Uncovering the life of Nathan Leopold
Today there are many who have never heard of the name and crimes of Nathan Leopold Jr. Nearly a century has passed since the height of his infamy, when it was revealed to a shocked public that Leopold and his friend Richard Loeb, two wealthy, brilliant teenagers, had kidnapped and murdered a 14-year-old boy. The pair were tried and sentenced to life sentences for the murder and 99 years for the kidnapping, and the world watched as they were placed behind bars, already fearful that the day would soon come when their rich families would help them to freedom.
Yet in 1958 after three decades behind bars and a years-long public relations campaign, Leopold was released to widespread public approval. In the coming years, as word of Leopold’s service with a Protestant mission and his efforts fundraising for the construction of a hospital were released to the public, many were convinced that he was a completely new man. Politicians, celebrities and well-wishers around the world welcomed the aged Leopold into their lives, and even after his death in 1971 he lived on as a symbol of the potential for rehabilitation and as a reason to abolish capital punishment. But how much do we really know about this notorious man?
Join me as we uncover the life of Nathan Leopold.
<Leopold (center) leaving prison in 1958, courtesy of Getty Images