Gerhartsreiter, a german immigrant, masqueraded as a member of the famous. The reason for gerhartsreiters sudden dash from california is revealed. He was christian karl gerhartsreiter, a 47yearold german. The man who became infamous as clark rockefeller grew up christian karl gerhartsreiter in the small, picturesque town of bergen, germany. Christian karl gerhartsreiter pulled off one of the most audacious cons in recent history. Apr 12, 2017 the film tells the true story of christian karl gerhartsreiter, an imposter who conned his way into various jobs on wall street as well as a marriage posing as a member of the rockefeller. The film tells the true story of christian karl gerhartsreiter, an imposter who conned his way into various jobs on wall street as well as a marriage posing as a member of the rockefeller. Jul 10, 2011 photographs of christian karl gerhartsreiter, also known as clark rockefeller. Photographs of christian karl gerhartsreiter, also known as clark rockefeller. Bostonians are by now familiar with the strange tale of the german fabulist christian karl gerhartsreiter, who for two decades fooled everyone around him, including his wife, into believing he was.
What didnt make headlines was the fact that over the 12 years he pretended to be a rockefeller, gerhartsreiter assembled an impressive of abstractexpressionist art all of it fakes. Aug 15, 20 clark rockefellerne christian karl gerhartsreiterhas been sentenced to 27 years to life in prison for the 1985 murder of john sohus, who vanished from san marino in february 1985, as did. Apr 11, 20 gerhartsreiter has pleaded not guilty to the killing of john sohus, 27, who disappeared with his wife, linda, in 1985 while gerhartsreiter was a guest cottage tenant at the home of sohus mother. Christian karl gerhartsreiter s life of deception is fascinating. Rockefeller imposter christian karl gerhartsreiter gets. I recommend this book if you are interested in a local perspective of gerhartsreiter s early days in california. Rockefeller impostor christian gerhartsreiter found guilty. As a german teenager in the late seventies he decides that. German immigrant christian gerhartsreiter told her he was a rockefeller ms boss left her husband in 2007 when she discovered his ruse he was convicted in 2009 of. With christian karl gerhartsreiter, dan banks, sandra boss, meredith brucker.
Jun 09, 2011 his real name is christian gerhartsreiter, a master conman whose story is told in mark seals new book, the man in the rockefeller suit viking. Books by karl haushofer author of an english translation. Cast christian karl gerhartsreiter, dan banks, sandra boss, meredith brucker. This is one of the those you cant make this stuff up books, mark seal follows gerhartsreiter from the moment he first steps on american soil until his arrest and trial for kidnapping his sevenyear old. Vincent 1 christine jeske 1 christine lepera 1 christoph buchels 1 christoph voll 1 christopher j.
Christian karl gerhartsreiter grew up in the small bavarian town of bergen. Christian karl gerhartsreiter had multiple identities, once assuming the identity of clark rockefeller, a cultured poseur. Christian karl gerhartsreiter enters an alhambra courthouse in the fifth day of a preliminary court hearing tuesday. Gerhartsreiter came to the united states as an exchange student when he was in his teens and subsequently took on a number of identities. Sep 12, 2008 eightynineyearold luise huber owns a little store in siegsdorf, the town where christian karl gerhartsreiter was born in 1961 to a seamstress and a painter. The couple had homes in boston and new hampshire, and lived a prosperous lifestyle solely on bosss high income as a. Mark seals book ends just before the murder trial, but gerhartsreiter was convicted of the killing of a fellow called john sohus. I remain shocked that he was able to pull off a con of this scale particularly on the very intelligent people that were close to him. This documentary looks at the life of christian karl gerhartsreiter, convicted murderer and imposter who conned his way into wealth and luxury while assuming a variety of aliases. Mar 16, 2014 take the story of 53yearold germanborn grifter christian karl gerhartsreiter, whose u. Karl haushofers most popular book is an english translation and analysis of major general karl. Christian gerhartsreiter was a man of many identities but to most he was clark rockefeller.
