who was lawyer for leopold and loeb

Who are Leopold and Loeb?

Leopold and Loeb, two celebrated Chicago murderers of 1924, who confessed to the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Robert (“Bobby”) Franks for an “intellectual” thrill.

What was the name of the lawyer who defended Loeb?

Aug. 29, 1971, San Juan, P.R.), and Richard A. Loeb (b. June 11, 1905, Chicago, Ill., U.S.—d. Jan. 28, 1936, Stateville Penitentiary, Illinois) were defended in a bench trial by famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, who secured them life imprisonment rather than execution.

Did Leopold plead with Loeb to admit to killing Franks?

Leopold later claimed in his book (long after Loeb was dead) that he pleaded in vain with Loeb to admit to killing Franks. "Mompsie feels less terrible than she might, thinking you did it", he quotes Loeb as saying, "and I'm not going to take that shred of comfort away from her."

What was the Leopold and Loeb trial?

The subsequent trial, featuring famous attorney Clarence Darrow, made headlines and was often referred to as "the trial of the century." The Leopold and Loeb case is similar to other teen partner killings, such as the murder of Micaela "Mickey" Costanzo .

Who were the lawyers in the Leopold and Loeb case?

The Loeb and Leopold families hired Clarence Darrow and Benjamin Bachrach to represent the two boys. Darrow took the case in large part because it gave him a platform to attack the death penalty, which he had called "an abomination."

What happened to Bobby Franks?

For Chicago, the Leopold and Loeb trial was the crime of the century. A fourteen year old boy, Bobby Franks, was murdered by two young men, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, both from wealthy and socially established Jewish families, simply to commit the perfect crime.

Was Richard Loeb a psychopath?

"If you were using today's terminology, Richard Loeb was a sociopath," said Mr. Kalin, who began working on "Swoon" in 1989 and shot it in 14 frenzied days in New York last year. "He was charming and seductive, but there was an element of madness in him. Nathan Leopold was in love with Richard in an obsessive way.

What was Darrow's argument?

Ossian Sweet, a doctor, and three members of his family were brought to trial, and after an initial deadlock, Darrow argued to the all-white jury: "I insist that there is nothing but prejudice in this case; that if it was reversed and eleven white men had shot and killed a black man while protecting their home and ...

What happened to Nathan Leopold?

In 1936 Richard Loeb was killed in a prison fight with another inmate. In 1958, after thirty-four years behind bars, Nathan Leopold was released from prison. He died in 1971.

What was the claim to fame of Leopold and Loeb?

Leopold and Loeb, two celebrated Chicago murderers of 1924, who confessed to the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Robert (“Bobby”) Franks for an “intellectual” thrill.

Was Leopold and Loeb in a relationship?

Leopold and Loeb were involved in a secret relationship with each other. Part of that relationship had them committing crimes in order to prove their love to one another and to keep the spark of passion alive.

What happened to William Jennings Bryan 5 days after the trial?

Five days after the trial ended, Bryan died in his sleep in Dayton. His death triggered an outpouring of grief from the "common" Americans who felt they had lost their greatest champion.

Who was the lawyer who prosecuted Scopes?

The prosecution was led by William Jennings Bryan, a former Secretary of State, presidential candidate, and the most famous fundamentalist Christian spokesperson in the country. His strategy was quite simple: to prove John Scopes guilty of violating Tennessee law.

Why did John Scopes oppose the Butler Act?

Scopes, was accused of violating Tennessee's Butler Act, which had made it unlawful to teach human evolution in any state-funded school. The trial was deliberately staged in order to attract publicity to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee, where it was held.

What happened to Loeb and Leopold?

Wealthy and intellectually brilliant ( Leopold had graduated from the University of Chicago at 18, Loeb from the University of Michigan at 17), the two had committed several petty acts of theft and arson before attempting the “perfect murder”—in the kidnap of Bobby Franks in a rented automobile on May 21, 1924, on Chicago’s south side; Loeb, the more ruthless of the two, hit the boy on the head with a chisel and stuffed a gag in his mouth ; the boy died within minutes. They half-buried the body in a railway culvert and, by phone and notes, demanded $10,000 in ransom from the boy’s wealthy parents. The body, however, was unexpectedly found, and several clues, including the discovery of Leopold’s eyeglasses at the culvert, led the police to Leopold and Loeb. They quickly confessed.

Who was the judge who sentenced Leopold to life imprisonment for murder?

For 33 days in July–August 1924, Darrow, hired by Leopold’s father, defended the two before Judge John R. Caverly, offering an eloquent appeal against capital punishment. The judge finally sentenced them each to life imprisonment for murder and 99 years for kidnapping.

How did Loeb die?

Leopold was paroled in 1958 and worked as a hospital technician in Puerto Rico, where he married a widow in 1961. He died of a heart attack 10 years later.

