True Crime Stories

As I went through my list for my next blog and came across this one I was unsure about doing it for a few reasons. First, child murders are often difficult to read and research.  Of course that has not stopped me since I have blogged about several cases involving child murders despite they being the most heart wrenching to do.  Secondly, this case was one of the more notorious cases and a case from the 1950's which means that there is a lot written about it but not all of it is completely consistent.  For example I several times I came across the name Robert Paul Greenlease.  More than one source said that Robert Paul was the older, adopted brother of young Bobby Greenlease.  However a website that was designed by a family member states he is an older brother from an earlier marriage of the father.  This may sound like a petty thing to some, and maybe it really is but it bothers me for two reasons.  First I am also very much into genealogy so rela...

This is one of the cases that "won't go away."  In hindsight there is really very little that is "sensational" about the story by modern standards but in 1924, at the time of the crime it became one of the first dubbed "crime of the century." Nathan Leopold Jr., 19, and his partner in crime, Richard Loeb, 18 were two University of Chicago law students who came from wealthy families.  On May 21, 1924 Leopold and Loeb kidnapped 14 year old, Robert "Bobby" Franks while he walked home from school.  Once inside the car they had rented, Bobby was murdered and his body was dumped in a culvert near Hammond Indiana.   Most believe that Loeb was the driving force behind the crime.  It was said that he read a lot of detective novels and was fascinated by crime.  He also appeared to be the more social and dominating of the two.  Others believe that this crime would have never happened had the two not met and become friends.  Leopold was considered to...