Chicago teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murdered a young boy in cold blood a century ago. This murder, committed for the simple pleasure of committing the perfect crime, captivated the nation and continues to fascinate audiences today. Newspapers of the time put forward various theories to explain this macabre murder, ranging from the young men’s privileged upbringing to their atheist beliefs. Erik Rebain, author of Arrested Adolescence: The Secret Life of Nathan Leopold, points out that the public was looking for answers to recurring questions: “Why did this happen? How did these young men get to this point? »
A privileged childhood and a toxic relationship
Leopold and Loeb, from wealthy Jewish families in Chicago, had grown up in a privileged environment. Despite their shared neighborhood and similar upbringing, they did not become friends until the spring of 1920. Their relationship quickly became intimate and criminal, escalating from petty thefts to arson.
Loeb, described as sociable and charismatic, was seen as the instigator of their crimes, while Leopold, more intellectual and distant, found intellectual fascination in lawbreaking. Their complex relationship included promises of criminal complicity in exchange for sexual favors.
In November 1923, they staged a burglary at the University of Michigan, but the limited success of this venture led them to consider a more daring crime: kidnapping followed by murder. They carefully planned an elaborate scenario that included false identities, fictitious bank accounts, and a method of murder that would make them both equally guilty.
The Murder of Bobby Franks
At the age of 14, Bobby Franks fervently defended the abolition of the death penalty during a school debate, declaring that “Only God is authorized to take human life”. His powerful rhetoric won him victory. Two weeks later, he was found dead, the victim of a shocking murder that raised lasting questions about the justice system.
On May 21, 1924, 18-year-old Richard Loeb met Bobby Franks on his way home from school. Although he refused Loeb’s invitation to ride in his car, Franks eventually relented under the pretext of a discussion over a tennis racket. According to their accounts, Loeb hit Franks in the head with a hand scissor, and Leopold choked him with a rag shoved down his throat.
The next day, Franks’ naked body was discovered in a gutter by a Polish immigrant. Indeed, after the murder, they stripped Franks’ body, doused him with hydrochloric acid to conceal his identity, then abandoned him in a gutter. They then sent a ransom note to the Franks family, but their plan quickly failed when the body was discovered before the ransom could be paid.
Their glasses falling at the scene and other inconsistencies in their alibis quickly incriminated them. Confronted with this evidence, Loeb confessed to the crime, followed by Leopold. They claimed their act as a demonstration of their superior intelligence and their status as “supermen” above the law.
The “trial of the century” and its consequences
Prosecutor Robert Crowe wanted the death penalty for Leopold and Loeb, but their families hired Clarence Darrow, a famous attorney opposed to the death penalty. Darrow changed their plea to a guilty plea, thus avoiding a jury trial. Darrow argued that the killers were mentally ill and that their youth and childhood trauma had to be taken into account. He argued eloquently against the death penalty, asserting that mercy was humanity’s greatest attribute.
On September 10, 1924, Judge John Caverly sentenced Leopold and Loeb to life in prison, plus 99 years for the kidnapping. This sentence provoked a strong public reaction, with many believing that their wealth and privilege had influenced the judge’s leniency. Leopold and Loeb were incarcerated in the Illinois State Prison, where they gradually adapted to prison life. In 1936, Loeb was killed by another inmate at the age of 30, while Leopold continued to live and work in prison, participating in medical research.
Leopold requested parole, which he was denied in 1953 following significant public outcry, but was approved in 1958. On March 13, 1958, Leopold, then aged 53, was released from prison after having served 33 years of his sentence. He settled in Puerto Rico, where he worked as a laboratory technician until his death in 1971. The story of Leopold and Loeb has inspired numerous books, films and plays.
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