0:05 [SPEAKER_00]: privilege, arrogance, notoriety. 0:09 [SPEAKER_00]: These words describe the essence of today's episode. 0:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Hello friend, and welcome back to hometown history. 0:19 [SPEAKER_00]: In today's episode, we are looking at a dark and chilling chapter from America's history, involving incredibly intelligent young men who decided to use their intelligence 0:39 [SPEAKER_00]: this story takes us back to the year 1924. 0:44 [SPEAKER_00]: Chicago was a city pulsating with the rhythm of the roaring 20s, teaming with jazz, speedy seas, and secrets hidden behind every alleyway. 0:55 [SPEAKER_00]: But admits the glitz and glamour, a sinister plot was unfolding, one that was sinned shock waves through the nation, 1:07 [SPEAKER_00]: Let's start by getting to know the two people at the center of this case. 1:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. 1:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Nathan Frodenthali, a poll junior, born in the lack of privilege on November 19, 1904, in Chicago, was the product of a wealthy German Jewish immigrant family. 1:30 [SPEAKER_00]: From an early age, his intellectual brilliance, shown through. 1:33 [SPEAKER_00]: With his first words documented, at a mere four months and three weeks old, 1:40 [SPEAKER_00]: With a recorded IQ of 210, it's possible Leopold felt no challenge. 1:46 [SPEAKER_00]: When studying at the University of Michigan, and then the prestigious University of Chicago, Leopold had earned Pi Beta Kappa Honors for his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago. 2:02 [SPEAKER_00]: a man of many talents. 2:04 [SPEAKER_00]: He was not only fluent in five languages, but also game national recognition as an ornithologist. 2:12 [SPEAKER_00]: His partner in crime, Richard Albert Loeb, born on June 11, 1905, shared a similarly privileged background. 2:22 [SPEAKER_00]: The third of four sons, two O'Walthy Lawyer and retired Vice President of Sears, Robot and Company, 2:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Lowab's IQ wasn't as high as Leopold's, but it was certainly up there. 2:36 [SPEAKER_00]: He was an avid reader, with a passion for history and crime stories. 2:41 [SPEAKER_00]: So his journey led him to become the youngest graduate of the University of Michigan at just 17 years old. 2:49 [SPEAKER_00]: But unlikely, he upholds Lowab's interests extended beyond intellectual pursuits, 2:57 [SPEAKER_00]: He liked socializing and playing tennis. 3:01 [SPEAKER_00]: And when he wasn't doing that, he was devouring to tech of novels. 3:06 [SPEAKER_00]: Both Lee uphold and low up grew up in the wealthy neighborhood of Kenwood, on Chicago south side, and cross paths in their youth. 3:16 [SPEAKER_00]: But a deeper connection only formed in the mid-1920s when they met at the University of Chicago. 3:24 [SPEAKER_00]: They were united by a fascination, with Frederick Nietzsche's concept of Superman. 3:30 [SPEAKER_00]: Leopold interpreted these beings as individuals, with extraordinary capabilities, extent from societal laws. 3:39 [SPEAKER_00]: In a letter to lobe, he outlined their perceived immunity, writing, A Superman is on account of superior qualities inherent to him. 3:50 [SPEAKER_00]: exempted from the ordinary laws which govern men. 3:53 [SPEAKER_00]: He is not liable for anything he may do. 3:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Their intelligence made them believe they were Superman, and therefore exempt from ordinary laws. 4:05 [SPEAKER_00]: So, with their own concept of morality, they started their criminal career with acts of petty theft and vandalism. 4:15 [SPEAKER_00]: But that was not all they had in mind for themselves, as a parent superior beings. 4:22 [SPEAKER_00]: Petty theft turned into serious crimes, including Arson, driven by a desire for attention, and a confirmation of their self-proclaimed status as Superman. 4:35 [SPEAKER_00]: But these crimes soon got pouring, and routine for the two geniuses, 4:40 [SPEAKER_00]: They craved danger, they craved adventure, they craved the thrill that comes from committing a heinous crime and watching people puzzle over it while they look on. 4:54 [SPEAKER_00]: So this is when they hatched a plan, a plan to commit the perfect crime. 