Who was the lawyer who defended the Stateville Penitentiary?

June 11, 1905, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—d. January 28, 1936, Stateville Penitentiary, Illinois) were defended in a bench trial by famed lawyer Clarence Darrow, who secured them life imprisonment rather than execution. Wealthy and intellectually brilliant ( Leopold had graduated from the University of Chicago at 18, ...

Who is Clarence Darrow?

Clarence Darrow, lawyer whose work as defense counsel in many dramatic criminal trials earned him a place in American legal history. He was also well known as a public speaker, debater, and…

Who Were Leopold and Loeb?

By age 19, Leopold had already graduated from college and was in law school. Leopold was also fascinated with birds and was considered an accomplished ornithologist . However, despite being brilliant, Leopold was very awkward socially.

What was the relationship between Leopold and Loeb?

Their relationship was both stormy and intimate. Leopold was obsessed with the attractive Loeb. Loeb, on the other hand, liked having a loyal companion on his risky adventures. The two teenagers, who had become both friends and lovers, soon began committing small acts of theft, vandalism, and arson.

Why did the trial of Leopold and Loeb not require a jury?

With Leopold and Loeb pleading guilty, the trial would no longer require a jury because it would become a sentencing trial. Darrow believed that it would be harder for one man to live with the decision to hang Leopold and Loeb than it would be for twelve who would share the decision.

Why did Loeb and Leopold stop to call the Franks home?

On their way home, Leopold and Loeb stopped to call the Franks' home that night to tell the family that Bobby had been kidnapped. They also mailed the ransom letter.

How many times did Leopold and Loeb stop?

On the way, Leopold and Loeb stopped twice. Once to strip Franks' body of clothing and another time to buy dinner. Once it was dark, Leopold and Loeb found the culvert, shoved Franks' body inside the drainage pipe and poured hydrochloric acid on Franks' face and genitals to obscure the body's identity.

What did Leopold and Loeb plan to do?

Even though the victim was to be killed immediately, Leopold and Loeb planned on extracting a ransom from the victim's family. The victim's family would receive a letter instructing them to pay $10,000 in "old bills," which they would later be asked to throw from a moving train.

What were the mistakes of Leopold and Loeb?

The first of which was the disposal of the body. Leopold and Loeb thought that the culvert would keep the body hidden until it had been reduced to a skeleton.

Who was the lawyer in the Leopold and Loeb trial?

The Leopold and Loeb Trial. In the Leopold and Loeb trial of 1924, attorney Clarence Darrow achieved what many thought impossible. He saved the lives of two cold-blooded child-killers with the power of a speech. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were teenagers living in a wealthy Chicago suburb when they were arrested for murder.

What did Leopold and Loeb do?

Inspired by this odd mix of nihilistic philosophy, detective fiction, and misguided love, Leopold and Loeb hatched a plan to commit the "perfect crime.". It was not so much the idea of murder that attracted them, but the idea of getting away with murder. On May 21, 1924, Leopold and Loeb lured a young neighbor boy, 14-year-old Bobby Frank, ...

How did Richard Loeb die?

In 1936 Richard Loeb was killed in a prison fight with another inmate. In 1958, after thirty-four years behind bars, Nathan Leopold was released from prison. He died in 1971.

What radio station broadcast the trial of the murder of Clarence Darrow?

Chicago's WGN radio considered broadcasting the trial live, but decided it wasn't appropriate "entertainment" to send to families in their living rooms. The trial reached its climax with Clarence Darrow's closing argument, delivered over twelve hours in a sweltering courtroom.

Why did John Scopes defend John Scopes?

He defended John Scopes for teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee law. WGN radio did send their microphones to Dayton, Tennessee. It seemed a much better idea to cover a trial over ideas than to broadcast a sensational murder. In 1936 Richard Loeb was killed in a prison fight with another inmate.

What was Nathan Leopold's relationship with Richard?

Awkward-looking Nathan Leopold tended to hide in his friend's shadow. But the two young men formed a powerful bond. Nathan was in love with Richard and would do anything he wanted for sexual favors. He later wrote, "Loeb's friendship was necessary to me — terribly necessary.".

Who prescribed Nathan Leopold glasses?

Police traced the glasses to a Chicago optometrist who had prescribed them for Nathan Leopold. If he hadn't lost his glasses, Leopold and his friend Loeb might have indeed gotten away with murder. Leopold's and Loeb's parents hired the best, and most expensive, criminal attorney they could find — Clarence Darrow.

Who were the two people who defended Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb?

Leopold and Loeb. Darrow was on the front pages of newspapers across American in 1924 when he defended Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. The two were college students from wealthy families who confessed to a shocking crime, the murder of a 14-year-old neighbor boy, Robert Franks.

