DA's 'Smear' Should Nix Conviction: 'Rockefeller'

(NEWSER) - A Boston jury found the con man known as Clark Rockefeller guilty of kidnapping and assault today in the abduction of his young daughter last year, the Boston Herald reports. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced this afternoon. The jury found him not guilty of using a false name—he was born Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter in Germany—and on a lesser assault charge. His lawyers had mounted an insanity defense, which almost never succeeds in Massachusetts. More»

Sandra Boss 'thought we had a lot in common'

(NEWSER) - The ex-wife of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter—aka “Clark Rockefeller”—testified today that the accused con artist was “charming” and “very intelligent” when they first met, but quickly became domineering and unpredictable, the Boston Herald reports. In her first public remarks since Gerhartsreiter allegedly kidnapped their daughter, Sandra Boss said she believed her husband’s made-up back-story and described how they met at a theme party. More»

Defendant's name(s) at issue as jury readies for kidnapping case

(NEWSER) - A Boston court saw the selection yesterday of 11 of the 16 jurors needed to begin the trial of Clark Rockefeller. Or of Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter. Or of "the defendant," as the judge calls him. The mystery man is on trial for kidnapping his daughter, and because he's also charged with giving police a false name, the issue is a serious one, reports the Boston Herald. More»

Regret at losing his 'one true thing' led to kidnapping

(NEWSER) - How did a German student reinvent himself as the creepy Clark Rockefeller? After lifting the drawl and manner of the millionaire on Gilligan’s Island, accused kidnapper Christian Gerhartsreiter embarked on a 30-year con, Mark Seal recounts in Vanity Fair. He became a suspect in a double murder, charmed his way into Wall Street jobs, and hoodwinked Boston society—before his daughter came along. More»

(AP) - A German man who called himself Clark Rockefeller and spun fantastic stories about himself during 3 decades in the US was sentenced today to 4 to 5 years for kidnapping his 7-year-old daughter. Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter was convicted of parental kidnapping today for taking the girl during a supervised visit and of assault for injuries suffered by the social worker who was with them. More»