An American Tragedy

This Article scans cultural history of an American tragedy: Leopold and Loeb murder case. In what has widely been referred to as the crime of teenagers Richard Loeb and Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., under counsel of experienced and successful defense attorney Clarence Darrow, pled guilty to 1924 abduction and murder of Bobby Franks, a child of a wealthy Chicago family. Due to Darrow's advocacy, both defendants were spared death penalty, and given life sentences instead. Sensational details about crime, suspects, and criminal proceedings were enthusiastically reported by six daily newspapers published in Chicago during this time. This Articles focuses on evolution of several distinct personas of suspected killers, three of which were created by print media as they covered story from confession to sentencing. One of personas developed by newspaper articles was that of both suspects, but particularly Leopold, as self-conceived Nietzschean supermen, exempt from normal moral, ethical, and legal standards. Later, this persona was more fully developed in popular novels and major motion pictures based on Leopold and Loeb story. The second persona developed by print media is that of precocious teenage thrill-seekers. This persona, which was seen to exemplify indulged, immoral youth culture of 1920s that was enjoyed by wealthy young men, was also later developed in artistic interpretations of story of crime. The print media also presented a third persona in its stories about criminal proceedings against Leopold and Loeb. With assistance of East Coast alienists who adopted a Freudian approach to psychology, as well as two physicians, defense attorney Darrow created and developed this third persona during hearing - that of deeply disturbed youth who were emotionally unable to control their actions. Darrow used this image of Leopold and Loeb as deeply troubled boys to persuade judge to not sentence defendants to death. It has reappeared in later artistic presentations of episode. In addition to three personas developed in print media, Article also discusses two other personas that have evolved since original events took place in 1924. Toward end of twentieth century, sexual aspect of Leopold's and Loeb's relationship was subject to increased scrutiny. With this came development, through plays, movies and other artistic portrayals of events leading up to crime, of a gay persona for both Leopold and Loeb; particularly, a persona of repressed lovers. Finally, Leopold himself, in telling his own story through magazine articles and a popular autobiography, created for himself a new persona: that of a model prisoner who deserved parole. The highly publicized crime, prosecution, and punishment of Leopold and Loeb have served as a seemingly endless source of material and inspiration for American writers, dramatists, and social commentators. Because of continued interest in these events, they, together with attorney Clarence Darrow, have remained celebrities whose stories have inspired novelists, playwrights, poets, essayist and artists well into new century. Perhaps more than any other trial in American history, Leopold and Loeb case has served as an ongoing inspiration for American imagination.

Art · Confession (law) · Criminology · Humanities · Literature · Newspaper · Persona · Political science · Popular culture · Sociology · Tragedy (event) · History · Law · Law, Rights, and Freedoms

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