Are Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold still alive or dead in the murder of Bobby Franks?

How Did Bobby Franks Die?

Bobby Franks, also known as Robert Emanuel Franks, was the son of Jacob Franks, a wealthy Chicago watchmaker, and Flora Griesheimer. Bobby was born in Chicago, located in Cook County, Illinois. The couple had two more children, Josephine and Jack, before they had Bobby. Bobby is the couple’s youngest child. The student at the prestigious and private Harvard School, who was only 14 years old, developed a strong passion for various sports and enrolled there. After high school, he intends to continue his studies at a reputable institution due to the fact that he is both wise and mature beyond his years.

On May 21, 1924, a writer working for the Chicago Daily News overheard Illinois senator Samuel Ettelson and his friend Jacob telling the police that Jacob’s son Bobby had not come home from school. on that particular day. Bobby is Jacob’s son. When the man looked for his son at school, his wife received a phone call from a man who identified himself as “Johnson.” Johnson says he kidnapped Bobby. Jacob is ordered by the authorities to wait for further instructions from the kidnappers before he and his companions go out into the street, which could put Bobby in danger.

The next day, a note containing a ransom demand is sent to the Franks’ home. The note asked Jacob to take $10,000 and hide it in a cigar box. Jacob is in the process of complying with the requirement when he receives a second call informing him that the municipal morgue has a body consistent with Bobby’s age. However, when they find out that the deceased individual was wearing glasses, they are relieved that Bobby was not wearing glasses. Because Bobby’s family didn’t want the media to print false information, one of Bobby’s uncles went to the morgue to verify the information.

However, before Jacob proceeds to deliver the ransom, Bobby’s uncle calls to clarify that the body in question is in fact their son’s. This news prevented Jacob from leaving. When a manufacturing worker was returning to the mill after working the night shift, he was passing the Wolf Lake area of ​​Hammond, Indiana, when he found Bobby’s body in the bushes. About 25 miles north of Chicago, law enforcement officers arrived at the location, which was a culvert adjacent to railroad tracks owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. In order to expose Bobby’s true identity, hydrochloric acid was applied to his face and part of the perpetrator’s genitals. His face was so bad that the authorities barely noticed the wounds on his head.

Also read: Where are Sean Fitzpatrick and Michele Zammitti in connection with the murders of Chester Roberts and Michael Zammitti Jr.?

Who Wanted to Kill Bobby Franks?

Although the authorities did not have many clues or evidence, they chose to focus their investigation on the teachers and staff at Bobby’s school. According to the episode, the authorities believe that the fact that the perpetrator cut off the penis suggests that they are a perverted individual(s). They first had suspicions about the English teacher because, according to the accounts of various students, he allegedly made inappropriate offers to some students. Despite this, he was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.

The junior version of Nathan Freudenthal Leopold

Police consider the pair of eyeglasses discovered at the scene to be the single most important piece of evidence they have. The mill worker mistakenly believed the glasses belonged to the victim, and as a result, placed them in Bobby’s face, causing confusion in the first place. Despite the fact that the prescription for the pair of horn-rimmed glasses was very common, it was reportedly equipped with a unique feature that ultimately led the police to the crime. This feature is a patented hinge that connects the earpiece to the nosepiece of the glasses.

Almer Coe & Company is the only location in Chicago where these hinges can be purchased from the New York company that is their sole manufacturer. This retailer has only sold a total of three pairs of glasses fitted with such hinges; one of those pairs belonged to a woman, and the other was bought by a lawyer who was traveling in Europe at the time of the murder. Nathan Freudenthal Leopold Jr., who police questioned as a potential witness initially, bought a third pair of shoes for sale. Leopold said he may have put the glasses on when he was out bird watching.

Richard Albert Loeb

In addition, the police discovered that Nathan had a close friend named Richard Loeb, who some people claimed was his boyfriend. On May 29, 1924, both men were brought in for formal questioning, and Richard was the first to confess to the formal interrogation. He says that Nathan is the mastermind behind the crime and that he used a chisel to kill Bobby while Richard was driving the car. Soon, Nathan also confesses to the crime, claiming that he was the only driver and that Richard was the actual killer. The same confession was made publicly on May 31, 1924, despite the fact that the police could not identify the perpetrator of the murder.

Also read: WATCH: Bodycam video reveals Robert Telles’ 2020 arrest as suspect in Jeff German’s murder

Is it true that Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb both passed away?

Nathan and Richard allegedly killed Bobby because they were bored and wanted to commit the perfect crime, inspired by their delusions that they were Übermenschen, which is German for “supermen.” However, the most stunning aspect of the killing is the intent behind it. In July 1924, the trial began for both accused murderers, defended by prominent attorney Clarence Darrow. The trial lasted a total of 33 days, and as a result of Clarence’s eloquent and well-known arguments against the use of the death penalty, both defendants were ultimately sentenced to sentences of 99 years for kidnapping and life sentences for murder. Convicted murderers were placed in the Northern Illinois Penitentiary, located in the vicinity of Joliet, Illinois.

In 1931, Nathan was sent to Statesville Penitentiary, and Richard was next in line for the trip. The two managed to keep their friendship intact and even played a large part in expanding the prison school system. In particular, they advocated adding high school and junior college courses to the existing jail education program. On January 28, 1936, a fellow convict named James Day was responsible for Richard’s murder, which took place in the prison shower room. James used a straight razor to inflict more than 50 cuts on Richard’s body, including slitting his throat while he stood on his back.

A depressed While Nathan was in prison at the time, he continued his work and released his autobiography in 1958 under the title “Life Plus 99 Years.” In March of 1958, he was granted parole and allowed to leave prison. After working as a medical technician in a hospital in Puerto Rico, Nathan settled in Santurce and married a former widowed flower shop owner. He went on to receive a master’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, where he also attended lectures and later conducted research on leprosy at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine. In addition, he studied at the University of Puerto Rico. On August 29, 1971, at the age of 66, he passed away of natural causes, specifically a heart attack related to his diabetes.

Read more: Jeffery Dahmer: Who Was He? Why Wasn’t He Allowed to Stay in the Military? Did He Make a Killing There?