5:03 [SPEAKER_00]: Robert Franks was only 14 years old and already a member of the Harvard debate team. 5:10 [SPEAKER_00]: His father, Jacob Franks was a wealthy real estate mogul in Chicago and earned himself an excellent reputation for his honesty. 5:19 [SPEAKER_00]: According to Robert's friends, he was one of the more popular boys in the school. 5:25 [SPEAKER_00]: He had established a charity club in a literary society and often played golf 5:34 [SPEAKER_00]: His future was bright, and his parents held high hopes for the boy. 5:40 [SPEAKER_00]: But in May of 1924, those hopes crumbled when the news arrived that he had been murdered. 5:47 [SPEAKER_00]: But how did it happen? 5:50 [SPEAKER_00]: What possible enemies could this 14-year-old boy have? 5:55 [SPEAKER_00]: Seven months before the murder of Robert Franks, two young men set some streets away from 6:03 [SPEAKER_00]: plotting the perfect crime, both reappold and lobe meticulously crafted an elaborate crime that ended with a ransom scheme, intending to collect money through a series of complex instructions communicated by phone. 6:22 [SPEAKER_00]: They prepared for this crime like it was a project assigned to them, and in some weird twisted sense, this was an intellectual thrill for them. 6:34 [SPEAKER_00]: In preparation, the duo type the final set of ransom instructions on a stolen typewriter and selected a chisel for their murder weapon. 6:45 [SPEAKER_00]: After a rather extensive search for a suitable victim, they set their sights on Robert Franks, a 14-year-old boy. 6:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Not only would he make the perfect target because of the number of after-school activities, they kept him out of the house most of the time. 7:02 [SPEAKER_00]: But also because his death would be especially heartbreaking, given his potential. 7:09 [SPEAKER_00]: Then you had the fact that Robert was Loeb's second cousin, and an across the street neighbor, who had played tennis at the Loeb Residence several times. 7:22 [SPEAKER_00]: So the faithful afternoon of May 21st, 1924, marked the initiation of their sinister plan, using a rented automobile under a false name, the two approached Robert Franks as he walked home from school. 7:40 [SPEAKER_00]: From Robert's perspective, all that happened was a car containing his beloved cousin, rolled up next to him. 7:48 [SPEAKER_00]: the cousin then asked him about a tennis racket and offered Robert a lift home. 7:53 [SPEAKER_00]: What reason would the boy have to suspect something was wrong? 7:59 [SPEAKER_00]: Robert entered their car and from here, the precise secrets of events remains disrupted. 8:07 [SPEAKER_00]: The majority of the accounts placely uphold behind the wheel, with low in the seat holding 8:15 [SPEAKER_00]: Robert, who was seated in the passenger seat, became the tragic victim of repeated blows to the head. 8:24 [SPEAKER_00]: The crime quickly became more about the rage and aggression that filled these killers, rather than the intellectual thrill they were trying to focus on. 8:35 [SPEAKER_00]: With Robert's lifeless body concealed in the backseat, the perpetrator strove to their designated dumping spot, near Wolf Lake, in Hammond, in the Anna, which is around 25 miles south of Chicago. 8:51 [SPEAKER_00]: After nightfall, they discarded Robert's clothes, poured hydrochloric acid on his face and genitals, so he couldn't identify, and hit the body and a callvert, 9:06 [SPEAKER_00]: As they left the disposal site, taking all the major steps to avoid discovery, they made one mistake, a mistake they would soon be too embarrassed to admit. 9:19 [SPEAKER_00]: Lee aboard left his glasses at the scene. 9:23 [SPEAKER_00]: This piece of evidence would turn this thrilling adventure into a nightmare. 9:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Of course they didn't realize this mistake until much later. 9:34 [SPEAKER_00]: At 9.30 pm that night, Leopold called his girlfriend from a drugstore to tell her that he was out with some friends and would be home late. 9:46 [SPEAKER_00]: This was his attempt at establishing an alibi for later, as discussed with Loeb as well. 9:53 [SPEAKER_00]: Upon their return to Chicago from Indiana, they initiated Phase 2 of the plan, disposing 10:05 [SPEAKER_00]: They first stopped at Lobes' home, where they burned robbers' clothes in the furnace. 