History Forum / General / General Topics / March 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_and_Loeb

Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr. (November 19, 1904 - August 29, 1971) and
Richard A. Loeb (June 11, 1905 - January 28, 1936), more commonly known as
Leopold and Loeb, were two wealthy Jewish University of Chicago students who
murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924, and were sentenced to life in
prison.[1]

The duo was motivated to murder Franks by their desire to commit a perfect
crime. Franks' family, originally Jewish, had renounced their Jewish faith
to convert to Christianity.[2]

http://www.prairieghosts.com/leopold.html

LEOPOLD &  LOEB
CHICAGO'S THRILL KILLERS

On an afternoon in May 1924, the sons of two of Chicago's wealthiest and
most illustrious families drove to the Harvard School for boys in Kenwood
and kidnapped a young boy named Bobby Franks. Their plan was to carry out
the "perfect murder"... a scheme so devious that only two men of superior
intellect, such as their own, could accomplish. These two men were Richard
Loeb and Nathan Leopold. They were the privileged heirs of well-known
Chicago families who had embarked on a life of crime for fun and for the
pure thrill of it. There were also a pair of sexual deviants who considered
themselves to be brilliant -- a claim that would later lead to their
downfall.

When captured, the case became known as "the trial of the century".

Leopold and Loeb were sent to the state prison in Joliet and officials there
were ridiculed by the public and the press for the special treatment they
received. Obviously, money was changing hands as each enjoyed a private
cell, books, a desk, a filing cabinet and even pet birds. They also showered
away from the other prisoners and took their meals (which were prepared to
order) in the officer's lounge. They were also allowed any number of
unsupervised visitors and were allowed to keep their own gardens.