Leopold and Loeb Chapters

Chapter 16 begins to tell the story of the trial.  It makes the reader feel as if they are there through the creation of a vicarious experience.  I was interested in the context of the trial, particularly the information about the judge and the lawyers.  This provided essential facts that made it possible to understand the nature of the trial.  It also addresses some of the unanswered questions such as who actually wielded the weapon and will be responsible for committing the actual act.  Like the texts we read about the Rodney King trials, this work provides a chronological telling.  It allows us to see how the events transpired rather than feeling more confused than ever.  The nature of this murder is troubling because it seems so neutral and that Bobby was chosen randomly.  The killers seem to lack feelings of remorse or really any feelings at all.  I struggled to decide which decision I ultimately thought was appropriate.  While what they did was horrendous and deserving of punishment, the text brings up important points.  On page 174, we are told that killing them will not bring Bobby back.  Should they be hanged or not?  How do we decide?  Another important question emerges regarding whether or not Bobby was sexually molested.  This brings the boy's sexual identities into question and broaches a whole new set of issues.  Did they plan to murder him?  Was their sexuality involved in the nature of the crime?  By seeing all parties in one place (the franks, the boy's families, etc.) the crime can be understood as a whole.  An important element in this chapter is ways in which to portray Leopold and Loeb.  If the audience can see them as human and the killing can be portrayed as painless, they will face less trouble.  I was intrigued by the obsession with finding a motive for the killing.  Perhaps there is no motive.  Clearly the boys do not need money and were not after Bobby Franks.  Can we say that because there was no real motive the crime is that much more atrocious?

In chapter 17 more important details emerge.  We learn that the psychiatric report was stolen and reported in the news.  This draws parallels to the document in Rodney King's trials that reached audiences it was not meant to.  Would everything have transpired differently if this information was not leaked?  We are still left wondering whether or not the pair is insane.  How do we really determine this, and if we do, what role does it play in the judges ultimate decision?  We also see counter narratives to those in the newspaper articles.  The text says that neither family is responsible for the sons going astray. The essential nature of this text is that it provided a context we failed to get elsewhere.  Loeb was potentially involved in a car crash before, something that points to his troubled and complicated past.  It seems that the details surrounding the incident are hazy, pointing to the fact that it may have been covered up.  Chapter 17 also tells us about the boys growing up.  The fact that they were raised by governesses reveals truths about their sexuality as well as the homes they lived in.  We can understand better both the formation of their character as well as a lack of emotional maturity.  It seems that the dichotomy between book and street smarts emerges here.  I appreciated being able to understand their upbringing, as it made their future selves more understandable.  The pair's active fantasy lives are also important to consider.  Did these images play a role in the crime?  Did they both think they could get away with a murder? Maybe both had a vision in which they became intellectual "heroes" and committed the crime of the century. Or perhaps their lack of emotion and sentimentality make the crime a random act that they committed out of boredom.  Perhaps we will never know the real motives and nature of the crime.

Chapter 18 provides an important detail: the fact that these boys could never have committed the crime alone.  It only became possible when their personalities and narratives became intertwined.  In examining the crime this way, we can begin to consider who committed the actual physical part of the murder.  It is pinned on Loeb for the first time, something that is possible only when the pair are considered as one.  The nature of their relationship is also important.  The text reveals details that we failed to see elsewhere. It is essential to look at who is the leader and who is being dominated, as it makes the crime more understandable.  Perhaps they were trying to prove their physicality both to each other and the world.  Ultimately, this text reveals just how complicated the trial is.  We must consider Leopold and Loeb separately, as well as together.  And their upbringing, past indiscretions, relationship with one another, and an unlimited list of other factors become important.  Perhaps it was not possible to really make an honest decision here, as all of the details could never come out.  There is an air of secrecy that emerges between both the killers themselves, and those unwilling to reveal documents about their psychological makeup.  I am still left wondering whether or not they are insane, or if the behavior stems directly from their lack of emotions and desire to be seen as supermen.