10:11 [SPEAKER_00]: Then they moved to the garage and started cleaning robber's blood stains from the passenger seat of the car. 10:18 [SPEAKER_00]: To further establish alibis, Lobes stayed with Leopold's family at their house, while Leopold dropped his aunt at her home. 10:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Upon his return, Lobes and Leopold spent the rest of the evening playing cards, 10:36 [SPEAKER_00]: After setting all this in place, it was time for Phase 3, demanding the ransom. 10:43 [SPEAKER_00]: The news of Robert's disappearance had already spread throughout the town, so Lea pulled assumed that the alias, George Johnson, and called the young boy's mother. 10:57 [SPEAKER_00]: His words were devoid of any emotion, informing her that her son had been kidnapped, but remained unharmed. 11:06 [SPEAKER_00]: It was a blatant lie, of course, considering they had just disposed of his body. 11:12 [SPEAKER_00]: But it was an attempt to throw off the police' timeline. 11:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Not the most genius move, if you ask me, but I can certainly see why they thought it was genius. 11:24 [SPEAKER_00]: Lee uphold, as George Johnson, gave strict instructions to wait for further information on where to drop off the $100,000. 11:32 [SPEAKER_00]: The threatening purr that any deviation from the orders would result in dire consequences. 11:40 [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, the parents didn't know the worst had already happened. 11:48 [SPEAKER_00]: Around 1 a.m. the next day, they appalled and lobed, went on a little mission, and they were into car. 11:55 [SPEAKER_00]: They drove by the Frank's household and dropped off the typed up ramps of note. 12:01 [SPEAKER_00]: At 153 a.m. on the journey back to Lowe's house, the chisel, which was their murder weapon, was thrown into a roadside bush by love. 12:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Another questionable move, not exactly 12:18 [SPEAKER_00]: Leopold dropped low off, approximately 240 AM, as he headed back to his place. 12:26 [SPEAKER_00]: The thrilling adventure came to a close. 12:29 [SPEAKER_00]: All that remained was to watch, as Roberts' family broke down, and the police scratched their heads. 12:38 [SPEAKER_00]: The sun rose, and things went along normally, and the fringes household. 12:49 [SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't until noon, the parents found the typed up ransom note on their porch, instructing them to wait at their house for a call that would come around 1pm. 13:00 [SPEAKER_00]: And to their horror, the letter, signed George Johnson, ominously concluded, remember that this is your only chance to recover your son. 13:18 [SPEAKER_00]: a far more disturbing one. 13:21 [SPEAKER_00]: A call from the kidnappers might have been more of a relief, in fact. 13:27 [SPEAKER_00]: It was the police. 13:29 [SPEAKER_00]: They had found Robert's body. 13:32 [SPEAKER_00]: In another part of town, at 2.30 a.m., and I witnessed stumbled upon the discarded chisel in the bush. 13:41 [SPEAKER_00]: This citizen was responsible enough to turn the bloody evidence over to the police, and this said in motion the downfall of the self-proclaimed geniuses, 13:54 [SPEAKER_00]: Back into cargo, things took a turn for the two men. 13:58 [SPEAKER_00]: They instructed James Franks to come to a grocery store to drop off the ransom. 14:05 [SPEAKER_00]: But Jacob never showed up, likely because he already knew his son was dead. 14:11 [SPEAKER_00]: So when Jacob didn't arrive at the store, alarm bells rang for lobe and leopold. 14:18 [SPEAKER_00]: They went back to their homes and learned Robert's body had been found. 14:23 [SPEAKER_00]: The game was up. 14:25 [SPEAKER_00]: Now, they would have to improvise. 14:30 [SPEAKER_00]: In a bit to erase any traces of their heinous crime, they took decisive measures. 14:36 [SPEAKER_00]: The typewriter, which was instrumental in crafting the ransom note, 14:45 [SPEAKER_00]: So they destroyed that evidence and combed through the house for anything that could connect them to Robert. 