How long did the Judge sentence Loeb and Leopold?

The appeal for mercy posed by Darrow eventually succeeded. After deliberating for ten days, the judge sentenced Leopold and Loeb to sentences of life plus 99 years. (Loeb was killed in prison by another inmate in 1934. Leopold was eventually paroled in 1958 and died in Puerto Rico in 1971.)

Why did Darrow take on the case?

But he took on the case as he was opposed to capital punishment, and his goal would be to save them from what seemed to be certain execution by hanging.

What was Darrow's role in the courtroom?

His courtroom suits were always rumpled, apparently by design. He portrayed himself as a common man seeking justice, though often armed with cunning legal strategies.

Where was Haywood charged?

Charged with conspiracy to commit murder, Haywood and others were to go on trial in Boise, Idaho. Darrow was retained for the defense and deftly destroyed the prosecution's case. Under Darrow's cross-examination, the actual perpetrator of the bombing admitted he had acted alone as a matter of personal vengeance.

Who were the two people who murdered a boy?

Leopold and Loeb became figures of public fascination as they told detectives they had committed the kidnapping and murder of a random boy for the adventure of perpetrating the perfect crime. Seated left to right, Nathan Leopold, Jr., attorney Clarence Darrow and Richard Loeb.

Who was John Scopes' defense?

Darrow was a religious agnostic and was particularly opposed to religious fundamentalism. So the defense of John Scopes, the schoolteacher from Dayton, Tennessee, prosecuted for teaching about Darwin’s Theory of Evolution naturally appealed to him.

What happened to the Leopold and Loeb case?

With the Leopold and Loeb case, the attention of the nation and world was once again focused on Chicago because of a murder. The circumstances of the crime involved the murder of a young boy, Bobby Franks, by Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, young men from wealthy Jewish families who said they killed their fourteen year old victim, ...

Why were Loeb and Leopold caught?

Although their plans to conceal their identities and collect a large ransom were elaborate and intricate, Leopold and Loeb were caught almost immediately because Nathan Leopold dropped a pair of glasses near to where the body of Bobby Franks had been left. The glasses had a special patented spring for the expensive horned rim frame which had been sold in only one place in Chicago, and purchased by only three people, including Nathan Leopold. Once in custody, both Leopold and Loeb showed no remorse and confessed in great detail to the crime, both to the authorities and to the press.

What drove the interest of the press and the public, in addition, was that the two confessed murderers were?

What drove the interest of the press and the public, in addition, was that the two confessed murderers were both sons of prominent and very wealthy families.

Who were the two young men who murdered Bobby Franks?

A fourteen year old boy, Bobby Franks, was murdered by two young men, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, both from wealthy and socially established Jewish families, simply to commit the perfect crime. At their trial, the famous Clarence Darrow conducted ...

Who bought the horned glasses?

The glasses had a special patented spring for the expensive horned rim frame which had been sold in only one place in Chicago, and purchased by only three people, including Nathan Leopold. Once in custody, both Leopold and Loeb showed no remorse and confessed in great detail to the crime, both to the authorities and to the press.

Who killed Bobby Franks?

A fourteen year old boy, Bobby Franks, was murdered by two young men, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, both from wealthy and socially established Jewish families, simply to commit the perfect crime. At their trial, the famous Clarence Darrow conducted a defense based upon psychological testimony, and captured the attention of the nation.

Why did Leopold and Loeb plead guilty?

Darrow stunned the prosecution when he had his clients plead guilty in order to avoid a vengeance-minded jury and place the case before a judge. The trial, then, was actually a long sentencing hearing in which Darrow contended, with the help of expert testimony, that Leopold and Loeb were mentally diseased.

How long did John Caverly sentence Leopold and Loeb?

Darrow succeeded. Caverly sentenced Leopold and Loeb to life in prison plus 99 years.

Why did Darrow leave the labor union?

He took the latter because he had become convinced that the criminal justice system could ruin people's lives if they were not adequately represented.

When was Attorney for the Damned published?

"Attorney for the Damned" (Arthur Weinberg, ed), published by University of Chicago Press in 2012 ; Simon and Schuster in 1957; provides Darrow's most influential summations and includes scene-setting explanations and comprehensive notes; on NYT best seller list 19 weeks.

Did Clarence Darrow graduate from law school?

The young Clarence attended Allegheny College and the University of Michigan Law School, but did not graduate from either institution. He attended Allegheny College for only one year before the Panic of 1873 struck, and Darrow was determined not to be a financial burden to his father any longer.

Who Were Leopold and Loeb?

See more on thoughtco.com

Planning The Murder

The Murder

Dumping The Body

Mistakes and Arrest

Leopold and Loeb's Trial

The Deaths of Leopold and Loeb