Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb Tried to Commit the Perfect Crime

by Candace Fleming

Overview

How did two teenagers brutally murder an innocent child...and why? And how did their brilliant lawyer save them from the death penalty in 1920s Chicago? Written by a prolific master of narrative nonfiction, this is a compulsively readable true-crime story based on an event dubbed the "crime of the century."

In 1924, eighteen-year-old college students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb made a decision: they would commit the perfect crime by kidnapping and murdering a child they both knew. But they made one crucial error: as they were disposing of the body of young Bobby Franks, whom they had bludgeoned to death, Nathan's eyeglasses fell from his jacket pocket.

Multi-award-winning author Candace Fleming depicts every twist and turn of this harrowing case—how two wealthy, brilliant young men planned and committed what became known as the crime of the century, how they were caught, why they confessed, and how the renowned criminal defense attorney Clarence Darrow enabled them to avoid the death penalty.

Following on the success of such books as The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and The Family Romanov, this acclaimed nonfiction writer brings to heart-stopping life one of the most notorious crimes in our country's history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593177426
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	03/29/2022
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	139,993
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)
Lexile:	850L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Candace Fleming is the prolific and versatile award-winning author of many books for children and young adults. Her most recent title, The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, received six starred reviews, was a Kirkus, PW, Booklist, and SLJ Best Book of the Year, and was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as a "fascinating chronicle." Candace's The Family Romanov also received six starred reviews and won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and was recognized as a Sibert Nonfiction Honor Book. Amelia Lost received four starred reviews and won the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction. Her many acclaimed picture books include Giant Squid, a Sibert Honor Book. Visit her on the web at candacefleming.com.

Read an Excerpt

Part One

Where

Is Bobby?

Chapter One

Wednesday, May 21, 1924

Nineteen-­year-­old Nathan Leopold would kill a child today. He didn’t expect to get much pleasure from it. Still, it would be an interesting intellectual experiment, like an entomologist sticking a pin through a beetle. Besides, his friend Richard wanted this murder . . . badly. And Nathan would do anything for Richard Loeb.

Nathan lit a cigarette and looked over at Richard. The eighteen-­year-­old appeared calm as he drove the rental car. But Nathan could see a muscle in Richard’s right cheek twitching. He knew that sign. Richard was ready, eager even, to kill somebody.

On the floor of the backseat, wrapped in a blanket, lay their gear—rope, chisel, adhesive tape, gags, hydrochloric acid, and hip boots. They had everything they needed. Everything but a victim.

Nathan looked at his watch.

Two-­thirty.

School was letting out.

The pair drove into their Chicago neighborhood of Kenwood, a little pocket of fashionable homes on the city’s South Side. A street away from the Harvard School for Boys, Richard pulled to the curb. He turned off the ignition. They sat there. Who should they grab? They hadn’t settled on a specific victim. Any boy would do.

Leaving Nathan in the car, Richard walked to the school. Kids poured out onto the playground. He noticed nine-­year-­old Johnny Levinson, who was in the same fourth-­grade class as Richard’s little brother, Tommy. Just days earlier, the boy had played at the Loeb house.

There couldn’t be a better victim. Stick thin and small for his age, Johnny would be easy to nab.

Richard turned on his charm. “What are you doing after school?” he asked Johnny in his friendliest voice.

“I’m going to play baseball,” replied Johnny.

Where? Richard wanted to know. Who with?

It was just a pickup game with some friends, Johnny told him. He was headed over to the vacant lot at 49th Street and Drexel.

Richard wondered how to lure the boy to the car. Should he offer him a ride?

But before he got the chance, Johnny ran off.

Frustrated, Richard walked around to the front of the school. He saw Tommy standing on the steps. Maybe he should grab him.

Just then Nathan whistled for Richard to return to the car. When he did, Nathan said, “There are some children playing on Ingleside Avenue.” Maybe they could catch one of them.

Richard had a better idea. Why not go over to the vacant lot on 49th Street and watch Johnny’s baseball game? They could snatch the boy afterward as he was walking home.

Nathan agreed. They drove ­toward the lot. Yes, the boys were there. But from the moving vehicle, Richard and Nathan couldn’t recognize anybody. They parked again, a block from the lot, and walked down an alley to a spot where they could see the game. Still, they couldn’t make out faces. Could they get closer? Not without being seen. And they couldn’t let that happen. When Johnny vanished, the police would put two and two together. No, they’d have to watch the boy from a distance. To do that, they needed Nathan’s field glasses.

It was only four blocks to the Leopolds’ house. After dropping Nathan off, Richard drove to a nearby drugstore. He bought two packages of gum before heading to the phone booth in the back to look up Johnny’s address in the telephone book. Chewing away, Richard flipped through the pages until he found it. He nodded. He now knew the route Johnny would take to walk home.

