Agatha Christie’s book, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, originally called “Murder on the Calais Coach”, and featuring the incredible deductive powers of her most famous sleuth, Hercule Poirot, has been brought to the silver screen yet again. The premise of the story is the murder of a passenger on the train as it travels to Istanbul. It is discovered that the victim is the notorious Edward Ratchett, accused kidnapper and murderer of Daisy Armstrong, baby daughter of Col. Armstrong, an American hero and celebrity. As Poirot questions the other passengers, one of whom must have done the deed, the web of deceit and links of each to the victim are revealed.
The story is loosely based on the kidnapping of baby Charles Lindbergh, son of Charles Lindbergh who made the first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight from L.I. to Paris in 1927. Bruno Hauptmann was arrested, tried, convicted and executed for the crime, but many questions and loose ends remain. The media referred to this as the Crime of the Century. H.L. Menken referred to it as “The greatest story since the Resurrection”.
Christie’s novel is so neatly tied up at the end, unlike the Lindbergh kidnapping. This inspired me to create and present an investigation into the aspects of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh, Jr., the subsequent criminal investigation, apprehension of Hauptmann, and his trial, as well as the media coverage and the link to “Murder on the Orient Express”.
See my lecture series below.
Title: FAMOUS FORENSIC SCIENCE CASES
Subtitle: In the News and in Literature
Presenter: Linda Maria Frank, Author of the Annie Tillery Mystery Series and Teacher of Forensic Science (ret.)
Contact: lmf217@hotmail.com 516 798 0341
Follow the Clues that Inspire the Crime Solvers and Snare the Criminals
- DNA TECHNOLOGY includes an explanation of how we are related and how we are different by our DNA, and illustrates how this technology has become one of the best tools of criminologists.
- DNA AND FAMOUS MURDER CASES outlines how DNA analysis was used and misused in the O.J. Simpson trial, the Laci and Connor Petersen murders, the Sam Sheppard trial, and the Boston Strangler.
- THE LINDBERG KIDNAPPING traces the evidence used to convict Bruno Hauptman of the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindberg, Jr. This was the first case dubbed the “Crime of the Century” by the print and radio media.
- SOLVING ANCIENT MYSTERIES This lecture illustrates how modern forensic techniques are used to solve mysteries of the past, such as Otzi, the Ice Man, the Bog People of Denmark, the Peruvian mummies and even the vampire folklore of Eastern Europe.
- PLANTS, POISONS AND PLOTS not only includes illustrations of the various plant poisons and their uses or misuses, but illustrates how famous mystery writers have employed them in their books.
- ART, NOT ART – This program explains how art pieces are scientifically authenticated, using examples from the art world, and delving into the world of art fraud. Famous cases of art theft, such as the Nazi atrocities regarding art works during WWII are described.
- THOSE CSI SHOWS, FACT OR FICTION investigated the protocols, procedures and laboratory world or crime investigation in the real world and on TV.
Linda Maria Frank, retired from a career teaching science, including forensic science, resides on Long Island and is currently writing the Annie Tillery Mysteries, The Madonna Ghost, Girl with Pencil, Drawing and Secrets in the Fairy Chimneys. She also produces The Writer’s Dream, her local access TV show, seen on YouTube. Frank is active in LI Authors Group, LI Sisters in Crime, LI Children’s Writers and Illustrators, and Mystery Writers of America.
Annie Tillery Mysteries 
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