Among the American killers there are those whose crimes are striking in their cruelty and meaninglessness, composure and ruthlessness. The figure of Caryl Fugate stands out even against their background. Judging by the photo, this pretty girl was only 14 years old when she took a direct part in the execution of more than 10 people and served a substantial sentence for first-degree murders. We will get acquainted with her biography in order to try to figure out what caused this act.
A family
Caryl Ann Fugate was born in 1943 in Nebraska, in the city of Lincoln. Little is known about her childhood, we only know that she lived with her stepfather Marion Bartlett, mother Velda and her younger half-sister, Betty Jean.
At 13, the girl connected her fate with Charles Starkweather, which was a fateful event for herself and her family.
Starkweather personality
Charles was 18 years old when he met Caryl Fugate, he had a nihilistic outlook on life, dropped out of school and made a living in a warehouse where he served as a loader. Starkweather’s friend, Bob von Bush, later described him as a very cheerful and charming guy, ready for anything for his friends. His whole life seemed to him one continuous joke. But a school friend already noticed that often in the behavior of Charles slipped cruelty, envy of those whose well-being was better than his own. So, Starkweather could fight in the street with a young man who was well dressed.
Life did not spoil the young man much. He was born in a poor working family, his father was a carpenter, but because of health problems he often did not have the opportunity to work, his mother worked as a waitress. Despite a bleak childhood, Charles later very positively characterized his family and said that this was the best time in his life.
However, elementary school education changed his personality. Classmates often scoffed at a young man who, due to a birth injury, noticeably limped and did not speak well, stuttered. Charles did not achieve much success at school, although he became interested in gymnastics: doing physical exercises, he gave vent to the anger that had accumulated inside. In adolescence, a strong myopia was also added to Starkweather’s problems.
Relations with Fugate
At the time of his acquaintance with Caril Fugate, Starkweather had fully developed his rebellious views. He was physically strong and could fight back any scoffer, but his early grievances were not forgotten, Charles hated the world and himself. The warehouse where he worked was not far from Caryl's school, so they could see each other quite often. It is interesting that the boss was dissatisfied with the work of the young man and later recalled that he was absolutely inattentive. In order for Starkweather to understand what was required of him, he had to repeat the task 2-3 times.
Charles Starkweather and Caryl Fugate had fun: he taught the girl how to drive a car. During the classes, having lost control, she crashed into another car, and Charles's father had to pay an impressive amount for repairs to its owner. Father and son had a serious quarrel, even had a fight, and Charles left home (according to other sources - his father himself pointed him to the door).
At this moment, Caryl becomes the center of his universe, he thinks about the wedding and children. However, the girl’s parents begin to resist their relationship.
Crime
Starkweather committed his first murder without Caryl, shooting a salesman at a gas station. A few months later, a young man went home to his beloved with a gun to invite her stepfather to hunt. However, the girl’s mother, Velda, was extremely negative towards him and said that they were not welcomed to Charles anymore in their house. Then there are 2 versions of the development of events:
- Starkweather himself assured that he waited for Caryl, they again tried to talk with Velda, who began to yell at Charles and even attacked him. When an angry Marion burst into the room, Starkweather shot him. Then he killed the girl’s mother by shooting in the face, and her sister by striking with a butt from a gun.
- The version of Caryl Fugate is a bit different: when she returned home, her mother and stepfather were already killed, and Charles finished off Betty Jean.
After the crimes, the young couple hid the corpses and lived for a week in the house, keeping no one behind the threshold, referring to the flu virus, which supposedly got the whole family sick. However, they realized that there were more and more visitors, and decided to run away. Moreover, at the trial, Caril Fugate herself assured that she was held hostage and did not want to become an accomplice in the criminal activities of Starkweather.
Further rigidity
Trying to escape, the couple committed several more crimes:
- August Mayer, a friend of the Charles family, was shot dead. The reason is not identified.
- Random fellow travelers of the criminal duo died, and if Starkweather admitted to the murder of the young man, he denied his participation in the death of the girl.
- Having decided to make money, young people broke into the house of a wealthy man, where they killed himself, his wife and the maid.
- Finally, the salesman was the last accidental victim - a couple had to change the car.
After that, the young people were detained.
Court
During the investigation, Caryl Fugate assured that she was only a hostage to Starkweather and was forced to help him in fear for her own life. However, they did not believe her. Interestingly, even after many years, she did not plead guilty and assured herself that she was a victim of circumstances. The girl was convicted of two murders of the first degree and sentenced to life imprisonment. Her young man was electrocuted.
After serving 17 years, Fugate was released ahead of schedule for exemplary behavior.
Future life
The biography of Caryl Fugate, the youngest killer in the United States, does not contain more shocking facts. After leaving prison, she changed her last name and began a new life. The former killer worked as a nurse and married a modest worker who died in a car accident in 2013. The woman did not give an interview, trying to return to normal life.