Richard A. Loeb

American murderer

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June 30, 2026

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Richard Albert Loeb, along with Nathan Freudenthal Leopold, Jr., were infamous Chicago murderers in 1924. They confessed to the kidnapping and murder of 14-year-old Robert (Bobby) Franks for an "intellectual" thrill. Both came from wealthy families and were intellectually precocious, having attended university at young ages.

The pair planned and executed the murder, demanding ransom from Franks' parents. However, clues, including Leopold's eyeglasses found at the scene, led to their arrest. They confessed, detailing their crime. Famed lawyer Clarence Darrow defended them, arguing for life imprisonment over execution due to their youth and psychological state. They were sentenced to life in prison for murder and 99 years for kidnapping. Loeb died in prison in 1936, while Leopold was paroled in 1958.12

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Leopold and Loeb
The murderers and their victim
Loeb also attended the University of Michigan, and he graduated at 17, following with postgraduate work at the University of Chicago. Leopold was the more scholarly of the two—an amateur ornithologist and linguist who spoke multiple languages—while Loeb was considered more social. Having attended separate…
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Loeb also attended the University of Michigan, and he graduated at 17, following with postgraduate work at the University of Chicago. Leopold was the more scholarly of the two—an amateur ornithologist and linguist who spoke multiple languages—while Loeb was considered more social. Having attended separate…
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Clarence Darrow
Leopold and Loeb (1924)
…defense of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy and academically gifted Chicago teenagers who kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks for what they called an “intellectual” thrill. The case, widely dubbed “the crime of the century,” gripped the public with its gruesome details and privileged defendants. A fierce opponent…
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…defense of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy and academically gifted Chicago teenagers who kidnapped and murdered 14-year-old Bobby Franks for what they called an “intellectual” thrill. The case, widely dubbed “the crime of the century,” gripped the public with its gruesome details and privileged defendants. A fierce opponent…
Read More