The case of christian karl gerhartsreiter april, 2020 february 20, 2012 by dr. Jun 12, 2009 christian karl gerhartsreiter sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping his sevenyearold daughter ewen macaskill in washington fri 12 jun 2009. Rockefeller impostor christian gerhartsreiter found guilty of. Christian gerhartsreiter, who adopted the name clark rockefeller and masqueraded as an heir to the famous american oil fortune for 20 years, was tried for.
The art law report provides timely updates and commentary on legal issues in the museum and visual arts communities. The defendant, christian karl gerhartsreiter, was indicted by a grand jury on september 26, 2008, and charged with parental kidnapping, in violation of g. He was christian karl gerhartsreiter, a 47yearold german immigrant who had come to america as a student in 1978, and who had disappeared into a complicated existence that the boston district. For three decades, christian gerhartsreiter claimed to be someone else. Rockefeller impostor ordered to stand trial in killing. Kirn, like many others, was duped by the web of lies spun by clark rockefeller, the german immigrant christian karl gerhartsreiter, now serving a life sentence for murder. Tracing clark through the decades, the fbi eventually found that he began life in the early 1960s as christian karl gerhartsreiter, some 3000 miles away in southeast germany. Mar 09, 2014 christian karl gerhartsreiter, who spent years posing as a rockefeller heir. Dec 03, 2008 he was christian karl gerhartsreiter, a 47yearold german immigrant who had come to america as a student in 1978, and who had disappeared into a complicated existence that the boston district.
Christian karl gerhartsreiter born february 21, 1961 is a convicted murderer and impostor. Christian gerhartsreiter, horoscope for birth date 21. Many of the articles on the case say jonathans body was found in 1994. This is one of the those you cant make this stuff up books, mark seal. Gerhartsreiter said he had taken a debate class more than 30 years ago and hoped to draw from experience while preparing for the hearing. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, who spent years posing as a rockefeller heir. Clark rockefeller gets 27 years for murder the boston globe. Jun 02, 2011 bostonians are by now familiar with the strange tale of the german fabulist christian karl gerhartsreiter, who for two decades fooled everyone around him, including his wife, into believing he was. In his late teens, gerhartsreiter moved to the us, where he lived under a succession of aliases while variously claiming to be an actor, director, art collector, a physicist, a ships captain, a negotiator of international debt.
Rockefeller con man christian gerhartsreiter now on trial for 1985. Using the false name clark rockefeller, he married a harvard business school graduate student named sandra boss. Aug 16, 20 gerhartsreiter said he had taken a debate class more than 30 years ago and hoped to draw from experience while preparing for the hearing. How christian gerhartsreiter became clark rockefeller wsj. Christian gerhartsreiter, a german who assumed many aliases in the us, including clark rockefeller. Apr 03, 20 german immigrant christian gerhartsreiter told her he was a rockefeller ms boss left her husband in 2007 when she discovered his ruse he was convicted in 2009 of kidnapping the couples daughter. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, who masqueraded as a member of the famous rockefeller family, appears july 8, 2011, in an alhambra, calif.
Christian karl gerhartsreiter sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping his sevenyearold daughter ewen macaskill in washington fri 12. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, christopher chichester, clark. Rockefeller exwife testifies she was fooled the boston globe. Christian gerhartsreiter label from public data source wikidata.
Christian karl gerhartsreiter the charley project blog. Yale, julia worked as an assistant to the publisher at algonquin books and was. Mar 07, 2014 kirn, like many others, was duped by the web of lies spun by clark rockefeller, the german immigrant christian karl gerhartsreiter, now serving a life sentence for murder. The man in the rockefeller suit, by mark seal sfgate. Christian karl gerhartsreiter during his sentencing in 20.
