MovieChat Forums > It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) Discussion > Statute of Limitations?

Statute of Limitations?

posted 10 years ago by steely3000
3 replies | jump to latest

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

I'm no law expert so I don't know. The tuna factory robbery took place 15 years before Smiler crashed to his death. He told people where he buried the money, and they found the money.

But (aside from his greed to get the money) why would Culpepper even care? In fact why would the police chief Al care? I assume the tuna factory was insured, and I assume the statute of limitations on an armed robbery crime would have expired. But as I say, I'm no expert and so I may be missing something, so I'd appreciate an explanation, thanks.

[–] bookman7772000 10 years ago

I always got the impression that all of this happened under Culpepper's watch, and he felt responsible, maybe even embarrassed - that Smiler and his gang were never caught, that he and his men let them get away. It was a failure on the police department's part, and Culpepper still hadn't gotten over it. And I got the impression that it was nowhere as big of a deal to Al as it was to Culpepper.

[–] Altho73 10 years ago

There is no statute of limitations on serious crimes so the case would still be open.

[–] pmiano100 10 years ago

Actually, many states do have a statute of limitations for armed robbery. The crimes the people racing for the money committed were new crimes like attempted grand larceny, withholding information and making false statements to police, reckless endangerment, assault and battery, etc.