From Heir to Kidnapper: The $200,000 Downfall of Carl Austin Hall

In a shocking tale of greed and desperation, Carl Austin Hall, the son of a prosperous Kansas attorney, squandered a $200,000 inheritance within just four years. John Hall, the patriarch, had made his fortune in Pleasanton, Kansas, and passed away in 1946. But his son’s lavish spending spree would ultimately lead him down a dark path of crime.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Hall went from being considered the ‘nerd’ or ‘well-behaved’ son to a notorious kidnapper. His crimes date back to at least 1951, when he was charged with armed robbery in Kingman, Kansas. However, he fled to Kansas City, where he would commit another heinous crime that would seal his fate.

On October 19, 1951, Hall was arrested in Kansas City on suspicion of holding up eight taxi drivers. He pleaded guilty to robbing two of the drivers, admitting to earning a paltry $33 in the process. He was sentenced to five years in the Missouri State Prison, where he would serve time for his crimes.

But Hall’s crimes did not end there. Just 10 days after his arrest, he would commit the unthinkable: the kidnapping of six-year-old Bobby Greenlease. The ransom collection and subsequent confession would be the final act in Hall’s life of crime.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a detailed account of Hall’s life of crime, which was climaxed by his confession. According to the report, Hall planned the kidnapping and collected the ransom after burying the dead boy just a few hours after he was abducted.

Today, the case of Carl Austin Hall serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked greed and the devastating consequences of a life of crime.