On September 25, 1937, retired Chicago executive Charles Sherman Ross and his friend and former secretary, Florence Freihage, were driving to Ross’s home when their car was forced to stop by another motorist. As they came to a stop, John Henry Seadlund rushed to their car with a gun drawn. He took Ross from his car, leaving Freihage behind, returned to the trailing car driven by James Atwood Gray, and sped off.
Gray, Seadlund, and their captive fled into Wisconsin and then to a remote wooded area near Emily, Minnesota. From there, they began an elaborate series of ransom communications with Ross’s family.
On October 8, $50,000 ransom was paid. Two days later, Seadlund shot and killed Gray and Ross in Wisconsin and buried them. He then traveled west. Subsequent investigation found that over the next three months, Seadlund traveled around the country.
On October 19, Ross’s wife contacted law enforcement, who were heretofore unaware of the crime. The FBI traced the ransom money to the Santa Anita racetrack in California. A sting set up there led to Seadlund’s arrest on January 14, 1938.
Seadlund, who had a lengthy criminal record, provided a full confession on January 17. He pleaded guilty to a violation of the federal kidnapping statute on February 28, 1938. He was found guilty and sentenced to death on March 16, 1938.
His appeal was subsequently rejected and John Henry Seadlund was executed in the electric chair in Chicago on July 14, 1938.
The Federal Death Penalty Project 