14:53 [SPEAKER_00]: They found the car robe, which if you don't know, is like a blanket you put on your lap to stay warm. 15:00 [SPEAKER_00]: The robe was covered in blood stains, so they burned that too. 15:06 [SPEAKER_00]: And then they moved on, mundane as ever, normal as ever, as if nothing happened. 15:15 [SPEAKER_00]: It was disturbing to say the least, seeing their ability to seamlessly reintegrate into society, engage with friends and family, and continue with everyday activities. 15:29 [SPEAKER_00]: It was a testament to the cold blood and nature of their actions. 15:33 [SPEAKER_00]: It was like the murder they had committed, but a fleeting disturbance in their lives. 15:45 [SPEAKER_00]: The geniuses may have moved on, but the police were making unusually quick progress on the case. 15:52 [SPEAKER_00]: They uncovered a pair of eyeglasses near Frank's body, and while the frames and prescription lenses were regular, one thing set at a part, the hinges. 16:05 [SPEAKER_00]: This particular model, the police found, was only purchased by three people in all of Chicago, 16:16 [SPEAKER_00]: In with that, he was summoned for form or questioning on May 29th. 16:22 [SPEAKER_00]: Detectives had planned an intense line of questioning, so they decided to conduct it at a local hotel instead of their station, hoping to create a more comfortable atmosphere that would make him feel more vulnerable. 16:37 [SPEAKER_00]: Leopold, who was seemingly cooperative, provided names of other possible suspects, trying 16:46 [SPEAKER_00]: But as the interrogation progressed, his demeanor became increasingly erratic, he contradicted himself too many times, offering conflicting answers about the whereabouts of his glasses. 17:02 [SPEAKER_00]: He said it might have slipped out of his pocket during a bird watching expedition the previous week, but in another instance, he claimed it was during a hike, 17:13 [SPEAKER_00]: not exactly how a genius operates under pressure. 17:19 [SPEAKER_00]: Meanwhile, low adopted a strategy of memory loss, as a way to avoid accidentally incriminating himself or reappold. 17:30 [SPEAKER_00]: They also presented really flimsy, false alibis, saying that all the night of the murder, 17:44 [SPEAKER_00]: They dropped them off at the golf course before heading to Leopold's house. 17:50 [SPEAKER_00]: That didn't quite hold up because a quick call later, it was confirmed that Leopold's car was being fixed by the chauffeur and the chauffeur's wife also confirmed that the car was in the garage on the night of the murder. 18:05 [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, all of this made the police' job easier. 18:10 [SPEAKER_00]: But then it got to a point where they didn't have to even work for it, anymore. 18:16 [SPEAKER_00]: Because Lee pulled to recklessness surfaced when he boldly admitted, quote, If I were to murder anybody, it would be just such a cocky little son of a *** as Bobby Franks. 18:30 [SPEAKER_00]: This horrible statement lingered for a while in the air. 18:34 [SPEAKER_00]: There was nothing left to ask. 18:37 [SPEAKER_00]: a 1 a.m. on May 30th, the appalled in lobe were arrested for the murder of Robert Franks. 18:47 [SPEAKER_00]: The trial of the case of Robert Franks was held at Chicago's Cook County Criminal Court, and it was deemed the trial of the century. 18:57 [SPEAKER_00]: The families of the appalled in lobe were both able to appoint the highly esteemed criminal defense attorney, Clarence Darrow. 19:05 [SPEAKER_00]: wanting to ensure their children's futures wouldn't be affected by the situation. 19:12 [SPEAKER_00]: Although rumors were heard that he was being paid $1 million for his services, the actual payment was around $70,000, which if we account for inflation, is about $1,241,168 today. 19:31 [SPEAKER_00]: The court accepted the guilty plea, but the trial still continued for 32 days. 19:39 [SPEAKER_00]: States Attorney Robert Crow presented a pretty comprehensive case, calling over 100 witnesses to document the details of the crime. 19:50 [SPEAKER_00]: The defense didn't deny these claims, but instead took the emotional way out. 19:56 [SPEAKER_00]: Clarence Darrow argued that Leopold and Loeb's experiences of childhood neglect, and Leopold being sexually abused by a governess, led to their current mental state. 