In 1924, teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were tried for the brutal murder of a young boy in Chicago, Illinois. The prosecutor called it “one of the most cold-blooded, cruel and cowardly crimes ever committed in history” (“Saved from the Gallows” 1). Newspapers all over the country had stories of the crime. The public had called for Leopold and Loeb’s execution; however, they were saved from the gallows by their defense attorney Clarence Darrow. Americans were shocked and fascinated by the Leopold and Loeb case due to the defendants’ wealth, intellect, and psychology, which resulted in the mitigation of their punishment for America’s first thrill killing. After two months of planning, Loeb and Leopold had decided to carry out the …show more content…
Following Darrow’s plea, State Attorney Crowe had demanded the death penalty as the only answer to the crime. However, it was ultimately up to the judge to determine if Darrow’s points were valid enough. On September 10, Judge Caverly delivered his verdict: life sentence in prison for murder, plus 99 years for kidnapping. He emphasized that the court was moved “by the age of the defendants.” In the history of Illinois, only two minors had ever been put to death, and they had been offered life imprisonment if they would plead guilty. Nevertheless, it was clear from the judge’s remarks that these two young men should never walk free again (Horan 199). Leopold and Loeb were sent to the Northern Illinois Penitentiary near Joliet. In 1936, Loeb was killed by a fellow inmate. Leopold, on the other hand, had made an educational system for prisoners. In 1958, he was paroled and worked as a hospital technician until his death in 1971. (Aymar and Sagarin 368-369; “Leopold and Loeb” 160). Clarence Darrow’s defense case had established one of the most famous crimes of the 20th century. The Leopold and Loeb case is considered America’s first thrill-killing, which resulted in the mitigation of their punishment, due to Darrow’s proven points of wealth, intellect, and psychology, which still leaves America shocked and fascinated