The next day, a ransom note was sent to his terrified parents telling them that to ensure Bobby's safe return, $10,000 -- a very large sum in 1924 -- must be produced by noon. "George Johnson" called to give the Franks family instructions on where to leave the ransom money, but in the meantime, Bobby's body had been found in a culvert.

As the investigation of Bobby's brutal murder went into high gear, suspicion increasingly focused on the two young college men. Amazingly, despite their intelligence a few stupid mistakes handed prosecutors a powerful case. Public sentiment in Chicago, exacerbated by anti-Semitism in the heartland, was to hang them.

But then the legendary Clarence Darrow took on their defense, but even so there were very serious doubts that even the great lawyer could save them from the hangman's noose.


Graham Young
Young psychopath obsessed with poisons grows up to be the expert St. Albans Poisoner, assisted by negligent authorities.


Bizarre Murder of Robert Schwartz
On Monday, December 10, 2001, 57-year-old Robert Schwartz, a nationally reknown scientist in biometics and DNA research, did not show up for work. His coworkers phoned a neighbor to check on him. He had lived alone since his wife had died and was usually quite punctual, so they were worried. They had good reason to be. His corpse was found face down in his log-and-slate farmhouse, some forty miles west of Washington, D.C. He had been stabbed repeatedly with a sharp knife-like implement two days earlier and left to die. Investigators who arrived at the scene could clearly see an 'X' carved into the skin on the back of Schwartz's neck, which seemed to indicate that the murder was ritualistic.

Police had seized several knives, swords, and documents about human sacrifice in the Wiccan tradition. The "X" was thus surmised to be an occult symbol. Also, they had seized a computer and two black cloaks from a home in Haymarket. Finally they pieced together a strange and deadly web of relationships. The actual killer had a fascination with medieval wizardry and weaponry and was deeply involved in roleplaying games that involved vampire imagery. His confession shocked the country.


Joe Hunt
Joe Hunt, young psychopathic genius, and his Beverly Hills prep school chums started the BBC, known as the Billionaire Boys Club in the NBC mini-series, an investment club that was to make a fortune for them and their investors.



Past Specials