Post by Michael on Feb 18, 2020 10:08:01 GMT -5
Placed in the Archives by Admin For lurp173
[Originally Created on 02-16-20]
John Condon
Michael, I always enjoy reading your posts on Condon. No one has done more research on Condon's activities in the LKC than you. You have certainly provided the research that documents Condon's deceptions and lying in this case. I agree with you that Condon could certainly have been charged with Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy to Commit Extortion.I agree with you that Condon could certainly have been charged with Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy to Commit Extortion. However, one has to always evaluate the individual's motives and level of criminal intent. For what it is worth, I'll give you my current two cents on Condon, and I will try not to be too long winded on it.
To me, Condon was a product of his time, being born, raised and coming of age in the 19th century. There is virtually no one today who can even vaguely relate to the 1800"s. Our culture has changed so very, very much. Condon was definitely vain, pompous, full of self importance, etc., etc., but I believe he probably thought of himself as a Don Quixote knight ready to take on the windmills of his time. He was an educated man, intelligent with an educational career. No matter how he actually got initially connected with the extortionists/kidnappers, I believe that his motive at the beginning was to be the knight in shining armour, and to be the one to "place the kidnapped child in the arms of its mother". In his mind, it would make him a national hero and it would also be financially rewarding to him in the long run.
However, Condon had zero "street smarts" and he was completely at the mercy of the extortionists from the very start. As I believe Lightningjew stated in his last post, Condon was duped from the get go. These street smart extortionists just ate his lunch. Most "normal" people have never gone face to face with a street smart hood (I know that you have Michael), and normal people outside of law enforcement just don't know how they can take someone like Condon and just destroy him (Hauptmann had tons of street smarts in my book). Condon's illusions of grandeur ended very quickly at his first meeting with CJ. From that very first meeting, Condon knew that the child was dead and that he (Condon) had placed himself right in the middle of a murder case that could have extremely dire consequences for him. The extortioists had Condon exactly where they wanted him right from jump street. They knew someone like Condon would panic and thereby provide them with protection from law enforcement and also help in obtaining the ransom money from Lindbergh.
From this first meeting with CJ, Condon was now starting his pattern of lies and deceptions to protect the extortionists from being apprehended by law enforcement. Whether it was inventing false physical descriptions of CJ (deformed thumb, inaccurate sketch, made-up footprint) or removing the valuable $20,000 from the ransom payment that could be more easily traced, Condon just wanted this whole thing to be over by allowing the extortionists to get their money and fade away. I believe that Condon thought that if he could just help the extortionists get away safely they would never be caught, and the child's body would never be found. To him this whole thing would just fade away over time and his reputation (and perhaps his very freedom) would be preserved. Condon certainly knew that law enforcement and even Lindbergh were getting very suspicious of him.
Condon had naively involved himself with street smart criminals who were WAY over his head, and like many people in this situation he panicked. I think his worse day was when Hauptmann was arrested after all of that time, Condon knew that Hauptmann was CJ and he had no idea what Hauptmann would say to law enforcement. It didn't take Condon too long to assess that if he didn't I.D. Hauptmann, law enforcement was going to take him (Condon) down with Hauptmann. It was totally inexcusable that law enforcement didn't come down on Condon with a ton of bricks much, much earlier in the investigation. In my view he didn't need to be charged, but he needed to see the full wrath of law enforcement back in 1932.
I did get long winded in this--my apologies. At the moment these are my views on Condon. He was totally guilty of Obstruction, but his motive very quickly became attempting to save his own buttocks from prison or worse.
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