The 1953 Greenlease kidnapping of six-year-old Robert Cosgrove Greenlease Jr. from Kansas City, Missouri, remains one of America’s most chilling and complex crime stories. This heinous act captivated the nation, not only for the senseless murder of an innocent child but also for the subsequent disappearance of a significant portion of the record $600,000 ransom payment his wealthy family made for his safe return.
The details surrounding the Bobby Greenlease kidnapping reveal a meticulously planned scheme fueled by desperate greed, culminating in a swift and brutal resolution for the perpetrators, yet leaving an enduring mystery regarding the unrecovered funds.
The Greenlease Family: A Portrait of Midwestern Affluence
Born in 1947, Robert “Bobby” Greenlease Jr. was the youngest son of Robert C. and Virginia Greenlease. The family resided in Mission Hills, Kansas, an exclusive suburb of Kansas City, an area synonymous with prosperity. Bobby’s 71-year-old father, Robert C. Greenlease, was a self-made multi-millionaire, owner of one of the nation’s largest Cadillac dealerships. His business empire extended across the Great Plains, from Texas to South Dakota, having been instrumental in introducing General Motors vehicles to the region.
As the Greenlease Cadillac Motor Company flourished, so did the public awareness of the family’s immense wealth. This prominent financial status, unfortunately, made them a prime target. Bobby attended the prestigious Notre Dame de Sion School in nearby Kansas City, Missouri, a detail that would tragically be exploited by his abductors.
The Deceptive Abduction: A Child Entrusted to Killers
On the morning of September 28, 1953, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a woman arrived at Notre Dame de Sion School. She identified herself to Sister Morand as Bobby Greenlease’s aunt, claiming his mother had suffered a heart attack and was at St. Mary’s Hospital. The woman, visibly upset, played her role convincingly. Bobby, seemingly recognizing her or having been prepped to trust such a figure, walked to her without hesitation. Sister Morand observed them leave, the woman’s arm around Bobby’s shoulder, as they entered a taxicab.
The deception was uncovered within the hour. At 11:30 a.m., Sister Marthanna called the Greenlease home to inquire about Mrs. Greenlease’s condition, only to discover she was perfectly fine. Virginia Greenlease immediately contacted her husband, who promptly notified the Kansas City police chief, initiating what would become a massive FBI investigation into the Greenlease kidnapping.
The Abductors’ Trail and Bobby’s Tragic Fate
Willard Pearson Creech, a cab driver, later confirmed he had driven a woman matching the abductor’s description to the school, waited, and then driven her and Bobby to the Katz Drug Store at Westport and Main Streets. There, they transferred to a blue 1952 or 1953 Ford Sedan.
The woman was Bonnie Heady, 41, and her accomplice was Carl Austin Hall, 34. While chatting with Bobby and buying him ice cream, they drove to a secluded farm near Overland Park, Kansas. It was here, before any ransom demand was even made, that Carl Hall, viewing the boy as mere evidence to be disposed of, carried out his horrifying plan. He first attempted to strangle Bobby, but the rope proved too short. He then struck the child, knocking out a front tooth, before fatally shooting him at point-blank range with a .38 caliber revolver. The innocent child died instantly.
The couple then transported Bobby’s body approximately 45 miles to St. Joseph, Missouri, where Hall buried it in Bonnie Heady’s backyard at 1201 South 38th Street. The murder, transport, and burial were all completed before the Greenleases received their first ransom communication.
The Ransom Demands: A Cruel Charade
Hours after the abduction, the Greenlease family received the first ransom letter, postmarked 6:00 p.m. on September 28, 1953. It demanded an unprecedented $600,000 in $20 and $10 bills, to be placed in a duffle bag. This sum represented the largest ransom payment in American history at that time. The kidnappers promised Bobby’s safe return within 24 hours, provided there were no attempts to trick them.
A second letter, postmarked at 9:30 p.m. the same day, contained Bobby Greenlease’s Jerusalem medal, a heartbreaking confirmation that they truly had the boy. This letter reiterated the demand for $600,000 and falsely assured the distraught parents that Bobby was
