On May 21st, 1924, Chicago teenagers Leopold and Loeb decided to kidnap and bludgeon to death fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks.They covered his body in hydrochloric acid before dumping him into a drainage pipe. Defending them was famous attorney Clarence Darrow who would later become known for his role in the Scopes trials.
The boys themselves were brilliant. Leopold more so than Loeb, however, Loeb was considered far more attractive than his close friend. The boys were best friends as well as lovers. Apparently, Leopold was obsessed with his friend in more ways than just friendship while Loeb enjoyed having Leopold as a loyal companion. As the boys became closer, they soon began to commit small crimes together before moving forward with their “perfect crime” that would eventually land them a life sentence in jail.
While unclear many historians believe it was Loeb who suggested such a crime, it is without a doubt that both boys participated in the crime. The boys wanted a ransom. The boys spent more time figuring out how they would be able to get the ransom than choosing the actual victim. After murdering Bobby, Leopold and Loeb mailed the ransom note to his father in hopes of getting their money. However, Jacob Franks, Bobby’s father called the police and his son’s body had been found before he paid the ransom.
Leopold and Loeb thought they had committed the perfect murder. Fortunately, it was anything but, the boys made several mistakes. When shoving Frank’s body into the drainage pipe, the boys clumsily left his feet sticking out. The next morning police already had found and identified the body. Not only that but in the process of hiding the body, Leopold’s glasses slipped out of his jacket. Police were able to easily connect the prescription to Leopold. As hard as the boys tried, in the end, their alibi’s deteriorated.
The boys were to be given the death penalty for their horrific act. Leopold and Loeb's family, both wealthy at the time hired Clarence Darrow to defend their sons. Both of the boys were guilty, there is no doubt about that. But in court, Darrow portrayed his clients as “mentally ill” and not in control of their actions as a result of a traumatic past.
In the end, both boys were sent to a lifetime in jail. Loeb murdered in prison only 10 years later while Leopold earned parole 1958.
Source: https://www.biography.com/people/richard-loeb-227821
https://www.thoughtco.com/leopold-and-loeb-1779252
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ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see just how one sided the relationship between the two boys was. As I read more about them, it really seemed like Loeb was just using Leopold and that what they did was centered around Loeb's interest. Furthermore, the murderer was not the first crime they had committed and in fact, the had done ones previously on a smaller scale. Additionally, Bobby Frank was Loeb's cousin, and was the reason why he knew the ransom could be paid. The story of Leopold and Loeb is a very complicated and brings to mind that people are not who they seem to be.
ReplyDeleteSource : https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/leopold-and-loebs-criminal-minds-996498/
What I found interesting was the way Clarence Darrow looked at this specific case, and how he formed his defense. Much like is defense during the Scopes trial, Darrow took another angle at his defense, by instead of pleading innocent, he pleaded guilty. By doing this, he saved the boys from capital punishment, and proved a point to the world. Later, in Darrow's defense during the Scopes trial, he once again took another angle to the defense that proved a point. While Scopes still got charged for his offense, Darrow was able to show to the public that using reason was fundamental to religion.
ReplyDeletehttp://famous-trials.com/scopesmonkey/2127-home
I have read thoroughly about Clarence Darrow and this case, and I believe it is monumentally important in the history of law in the United States. The idea of pleading guilty on the grounds of insanity was unprecedented, and Darrow's usage of this argument set a cornerstone for American law going forward, and today, many criminals who are mentally ill have received just punishment for their crimes because of it. Overall, Darrow was a progressive thinker for his time, and his influence in the courts allowed him to set his beliefs in stone. This case was just one of many that he took to protect the liberties of individuals who were being trampled by the law.
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