Leopold and Loeb
Leopold and Loeb were Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. (November 19, 1904 – August 29, 1971)[1] and Richard Albert Loeb (June 11, 1905 – January 28, 1936).
Nathan Leopold | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. November 19, 1904 |
| Died | August 29, 1971 (aged 66) |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Criminal charge | Murder, kidnapping |
| Penalty | Life + 99 years' imprisonment |
Richard Loeb | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Richard Albert Loeb June 11, 1905 |
| Died | January 28, 1936 (aged 30) Joliet, Illinois, United States |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Criminal status | Deceased |
| Criminal charge | Murder, kidnapping |
| Penalty | Life + 99 years' imprisonment |
They were two wealthy University of Chicago law students who kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Robert "Bobby" Franks in 1924 in Chicago.[2]
The duo was motivated to murder Franks by their desire to commit a perfect crime.They committed the murder – characterized at the time as "the crime of the century".[3] They wanted to show that they were very intelligent.[4] They believed this allowed them to carry out a "perfect crime" without consequences.
Once arrested, Leopold and Loeb hired Clarence Darrow as counsel for the defense. Darrow’s summation in their trial criticized capital punishment as retribution, rather than rehabilitation. Leopold and Loeb were sentenced to life imprisonment. Loeb was killed by a fellow prisoner in 1936; Leopold was released on parole in 1958.
The Leopold and Loeb crime has been the inspiration for several works in film, theatre, and fiction, such as the 1929 play Rope by Patrick Hamilton, and Alfred Hitchcock's take on the play in the 1948 film of the same name. Later movies such as Compulsion and Swoon were more accurate portrayals of the Leopold and Loeb case.
References
change- ↑ "Nathan Leoplold (1904-1971), Social Security Death Index". Archived from the original on 2016-03-23. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
- ↑ Homicide in Chicago 1924 Leopold & Loeb Archived 2012-02-25 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved May 2, 2014.
- ↑ Homicide in Chicago 1924 Leopold & Loeb Retrieved July 18, 2015.
- ↑ Lane, Brian (1995). Chronicle of 20th Century Murder. New York: Berkley Books. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-0425146491.