Origins & Early Life

Charles Raymond Starkweather (November 24, 1938 – June 25, 1959) was an American spree killer who committed the fatal shootings of eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between the dates of December 1957 and January 1958, when he was nineteen years old. He killed ten of his victims between January 21 and January 29, 1958, the date of his arrest. During his spree in 1958, Starkweather was accompanied by his fourteen-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate. Both Starkweather and Fugate were convicted on charges for their parts in the homicides; Starkweather was sentenced to death and executed seventeen months after the events.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Fugate served seventeen years in prison, gaining release in 1976. Starkweather's execution by electric chair in 1959 was the last execution in Nebraska until 1994. Criminologists and psychologists have analyzed the Starkweather case in an attempt to understand spree killers' motivations and precipitating factors. It also became notorious as one of the earlier crime scandals that reached national prominence, much like the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's son, with the media outlets covering the case at the time openly condemning Starkweather. His crime spree has endured...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alan Bond — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Australian businessman known for high-profile dealings, the America's Cup, and founding Bond University.
• Albert Fert — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering physicist known for the discovery of giant magnetoresistance.
• Anthony Leggett — Contemporary (Born in 1938) (1938): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for work on superfluidity and low-temperature quantum systems.
• Ahlam Mosteghanemi — Contemporary (Born in 1959) (1959): Pioneering Algerian poet and novelist celebrated for her evocative Arabic literature.
• Anil Kapoor — Contemporary (Born in 1959) (1959): Veteran Indian actor and film producer known for over four decades in Hindi cinema.
• Ante Pavelić — Contemporary (Died in 1959) (1959): Croatian politician and dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945)
• Arundhati Roy — Shared historical date (11-24 · Born) (1961): Acclaimed Indian author and vocal human rights activist.
• Baruch Spinoza — Shared historical date (11-24 · Born) (1632): Radical philosopher of the Dutch Golden Age, known for his pantheistic metaphysics.
• Alexei Abrikosov (physicist) — Shared historical date (06-25 · Born) (1928): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for low-temperature condensed matter physics.
• Antoine-Jean Gros — Shared historical date (06-25 · Died) (1835): Master French painter renowned for historical and grand portraiture subjects.
• 1938 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1938
• November 24 (11-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on November 24
• 1959 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1959
• June 25 (06-25) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 25