May 21, 1924: Leopold and Loeb gain national atten

[Felix/FFDS]

Again, from the History Channel's "This day in History" ...

What makes this personally interesting is that Nathan Leopold was my sociology teacher in 1969/70.  I didn't know of his past until he told me in an interview I did for the school newspaper.  I received a copy of his book "Life plus 99 Years", which was the sentence imposed.

There is a legend that Bobby Franks' spirit remained restless throughout the years, appearing around the cementery where his body was buried - until 1971.


May 21

1924 Leopold and Loeb gain national attention


Fourteen-year-old Bobbie Franks is abducted from a Chicago, Illinois, street and killed in what later proves to be one of the most fascinating murders in American history. The killers, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, were extremely wealthy and intelligent teenagers whose sole motive for killing Franks was the desire to commit the "perfect crime."

[Hagar]

Very interesting Felix. I seem to remember reading about this case some time in the dim & distant past.

Two things puzzle me. If he was sentenced to life + 99 years, presumably in the 1920s, how did he come to be teaching in college in the 60s? Also, what is the significance of the year 1971?

[Felix/FFDS]

Very interesting Felix. I seem to remember reading about this case some time in the dim & distant past.

Two things puzzle me. If he was sentenced to life + 99 years, presumably in the 1920s, how did he come to be teaching in college in the 60s? Also, what is the significance of the year 1971?

Leopold, while in prison, set up an inmate-run education system for inmates; they ran correspondence courses.  In addition, during WW2, he assisted in running malaria research programs.  In the fifties, he went to the parole boards several times until he was paroled in 1955-56.  From prison, he went to Puerto Rico, to do missionary work with the Mennonites (although he was Jewish), until ill-health in the late sixties forced him to calmer pursuits.  He died in 1971.

[ozzy72]

Spooky but interesting....

Mark