In a new book, walter kirn writes of his friendship with clark rockefeller. Take the story of 53yearold germanborn grifter christian karl gerhartsreiter, whose u. Portrait of christian gerhartsreiter, who posed as a rockefeller heir for decades, but who was, in fact, a con artist and a murderer. Gerhartsreiter came to the united states as an exchange student when he was. Mar 16, 2011 and as the entire world knows, christian karl gerhartsreiter, aka christopher chichester, aka clark rockefeller, has been charged with murdering jonathan sohus, who disappeared with his wife linda in 1985. This new book, about the killer con man christian gerhartsreiter. Clark rockefeller gets 27 years for murder the boston. I recommend that you first read the man in the rockefeller suit. Benedict cumberbatch to be the man in the rockefeller suit. Boston globegetty images clark rockefeller, aka christian gerhartsreiter at his arraignment.
Born in germany, he is currently serving a prison sentence in california. The many faces of clark rockefeller dateline nbc crime. Eightynineyearold luise huber owns a little store in siegsdorf, the town where christian karl gerhartsreiter was born in 1961 to a seamstress and a painter. Yorgos lanthimos to direct the man in the rockefeller suit imposter series for searchlight tv.
Aug 24, 2008 christian karl gerhartsreiter grew up in the small bavarian town of bergen. Authorities determined that clark rockefeller and christopher chichester were the same person, and that his real identity was christian karl gerhartsreiter, born in west germany in 1961. Sullivan blogs art law report christian gerhartsreiter. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, who masqueraded as a member of the. And his refusal to do even basic work around the house it was beneath him quickly began to bother the savios, and they asked gerhartsreiter to leave. And as the entire world knows, christian karl gerhartsreiter, aka christopher chichester, aka clark rockefeller, has been charged with murdering jonathan sohus, who disappeared with his wife linda in 1985. Christian karl gerhartsreiter will go to trial to face charges that he killed the son of his former landlady in california, a superior court judge decided yesterday, capping a. Christian karl gerhartsreiter born february 21, 1961 is a german man who moved to the united states as a teenager to study, and thereafter assumed many aliases. He was christian karl gerhartsreiter, a 47yearold german immigrant who had come to america as a student in 1978, and who had disappeared into. Gerhartsreiters story has already inspired a book and tv series. Inside the rockefeller art scandal artnet magazine. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, christopher chichester, clark rockefeller.
Sohus and his wife linda disappeared from san marino that month. The astonishing rise and spectacular fall of a serial impostor seal, mark on. Bostonians are by now familiar with the strange tale of the german fabulist christian karl gerhartsreiter, who for two decades fooled everyone around. In his late teens, gerhartsreiter moved to the us, where he lived under a succession of aliases while variously claiming to be an actor, director, art collector, a physicist, a. Clark rockefeller receives new identity prison inmate. At 17, christian karl gerhartsreiter left germany for the u. Story highlights christian karl gerhartsreiter is sentenced in death of. The reason for gerhartsreiter s sudden dash from california is revealed. Gerhartsreiter told his adoptive family that he was the son of european aristocrats. Christian karl gerhartsreiter, the man who claimed to be. The life of christian gerhartsreiter reads like a badly plotted novel. Mark seals absorbing tale of faux rockefeller the boston globe. Jun 03, 2009 there is a difference between intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence, boss said in a firm voice, as the lawyer for the man authorities say is really christian karl gerhartsreiter.
Aug 15, 20 christian karl gerhartsreiter had multiple identities, once assuming the identity of clark rockefeller, a cultured poseur. Gerhartsreiter, christian, 1961 lc linked data service. In a gripping work of investigative journalism, mark seal reveals how german native christian gerhartsreiter came to the united states, where he stepped in and out of identities for decades, eventually posing as a rockefeller for twelve years, married to a wealthy woman who had no idea who he really was. Christian armbruester 1 christian george 1 christian gerhartsreiter 1 christian mertens 1 christiane fischer 1 christina cauterucci 1 christina kostner pemsel 1 christine j.