When it
comes to investigating people, I find that the deviant ones are the most
interesting. I have always questioned the motives of people and why they do the
things that they do. This is why I chose to research a criminal. A criminal’s
nature and behavior is atypical to the “normal” person which is why I wonder
why they committed the crime. This led to me to choosing to research a woman by
the name of Dolores Condon who was arrested at the age of 17 for “robbery with
a dangerous weapon”. I picked this woman because it fascinates me that a 17
year old girl, in the early 20th century, would commit armed robbery.
The
background information regarding Dolores Condon from her criminal record begins
with her being a caucasian, married 17 year old girl. She gives no information
about her parents or other relatives. However, it is quite perplexing that a 17
year old would even consider getting married so young. Condon’s occupation is
housemaid, which possibly could give her a motive for committing robbery due to
lame pay. Condon also only had one year of high school experience which
suggests mental immaturity or that she has a rebellious attitude that forces
her to separate herself from her peers. Moreover, if we look at the 1930s as an
era, it was filled with years of turmoil and poverty. The 1930s were the
beginnings of the Great Depression which more than likely led to her rob
someone for their belongings. Women in the early 20th century did not really
have rights and were forced to marry at a young age to become property of their
husband. All of these socioeconomic factors were probably the primary motives
of her crime. I could not find much information on Dolores Condon’s family
history or how she was raised which would lead to more assumptions that we
could make to answer the question why Dolores Condon would commit armed
robbery.