Minutes later, he picked Nathan up. They returned to the alley near the vacant lot. Passing the field glasses back and forth, they watched the children play. Nathan pointed out a few other possible victims. What about the shortstop, or the kid on third base? Richard nixed those ideas. He had his heart set on killing Johnny.

At four-­thirty, Johnny and some others suddenly walked away from the game. Richard grew worried. Was Johnny coming back? He and Nathan waited, but there was no further sign of the boy.

They drove around and around the neighborhood.

Who knew it would be so hard to nab a child?

Nathan looked at his watch again. It was getting late, almost dinnertime. They’d been searching for a victim for more than two hours. He suggested they try again tomorrow.

Richard refused. They’d been planning this for so long. They couldn’t quit. Not yet. One more time around the neighborhood, he insisted.

This time, Nathan drove. They passed by the vacant lot again. They went by the Levinson house, too.

No luck.

That was when they saw him, walking on the opposite side of the street all by himself. He wore a tan jacket, knickers, wool golf stockings with checkered tops, a necktie, and a tan cap.

“I know him,” said Richard.

It was his second cousin, fourteen-­year-­old Bobby Franks. Bobby lived across the street from Richard. Just yesterday they’d played tennis together on the Loebs’ court.

The car passed the boy. Richard signaled for Nathan to turn around and drive up behind him. As Nathan did, Richard climbed in back, behind the front passenger seat.

The car pulled up alongside Bobby.

“Hey, Bob,” Richard called. He leaned forward and opened the passenger door. “Do you want a ride home?”

Bobby shook his head. His house was only two blocks away.

“Come on in,” urged Richard. “I want to talk to you about the tennis racket you had yesterday. I want to get one for my brother.”

Bobby moved closer to the car. He was so close Richard could have grabbed him and dragged him in. Instead, he kept talking, kept smiling.

Bobby hesitated a moment longer. Then he slid into the front passenger seat. He looked over at Nathan.

“You know Leopold, don’t you?” said Richard.

Bobby didn’t. He turned around to the backseat, eager to talk tennis with his older cousin.

“You don’t mind [us] taking you around the block?” Richard asked.

“Certainly not,” said Bobby.

Nathan pulled away from the curb as Richard groped around on the floor for the chisel.

Table of Contents

Pari 1 Where is Bobby?

Chapter 1 Wednesday, May 21, 1924 3

Chapter 2 The Longest Night 8

Part 2 Boys Will Be Boys

Chapter 3 Nathan and Richard 15

Chapter 4 The Superman and the Master Criminal 32

Chapter 5 Apart and Together 44

Chapter 6 Planning the Perfect Crime 56

Part 3 Tracking The Killers

Chapter 7 Thursday, May 22, 1924 71

Chapter 8 Search for the Killers 84

Chapter 9 A Murderer's Theories; A Coroner's Inquest 95

Chapter 10 Saturday, May 24-Sunday, May 25, 1924 105

Chapter 11 Interrogation 113

Chapter 12 Another Day in Custody 127

Part 4 Confessions

Chapter 13 "I Will Tell You the Real Truth" 137

Chapter 14 Murderers' Field Trip 149

Chapter 15 "Impaling a Beetle on a Pin" 158

Chapter 16 Darrow for the Defense 171

Chapter 17 Searching for Insanity 183

Part 5 Courtroom Battle

Chapter 18 Surprise Strategy 205

Chapter 19 A Hot Day in Court 212

Chapter 20 Battles in and out of Court 219

Chapter 21 New-School Psychiatry Takes the Stand 230

Chapter 22 "The Ageing Lion" vs. "Fighting Bob" 248

Chapter 23 Waiting 263

Chapter 24 "Nothing but the Night" 267

Chapter 25 "Life in Prison Is Just What You Make" 279

Afterword 290

Acknowledgments 293

Bibliography 295

Notes 307

Image Credits 345

Index 347

Editorial Reviews

★ 01/31/2022

In five distinct sections, this gripping, thriller-paced true crime portrait by Fleming (The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh) centers Nathan Leopold (1904–1971) and Richard Loeb (1905–1936), who in May 1924 as University of Chicago students and on-again, off-again lovers targeted and killed Loeb’s 14-year-old second cousin Bobby Franks, in an attempt to commit the “perfect crime.” Beginning with a grisly account of the killing, the page-turning narrative next traces wealthy Leopold and Loeb’s childhoods and early friendship among Chicago’s Jewish elite, the tracking of the killers, the duo’s storied confessions, and the riveting courtroom battle involving attorney Clarence Darrow. Electrifying descriptions of the pivotal trial provide nuanced ethical and legal context around Darrow’s arguments against the death penalty. Fleming employs her usual flair for enlivening history, offering rich layers of information about the time, including the role that anti-Semitism, newspapers, and police corruption played in the case. Though Leopold and Loeb’s crime is difficult to stomach, Fleming crafts an absorbing saga sure to ensnare readers in its thrall. Black-and-white photographs and newspaper reproductions appear throughout, and an afterword and copious back matter reveal the book’s wealth of research. Ages 12–up. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Agency. (Mar.)■

Publishers Weekly

★ "An absorbing saga sure to ensnare readers in its thrall." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Fleming [is] a master of meticulously researched nonfiction.... Erudite, readable, and appalling." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ "In the field of YA narrative nonfiction, Fleming continues to outdo herself." —The Horn Book, starred review

★ "The engrossing true-crime narrative style and high-interest subject will likely make this a very popular pick among teen readers.... Thought-provoking reading sure to spark further conversations about crime and punishment." —Booklist, starred review

★ "A chilling page-turner with compelling psychoanalytic aspects not often seen in young adult nonfiction. Highly recommended." —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 05/01/2022

Gr 8 Up—A true crime story from 1924 Chicago in which two college students plan and carry out a kidnapping and murder as a way of demonstrating their superior intelligence. Both from wealthy families, best friends Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb excelled at academics, skipped grades in school, and saw themselves as above the rest of society yet lacked interpersonal skills and compassion. They believed, due to their superior intellect, any crime they planned and committed would be unsolvable, so they decided to carry out the ultimate crime. They plotted for months, kidnapped, and killed a 14-year-old neighbor, then attempted to collect a ransom from the victim's family. Within days of the murder, they were caught and quickly confessed, despite the corrupt and inept Chicago police at the time. The crime quickly gained national attention and was hailed as the crime of the century. Their families hired the renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow, a staunch opponent of the death penalty. Using groundbreaking defense techniques analyzing the mental condition of the young men, Darrow brilliantly fought to save them from the death penalty. Fleming breathlessly accounts the crime, trial, and the public discourse surrounding it. Equally fascinating, she explores the disturbing, psychological life of the murderers, including their unusual upbringings, codependent relationship, and manipulative relationships with the media and prison guards to gain public favor. Includes numerous black-and-white photos and extensive back matter. VERDICT A chilling page-turner with compelling psychoanalytic aspects not often seen in young adult nonfiction. Highly recommended.—Karen T. Bilton

School Library Journal

★ 2021-12-15
A comprehensive recounting of a child murder and the resulting landmark trial.

On May 21, 1924, 19-year-old Nathan Leopold and 18-year-old Richard Loeb drove through the streets of Kenwood, an affluent, partially Jewish neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, looking for a random child to kill. They considered one of Richard’s little brother’s friends, but when that boy ran off, they settled on 14-year-old Bobby Franks, one of Richard’s cousins, with whom he’d played tennis the day before. Richard wished to prove himself a “master criminal”; Nathan wanted Richard to remain his lover. But despite the general incompetence and corruption of Chicago’s police force at that time, the pair were quickly taken into custody and confessed. Though their guilt was unquestionable, their families sought no less an attorney than Clarence Darrow (eminent in his profession though not yet of Scopes Monkey Trial fame), who took the case due to his hatred of the death penalty. Insanity had until then been seen as a binary condition; Darrow, saying “all life is worth saving,” argued that it was a continuum that could mitigate without fully denying culpability. Fleming, a master of meticulously researched nonfiction, covers Leopold’s and Loeb’s troubled childhoods, the horrible crime itself, the odd bond between the newspapers and the police that facilitated a conviction, and Darrow’s intelligence and humanity. In the end, however, Leopold and Loeb are so chilling that readers won’t celebrate their judicial victory.

Erudite, readable, and appalling. (afterword, bibliography, endnotes, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews

With the talents of narrator Angela Dawe, the author’s excellent research and strong writing propel listeners through this account of the 1924 murder committed by teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Dawe reveals the step-by-step plotting of two bright, privileged boys who kidnap, ransom, and murder a 14-year-old. Their purpose? To pull off a perfect crime. The details are not terribly graphic, but listeners may feel discomfort at the amoral attitude of the antiheroes, their troubled pasts, and their complex relationship. Dawe’s narration of how the crime was solved is gripping and provides context of the era. Listeners will certainly feel stirred by Dawe’s portrayal of the powerful defense mounted by renowned attorney Clarence Darrow, who condemned capital punishment. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2022 - AudioFile

With the talents of narrator Angela Dawe, the author’s excellent research and strong writing propel listeners through this account of the 1924 murder committed by teenagers Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb. Dawe reveals the step-by-step plotting of two bright, privileged boys who kidnap, ransom, and murder a 14-year-old. Their purpose? To pull off a perfect crime. The details are not terribly graphic, but listeners may feel discomfort at the amoral attitude of the antiheroes, their troubled pasts, and their complex relationship. Dawe’s narration of how the crime was solved is gripping and provides context of the era. Listeners will certainly feel stirred by Dawe’s portrayal of the powerful defense mounted by renowned attorney Clarence Darrow, who condemned capital punishment. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2022 - AudioFile