the Starkweather killings were the inspiration for the movie Badlands, which was Martin Sheen's breakthrough role.
ReplyDeleteI can not believe the people who actually believed her. She lived in her home where 3 people were shot and beaten to death.....and she didn't notice the blood.... or the smell coming from the outbuilding where the bodies of her parents and baby sister lay? You're right, she probably would have been found innocent today, due to early potty training or too many twinkies or abuse by the evil parents who wanted her to stop seeing Starkweather. People, take a reality pill for a change.
ReplyDeleteThe movie Badlands was not just inspired by the Starkweather killings, it is the story of the killings.
ReplyDeleteAnd at the person who said they cant believe someone would think she was telling the truth. This was in 1958 and she was 14 fucking years old. She did jump out of the car and run to a man asking for the police and crying. Many women held against their will by someone.
There wasn't any MTV or crappy gangsta rap videos inducing people to act crazy. It would be very unusual for a girl so young, raised on a farm in Nebraska in the 50's to do something like this. She wasn't Bonnie from Bonnie and Clyde.
Here here! I concur with Ms. Oleson. It is those that disbelieve Ms. Fugate's profession of innocence who are in need of a "reality pill"! So... okay, "here" is reality.....you're a 14 year old girl, and you are taken hostage with your entire family threatened (which are now missing). You are forced to go for a ride which, under duress, you comply. You then proceed to go through 8 days of hell where you witness, directly or indirectly, multiple murders. Now, not only do you fear for your family's lives but your own as well. You're 14!!! You're scared shitless!!! That's why you don't try to escape! You finally do get your chance and you run like hell...and you see nutcase get captured by the law. You feel MAJOR relief! But................when you return to town and expect everything to return to somewhat normal again......surprise!!! Not only do you find out that nutcase lied to you and actually killed your whole family, but you also discover that everyone's blaming you too! Come on people, think!!!
DeleteA 14 year old in this situation goes into shock! They are utterly dizzy with shock, rage, confusion, sorrow and loss. You wouldn't know whether to spit or wind your watch if you were faced with such brutally harsh circumstances! How can you say that she should have acted this way or that way, or imply that her behavior and demeanor was in some way inappropriate? Rarely is a 14 year old's demeanor ever appropriate, and that goes without even adding these horribly tragic circumstances! You forget.......not only was she a victim too, but she was the victim who suffered the most out of all of them. She lost HER ENTIRE FAMILY! Then she suffered the humiliation of false accusation before the entire nation. Then she was forced to spend what would have been the best years of her life, behind bars.
This woman is 100% innocent. The accusers of Ms. Fugate do not have one shred of solid evidence to back up their distorted and biased beliefs! Nothing but the testimony of a known and proven nutcase!
So I guess that sums it up.......birds of a feather flock together!
I think if you are famous but not in a good way are you not infamous?
ReplyDeleteIndeed you are correct.
Deletebunny olesen.yeah right? then why didnt she try to escape before? i mean it wasnt until she knew they were caught she ran crying playing the victim to save her own skin.i dont see how she can be seen as innocent she even admitted she was present when her family were murdered and even admitted to holding a "410 shotgun on a couple in a car while robbing them of $4"
ReplyDeleteplus the fact she didnt really seem to care her family were murdered and so were other people.in interviews all she talked about is herself and about how she is forever doomed.she didnt seem to give a damn about the victims only her self.
so what if she was 14? She was a manipulative rebellious teengaer full of rage which you can tell by interviews i believe she is guilty
She didn't try to escape before because she thought her family was being held somewhere and if she didn't cooperate, they'd be killed. He cleaned up the blood. The smell? The bodies were stuffed into a chicken coop and an outhouse. Good luck smelling decomposition over, I don't know, more decomposition? She ran when she found out her family had already been killed. She never admitted to being there when her family was killed, according to court records. Her attendance at school that day and the fact she walked home from school with a friend prove she wasn't. So what actual evidence do you have other than rumours and bad reporting? I wish people would actually research something before popping off on the internet. Life isn't a vacuum.As for her "not caring" about the victims? She's done several interviews where she's lamented the victims. Perhaps it's the poor quality of interviews you're watching. News and shows will only air what is popular,not necessarily the truth. There is such a thing as cuts and editing.
ReplyDeleteShe was 14. Come on. Whether she was a participant or a hostage doesn't really matter. I'd say she was way too young to act "right" or realize the consequences of her actions, either way.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting story, very interesting comments.
ReplyDelete