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Alvin "Creepy" Karpis was a well-known gangster in the 1930's. His partners consisted of the Barker brothers, their mother and other associates.
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Kidnapped William Hamm in 1933. Left a ransom note asking for $100,000.
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This method was first used in this case to life latent fingerprints.
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The FBI used a latent fingerprint identification method to raise fingerprints found on the ransom note.
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The gang kidnapped a second victim, Edward George Bremer Jr. The gang asked for $200,000 in the ransom note.
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Bremer was released since his family paid $200,000.
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After the kidnapping, the gang broke up. Some of the members went to Cuba. Some members had plastic surgery to cover up their fingerprints. Other members exchanged the money back and forth.
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Fred Barker and Harry Campbell used fake names to check in at the El Commodre Hotel in Miami. Kate "Ma" Barker (Fred's mother) helped them with their crimes.
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The Barker's moved into a friend's cottage near Lake Weir.
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Arthur "Doc" Barker was located by Bureau investigators to a house in Chicago.
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Doc was arrested without incident. Later that night, another member of the gang, Russell Gibson, was apprehended along with his associates. Gibson wore a bullet-proof vest and had a shoot-out with the police. He got killed. Firearms and ammunition was found and a map of the cottage in Florida circled.
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Agents surrounded the house. There was a shoot-out for about a hour. Gunshots ended, Ma and Fred were dead
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Alvin "Creepy" Karpis was arrested in New Orleans. FBI founder, Hoover, escorted Alvin during his arrest.
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Karpis pled guilty in St. Paul, Missouri. He spent time in jails around the U.S. such as Alcatraz.
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Alvin was paroled in 1969
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Alvin died
