The shocking true story of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy college students who murdered a 14-year-old boy in 1924 to prove they were smart enough to get away with it. Official Website: | When Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two well-educated college students from a wealthy suburb of Chicago, confessed to the brutal murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks, the story made headlines across the country. The unlikely killers not only admitted their guilt, but also bragged that they had committed the crime simply for the thrill of it. As the sensational case unfolded during the summer of 1924, with famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow and Cook County Prosecutor Robert Crowe debating the death penalty and scores of commentators weighing in from the sidelines, the question of motive would be turned over and over again. What first seemed like a simple matter of evil gradually would give way to a complex assessment of the murderers' minds and a searing indictment of the forces that had shaped them, and set off a national debate about morality and capital punishment. © 2016 WGBH Educational Foundation 00:00 Prologue 04:28 Nabbing the Killers 09:38 The Confessions 14:41 Gods and Monsters 16:31 An Unholy Alliance 21:52 Enter Darrow 24:43 Preparing the Case 29:02 A Sensational Turnabout 31:15 The Hearing 39:02 Closing Arguments 44:53 The Decision 48:34 Epilogue This program is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station: Subscribe to the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE channel for more videos: Enjoy full episodes of your favorite AMERICAN EXPERIENCE shows anytime, anywhere with the free PBS App: FOLLOW AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Facebook: Twitter/X: Instagram: Threads:
