Charles Starkweather was born on November 24, 1938 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Starkweather, although poor, grew up in a loving home. But at school, Starkweather had problems. Teased by his classmates, he developed his physical strength through gymnastics. The teasing stopped when others saw Starkweather as tough.
At 16, Starkweather quit school and focused, not on work, but on his then-13-year-old girlfriend, Caril Fugate Starkweather wanted to financially support Caril and himself. To do this, he took a job as a garbage collector. However, this job did not pay well, and Starkweather became jealous of the rich whose trash he picked up. He took his jealousy and turned into a misguided plan. To become rich, he would rob the gas station that had refused to give him credit. On December 1, 1957, Starkweather, after visiting the gas station twice, returned for a third time. After disguising himself, Starkweather ordered Robert Colbert, the attendant, to open the cash drawer. He made about $100.00, mostly in change from the robbery, but Starkweather, claiming that Colbert, a husband and soon-to-be father, attempted to take his gun, shot Colbert twice, once in the head.
Starkweather did not hide his crime from his girlfriend, although he tried to tell her that somebody else shot Colbert. Fugate did not believe Starkweather, yet despite her disbelief, she did not break up with him. By late January, the reality of being poor along with constantly fighting with Fugate's parents, hit Starkweather hard. As a result, he borrowed a.22 rifle and allegedly decided to confront Fugate's parents. This confrontation turned into a blood bath and began Starkweather's and Fugate's killing spree.
After killing Fugate's mother, father, and baby half-sister, Starkweather and Fugate inexplicably did not flee.They shoved the bodies into the family outhouse, cleaned up the blood, and remained in the house for almost a week. Starkweather and Fugate finally fled after Fugate's brother-in-law searched the property and found the bodies. On January 27, 1958, Starkweather and Fugate decided to hide out at the farm of family friend, August Meyer. No one knows for sure why Starkweather shot Meyer, although Starkweather claimed it was self-defense. Starkweather and Fugate stole Meyer's guns and money, and since their car was stuck in the mud, they hitched a ride from two teenagers Robert Jensen and Carol King. Starkweather forced the two teens to drive Fugate and him back to Meyer's farm, robbed them, then led them to the cellar. Fugate supposedly remained inthe car while Starkweather killed both teens.
The murder spree continued even as a major manhunt convened. Driving Jensen's car, the couple returned to Lincoln.Starkweather and Fugate forced their way into the home of industrialist C. Lauer Ward and his wife Clara. There, while Caril presumably slept, Starkweather shot and killed Clara, her maid, her husband, and broke the neck of the family dog.
Starkweather and Fugate fled back to Fugate's house. They decided to steal a car belonging to Merle Collison, whom they killed, but when Starkweather and Fugate tried to leave they could not release the emergency brake. When a Wyoming deputy sheriff pulled to the side of the road, Fugate jumped out of the car and ran to the deputy for help. Starkweather began driving in reverse to escape, but suddenly stopped and got out of the car.After believing he had been shot, Starkweather, bleeding from a cut on his ear, gave up.
In late January of 1958, Starkweather and Fugate were charged with first degree murder and murder while committing a robbery. Starkweather chose to be extradited to Nebraska. Thus, in Nebraska, in May of 1958, Starkweather's trial began. Although his lawyers pleaded insanity, Starkweather said he was not. Starkweather was found guilty and sentenced to death. On June 25,1959, after 17 months in jail, he was executed.
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