The Starkweather Homicides were a series of eleven murders during the 1950s that captured national attention and inspired movies such as “Badlands” and “Natural Born Killers.”

Charlie Starkweather was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on November 24, 1938. He was the third of seven children from a poor family. He often got into fights with other kids in his school and eventually dropped out at age sixteen.

His girlfriend was Caril Ann Fugate, who was five years younger than him. Caril’s parents tried to prevent the couple from being together because they feared that Charlie was a bad influence on their underage daughter. In December 1957, Charles was unemployed and behind on his rent.

On December 1, 1957, Starkweather robbed a Lincoln, Nebraska gas station and abducted the attendant, Robert Colvert. Charlie drove to a secluded location and shot Robert in the head and abdomen.

On January 21, 1958, Caril returned home from school to find that Charlie had gotten into an argument with Caril’s family. Caril’s stepfather, Marion Bartlett, and her mother, Velda Bartlett, were shot in the head. Caril’s two-and-a-half year old sister, Betty Jean, was clubbed to death in her bed. The couple hid the bodies and covered up the crime, living in the house for several days and convincing people the family was ill, until Caril’s suspicious grandmother called the police.

Over the next three days, Starkweather shot and stabbed seven more people to death. Over 1,200 police officers and National Guard members searched for the couple, who were eventually arrested in Wyoming. Charles was electrocuted in Nebraska on June 25, 1959. Caril was sentenced to life in prison, but was paroled in 1976.