Ep 5. Leopold and Loeb

Leopold and Loeb is the fifth episode of the 1999 season of American Justice. This episode retells the infamous story of two wealthy teenagers in 1920s Chicago who committed what was deemed as the "crime of the century."

Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were both highly intelligent and wealthy individuals and became friends in their teenage years. They shared a love for Nietzschean philosophy, which emphasized the will to power and the superiority of certain individuals. This ideology led them to believe that they were above the law and could commit the perfect crime.

On May 21, 1924, Leopold and Loeb abducted and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks. Their motive was simply to prove that they could commit the perfect crime. They meticulously planned every detail, including putting on gloves and cleaning the car of any fingerprints. However, they made one fatal mistake - they left behind their custom-made eyeglasses at the crime scene.

The Chicago police were able to trace the glasses back to Leopold, who initially denied any involvement in the crime. However, when confronted with evidence, he confessed and implicated Loeb. Both boys were arrested and charged with murder.

The trial of Leopold and Loeb became known as the "trial of the century" due to the public's fascination with the two young killers. The prosecution sought the death penalty, while the defense argued that the boys were mentally ill and therefore not fully responsible for their actions.

The defense called upon several experts to testify about Leopold and Loeb's mental state, including psychiatrist Dr. William Alanson White. Dr. White argued that the boys suffered from a condition he called "transient psychotic episodes," which caused them to lose touch with reality.

The prosecution argued that the boys were not insane but simply evil. They pointed to the cold and calculated nature of the crime as evidence that the boys knew exactly what they were doing.

In the end, both Leopold and Loeb were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. However, their case had a lasting impact on the legal system, as it led to changes in the way that juvenile offenders were treated. It also popularized the field of forensic science, as it was the first case in which evidence such as fingerprints and spectacles were used to solve a crime.

The Leopold and Loeb case continues to fascinate people to this day, and has since been the subject of numerous books, films, and TV shows, including American Justice. This episode provides a detailed account of the crime, investigation, and trial of two young men who thought they could get away with murder.