Digging up the grave of gangster John Dillinger may be a tough job for crews.
Credit: AP
Captured desperado John Dillinger, wearing vest, strikes a jaunty pose with prosecutor Robert Estill in what would become an infamous image at the Crown Point, Ind., jailhouse, Feb. 1934. (AP Photo)
INDIANAPOLIS — The body of notorious 1930s gangster John Dillinger is expected to be exhumed in September at an Indianapolis cemetery but it could be a tough job because his grave is encased in concrete.
Digging up the remains more than 85 years after Dillinger was killed by FBI agents also could resolve conspiracy theories that the man some considered a hero during the Great Depression isn't buried in his marked grave, said Susan Sutton, a historian with the Indiana Historical Society. Among the tales is that Dillinger's family tricked the FBI into shooting the wrong man.
The Indiana State Department of Health approved a permit July 3 sought by Dillinger's nephew, Michael C. Thompson, to have the body exhumed from Crown Hill Cemetery and reinterred there.
The permit doesn't give a reason for the request, and Thompson couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Indiana health department spokeswoman Jeni O'Malley said that based on the permit, the agency expects Dillinger's body will be exhumed and reinterred on Sept. 16 — the date listed on the document.
But digging up Dillinger's grave might prove a difficult task because days after his son's funeral, Dillinger's father had the casket reburied under a protective cap of concrete and scrap iron topped by four reinforced-concrete slabs, Sutton said.
"I think they're going to have a hard time getting through that," Sutton said.
The reason for the concrete-encased grave was to thwart would-be vandals, she said, citing "Crown Hill: History, Spirit, and Sanctuary," a 2013 book the historical society published about the cemetery's history.
"The main fear was that someone would come in and dig up the grave and either desecrate the corpse or steal it," Sutton said. "The Dillingers had actually been offered money to 'lend out' his body for exhibits, so they were concerned."
The Indianapolis-born Dillinger was one of America's most notorious criminals. The FBI says Dillinger's gang killed 10 people as they pulled off a bloody string of bank robberies across the Midwest in the 1930s.
Dillinger was never convicted of murder and he was lauded by some for robbing banks during the Great Depression as many Americans lost their homes and farms to foreclosure, Sutton said.
Credit: AP
Captured desperado John Dillinger, wearing vest, strikes a jaunty pose with prosecutor Robert Estill in what would become an infamous image at the Crown Point, Ind., jailhouse, Feb. 1934. (AP Photo)
"So somebody who had, as maybe people would say now — 'Stuck it to the banker' — would easily become a folk hero," she said. "He was also known by some people to be very polite even while he was stealing. It's an odd combination."
Dillinger was awaiting trial in the slaying of an East Chicago police officer when he escaped from jail in Crown Point, Indiana, in March 1934 with a gun carved out of wood. While on the run, he underwent plastic surgery to alter his face and was said to have tried to remove his fingerprints with acid.
Dillinger, who was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2009 movie "Public Enemies," was fatally shot in July 1934 by FBI agents outside the Biograph theater in Chicago after he was betrayed by a woman who became known in the papers as the "Lady in Red."
Credit: AP
This April 20, 2016 photo shows the gravesite of John Dillinger, a famous Depression-era gangster, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis.
Crown Hill Cemetery spokeswoman Crystal King said the cemetery has no information about the plans to exhume Dillinger, whose tomb is an attraction at the hilltop graveyard on Indianapolis' near north side.
Messages seeking comment were also left Tuesday for Jeffery Scalf, whose grandmother was Dillinger's half-sister, and for Savanah Light, the funeral director whose name is listed on the permit.
FAQs
He is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, and it is reported that two-and-a-half tons of concrete were placed on the coffin due to fear that attempts might be made by "ghouls" to steal his body. In July, the Indiana State Department of Health approved a request from Dillinger's nephew to exhume the famous criminal's body.
What did Dillinger say when he died? ›
Fatally wounded, Dillinger collapsed onto the ground. In the 2009 film Public Enemies, Dillinger muttered “bye, bye, blackbird,” as he died. Though the FBI claimed that the gangster said nothing, it's been rumored that John Dillinger's last words were actually, “You got me.”
How much money did Dillinger steal? ›
Dillinger was paroled in 1933 and began a crime spree across the Midwest, stealing more than $300,000 in the course of a year until he was gunned down by the FBI in 1934 outside a Chicago theater.
Did they ever find John Dillinger? ›
On January 25, 1934, Dillinger and his gang were captured in Tucson, Arizona. Dillinger was extradited to Indiana and escorted back by Matt Leach, the Chief of the Indiana State Police.
Where is John Derringer buried? ›
Did they ever exhume John Dillinger? ›
The window to appeal that decision was January 15th, but the Dillinger family instead opted to abandon their exhumation efforts.
What did John Dillinger whisper? ›
As Dillinger lay dying on the pavement, onlookers reportedly dipped handkerchiefs into his blood for souvenirs, and the police had to be called to secure the area. While it's been rumored that Dillinger's last words were, "You got me," the FBI actually reported that he had no last words.
Who did John Dillinger love? ›
In Indiana, John Dillinger met Beryl Hovious at a party, and they quickly fell in love and got married in April 1924, even though Beryl was still underage. They started their life together at Beryl's family home, and John eventually found a job at a furniture store.
Who was Dillinger with when he was killed? ›
Anna Sage and Polly Hamilton were with John Dillinger the night he was killed. Sage, the legendary "Woman in Red," was actually wearing an orange skirt and white blouse. Born in Romania in 1892, she immigrated to America in 1909 with her first husband, Michael Chiolak.
Who was John Dillinger's best friend? ›
He secretly helped other men meet their quotas, and made many friends, his closest ones being Harry Pierpont and Homer Van Meter. Dillinger's wife and family visited him frequently. He wrote often, and his letters were full of warmth and affection.
Ana Cumpănaș or Anna Sage, nicknamed Woman in Red (1889 – April 25, 1947), was a Romanian prostitute and brothel owner in the American cities of Chicago and Gary, Indiana. She is best known for having assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in tracking down gangster John Dillinger.
What movie did John Dillinger see before he was shot? ›
At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton strolled into the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in "Manhattan Melodrama." Purvis phoned Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph. Cowley also phoned Hoover for instructions.
Who was the man who shot John Dillinger? ›
Charles Batsell "Charlie" Winstead (May 25, 1891 – August 3, 1973) was an FBI agent in the 1930s–40s, famous for being one of the agents (along with Clarence Hurt and Herman "Ed" Hollis) who shot and killed John Dillinger on July 22, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois.
Who trapped John Dillinger? ›
Melvin Horace Purvis II (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an FBI agent instrumental in capturing bank robbers John Dillinger and Pretty Boy Floyd in 1934. All of this would later overshadow his military career which saw him directly involved with General George Patton, Hermann Göring, and the Nuremberg Trials.
Can you visit John Dillinger's grave? ›
This very popular walking tour includes the sections just north of the Waiting Station, which is a part of the cemetery not regularly covered on other walking tours. Bank robber John Dillinger's grave will, of course, be one of our destinations.
Where did John Dillinger bury his money? ›
During the shootout, Dillinger escaped out the backdoor with his suitcase filled with cash. According to legend he ran 500 yards north into the woods and dug a hole near two pines and an oak and buried the suitcase.
Where was John Dillinger's hideout? ›
Our Chicago office received a call about 10 o'clock on the Sunday morning of April 22nd that John Dillinger and several of his confederates were hiding out at a small vacation lodge in Northern Wisconsin, a place called Little Bohemia in a town near Manitowish.
