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Leopold - Loeb case... Bobby Franks murder...
Leopold - Loeb case... Bobby Franks murder...
Item # 721789
August 02, 1924
THE DETROIT NEWS, Aug. 2, 1924
* Leopold & Loeb trial
* Bobby Franks murder
* Thrill Killing case
The top of the front page has a one column heading on the Leopold - Loeb case with: "SAYS LOEB WAS 'MENTALLY ILL'" with subheads. (see images)
Complete with 18 pages, light toning, some margin wear, generally good. Should be handled with care.
history notes: The Bobby Franks murder trial in 1924 shocked the nation as it revealed the chilling crime committed by two wealthy and highly intelligent University of Chicago students, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, who murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks purely for the intellectual thrill of executing the "perfect crime." Motivated by a twisted sense of superiority and Nietzschean philosophy, they lured Franks—Loeb’s distant cousin—into a car, killed him with a chisel, and disposed of his body in a culvert in Indiana. Their plan unraveled quickly when a pair of distinctive eyeglasses left near the body led police to Leopold, and both confessed shortly thereafter. At trial, legendary attorney Clarence Darrow mounted a powerful defense not to prove innocence, but to save the young men from the death penalty. He delivered a now-famous 12-hour summation arguing against capital punishment, emphasizing their youth, mental state, and the societal factors that shaped them. The judge ultimately sentenced both to life in prison plus 99 years, sparing them execution. The case left a lasting legacy in American legal and cultural history, raising profound questions about morality, justice, psychology, and the influence of privilege on crime.
Category: The 20th Century
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