CHARLES STARKWEATHER

December 1st, 1957 was the day that bowlegged Charles Starkweather robbed a Lincoln, NE service gas station and took employee Robert Colvert, to an isolated location and shot him in the head. Born on November 24, 1938, “Chuck” or Charlie” attended Saratoga Elementary School where he was made fun of because of his bulky glasses and speech impediment. Eventually he dropped out of high school where he met the love of his life, Caril Ann Fugate. Fugate was born in 1943, and when she was thirteen she was in love with Starkweather.

Despite the 11 murders he committed, Charles was the type of person that was loyal and dedicated to his family and close friends. However, he was also known for getting into fights. Regardless of the rusty red hair and occasional thick rimmed glasses, he had a striking resemblance to James Dean, and Charles himself admired the Hollywood rebel.

Charles was prohibited to see Caril Ann by the Fugate family. On January 21st, 1958, Charles shot Caril Ann’s mother, Velda Barlett, 36, and her step-father, Marion Barlett, 57. The killings also included Caril Ann’s toddler sister, 2 ½, who died from a fractured skull from being beaten to death. When Caril Ann came home from school that day, she and her boyfriend sat back and made lunch as if nothing had happened. They lived in the house for days, as the bodies were hidden in the privy. Relatives were worried and came to the house twice. The couple put up a note on the front door saying “Stay away. Everybody is sick with the flu. –Miss Barlett”. Caril Ann told everyone who came by to leave them alone. Unwillingly they obeyed. The girl’s grandmother knew something was wrong, for her daughter had had a habit of calling her every day, and skipping a week was just too odd. She contacted authorities to investigate, yet they failed to do anything productive. It wasn’t until Marion Barlett’s son- in-law, who was suspicious enough to roam around the backyard of the one-story house, eventually found the bodies.

Four hours earlier, before the discovery of the Fugate family, Caril and Charles drove to a service station to buy gas and bullets. They were on their way to 70 year old Augest Meyer’s farmhouse, a family friend who knew the Starkweathers very well. He had just got into bed when they stopped at his place to stack up on more ammunition and guns. There are two stories to the murder of Augest Meyer. In Caril Ann’s version, Starkweather simply shot him with no warning or reason. Charles said, on the other hand, that Meyer was killed in self-defense. However the story goes, Augest Meyer was an old kind fellow, with absolutely no enemies. His farm was always clean and he "wouldn't hurt a flea", his neighbors would say.

It was a cold and rainy night, and the couple needed somewhere warm to stay but the corpse of Meyer scared Caril Ann to no end, although a blanket was placed over him by Charles. They drove away but once again the Ford had failed to drive in the mud. They came across Robert Jensen and Carol King, a young and noble couple who offered the pair a ride. Charles and Caril Ann robbed them of their money before shooting Jensen six times. Charles claimed it was an act of self-defense. Robert Jensen would no longer go to college or marry his long term girlfriend.

Charles also said that he had made an unsuccessful attempt to rape Carol King. According to the crime scene photos and autopsy, her pants and panties were down to her ankles, coat pulled up over her head, but no traces of semen were found. However stab wounds covered her groin. Caril Ann shot her when she was left to watch Carol King while Charles went to the car. The prom king and queen were hidden in an old abandoned storm cellar in District 79.

The next day Charles drove them to the more wealthy side of town, where he had spent numerous winters shoveling their snow. There he broke into the Ward Family’s mansion. Only the housekeeper and wife were in the house.

Lauer Ward was a wealthy, well-known lawyer in the area. He had become a millionaire at forty-seven, and married his prestigious wife, Clara. The house keeper, Lillian Fencl, and two dogs, Queenie and Suzy made up the Ward family.

The fugitives made themselves comfortable, and allowed the women to do household chores. They switched shifts for napping and watching television. At one point, Mrs. Ward asked to go upstairs to change into a more comfortable pair of sneakers. No one noticed she was gone for more than half an hour until Charles himself checked on her. She shot him with a rifle, and to her demise she completely missed. The teen threw his hunting knife, which landed directly into her back. He then tied up all her limbs together and put a rope in her mouth, and covered her with a sheet on the bed. Even with the loud gunshot the house keeper carried on what she was doing.

It was around 6:00 pm when the husband, Lauer Ward arrived home. Charles was sitting in the kitchen, a gun pointing at the man’s head. Lauer made an attempt to get Charles’ weapon, but that resulted into a fight leading him to topple down the basement stairs. Charles ran after him, before Lauer had possession of the gun. The lawyer made a break for it, and so Charles claimed that he had shot him in the back. Yet, autopsy reveals bullet wounds in Lauer’s throat and skull.

Lauer was running away, so Charles felt the need to shoot him directly in the head, killing him instantly. All three victims in the white two-story house were also stabbed, though Starkweather denied it.

Later when the couple fled, Lauer's cousin, Fred Ward, an almost equally wealthy man, was worried and drove to the mansion. Upon seeing the bodies he phoned the police. Governor Anderson set up military troops, and road blocked highways leading in and out of Lincoln.

The couple was headed to Washington where they'd hide at Charles' brother's place. He had dyed his hair with black shoe polish, making him less noticeable at the gas stations he stopped at. However, he had convinced himself he was close to getting caught, and he had shot a traveling shoe salesman nine times in need of his small truck.

Merle Collison was his name. A father of five at thirty-seven, he didn't make much money driving on the road selling footwear. He was Charles Starkweather's last victim.

The break on the salesman's truck was stuck, and Charles was so frustrated he asked a pedestrian, Joe Sprinkle, for some help. The man saw the bloody corpse in the back seat and managed to get Charles out of the car forcefully. A couple stared at the two men fighting as a deputy pulled up. Caril Ann told the authority figure that Charles had killed a man. Both were captured in January 29, 1958.

Lincoln Star released Charles’ admitted crimes, which included armed robbery, attempted safe burglary or robbery, assault, unlawful transportation of a dead body, forcible entry, mayhem, inciting to riot and disturbing the peace, auto theft, and seventeen other counts.

After numerous trials, Nebraska had its last person die by electrocution on June 25, 1959. Charles was pronounced dead at 12:04 PM and is buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska. Caril Ann, throughout the trials, tried to play as if she was a hostage but failed to do so. Charles even told authorities that the girl beside him was forced to be there.

Caril Ann Fugate is currently serving a life sentence at the Nebraska Center for Women at York. Today, she is known as a “model” prisoner to others living in the same facility. It is hard to imagine that the NNCW is a jail, despite the grassy areas and inmates reading under shady tress, and the playground full of visiting children. The magazines are censored and no make- up is allowed, and as a prison, everyone has lost their freedom. She is unmarried and has no children.

The real events that took place have been retold in cinema and popular culture. Well known movies such as The Sadist and Natural Born Killers were influenced by the Starkweather-Fugate case. Even songs, like Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, tell of the gruesome murders the two teenagers committed.