20:09 [SPEAKER_00]: He claimed that he understood the grave nature of the crimes committed by both of them, but his only request was to spare their lives. 20:18 [SPEAKER_00]: He gave a long and emotional speech about how these were young men, with great potential, and didn't deserve death due to their life experiences. 20:29 [SPEAKER_00]: Going forward, he said the men's actions were influenced by the violent philosophies he was taught, and the societal desensitization to human life after the horrors of the first world war. 20:43 [SPEAKER_00]: And to everyone's shock and surprise, the judge agreed, 20:48 [SPEAKER_00]: The death penalty was removed from consideration, considering both Dero's argument and the ages of the accused. 20:57 [SPEAKER_00]: So once up 10th, 1924, he sent his bothly appalled and lobe to life imprisonment for the murder, and an additional 99 years for the kidnapping of Robert Franks. 21:14 [SPEAKER_00]: Although the ruling was more lenient, the more the majority had expected or even hoped for, life and prison did not come easy to these privileged men, especially lobe. 21:26 [SPEAKER_00]: On January 28, 1936, lobe was attacked by fellow inmate James Day, and he died soon after spending some time in the prison hospital. 21:45 [SPEAKER_00]: He was later found not guilty by a jury, after a short trial in June, 1936. 21:53 [SPEAKER_00]: On the other hand, Leopold continued his work after Lowe's death. 21:58 [SPEAKER_00]: He was suffering from depression at the time, but he became a model prisoner, and actually made several significant contributions to improving conditions at state-ville penitentiary. 22:15 [SPEAKER_00]: revamping the schooling system, and volunteering in the prison hospital. 22:21 [SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps finally using his high IQ to do good for his community. 22:28 [SPEAKER_00]: In the early 1950s, author Meyer Levin, who is also the Epolts classmate of the University of Chicago, requestedly Epolts cooperation and writing a novel based on the Robert Frank 22:43 [SPEAKER_00]: Leopold, of course, did not wish to fictionalize the case, so Levin went ahead with his book alone, despite Leopold's objections. 22:54 [SPEAKER_00]: This novel, titled Compulsion, was published in 1956. 23:00 [SPEAKER_00]: Levin portrayed Leopold under the pseudonym, Jed Steiner, impained him to be a brilliant but deeply disturbed teenager, psychologically driven to kill because of his troubled childhood. 23:13 [SPEAKER_00]: and an obsession with his male best friend. 23:17 [SPEAKER_00]: The uphold later wrote that reading Levin's book made him quote physically sick. 23:24 [SPEAKER_00]: More than once I had a lay of the book down and wait for the nausea to subside. 23:29 [SPEAKER_00]: I felt as I suppose a man would feel if he were exposed stark naked under a strong spotlight before a large audience. 23:39 [SPEAKER_00]: Later in 1958, Leopold's autobiography, titled Life Plus 99 Years, came out as a part of his campaign to win parole. 23:51 [SPEAKER_00]: His book got on the New York Times bestseller list for 14 weeks and received mostly positive reviews. 24:00 [SPEAKER_00]: He was able to get parole and went on to live the next few years of his life as a better person compared to who he was before imprisonment. 24:11 [SPEAKER_00]: He later died of a diabetes-related heart attack on August 29, 1971 at the age of 66. 24:22 [SPEAKER_00]: The case of reappold and lobe, though now part of the past, continues to be dissected and analyzed, reminding us of the enduring impact of choices made, and the consequences that unfold. 24:38 [SPEAKER_00]: It is common to see the portrayal, such cases in the media, but an often result in the romanticization of such heinous acts, 24:48 [SPEAKER_00]: This case became part of many such instances, like Richard Wright's 1940 novel, Native Sun. 24:57 [SPEAKER_00]: Their Murdoch mysteries episode, big murderer on campus, and many others. 25:04 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for listening. 25:07 [SPEAKER_00]: If you would, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a review.
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