Leopold and Loeb

On September 10, 1924, Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. (November 19, 1904–August 29, 1971), and Richard Albert Loeb (June 11, 1905–January 28, 1936) were convicted of the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Robert “Bobby” Franks. Franks's death was particularly shocking, in part because of its randomness, but also because the murderers had no motive other than to satisfy their obsession with committing the “perfect crime.” In light of these facts, the prosecution demanded the death penalty, which prompted the defendants’ families to retain Clarence ...