Savage Son. Corey Mitchell
study of evolution the following year with his defense of high-school football coach and substitute science teacher John T. Scopes in the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial. Darrow was an adamant opponent of the death penalty, and even though he was no longer an active advocate for the court, he took the young men’s cases pro bono to make sure they received the highest-quality defense. He hoped to make the argument that every American citizen, regardless of how despicable he might be or how heinous a crime he might have committed, is fully entitled to top-level representation before the court—especially if that defendant’s punishment might include execution at the hands of the people.
Despite Leopold and Loeb’s adherence to their credo promulgated, as they believed, by Nietzsche and their ability to murder Franks with the utmost of ease, their ultimate convictions and life imprisonments blew out the biggest hole in their belief that they were supermen, that they were far superior in intellect and physical prowess to their fellow lowly mortal travelers.
11
Clements High School
Elkins Drive
Sugar Land, Texas
Bart Whitaker never had a problem attracting the fairer sex. He was considered pleasantly handsome, attractive, but not threatening. He could be described as having a gentle face, though something was a bit askew. Bart’s right eyelashes were discolored white, due to a genetic condition known as poliosis, which is a decrease in the melanin in hair. As a result, he resembled a reverse negative of Alex, Malcolm McDowell’s character in A Clockwork Orange, a vicious tale about the effects of entertainment and society on a young ringleader of a gang of slightly dimmer side-kicks. In the film, Alex has heavy black mascara on his right eyelashes. The unique feature made Bart’s somewhat decent looks stand out even more.
One of the young ladies who caught Bart’s white-lashed eye was his journalism classmate Lynne Sorsby. The pleasantly pretty brunette, with shoulder-length hair, found Bart to be an intriguing, if somewhat quiet, boy. Of course, she was a whole year older than Bart, so he would have to prove himself worthy of her attention. Actually, Lynne was a very giving, sweet girl who readily made friends. She never held her family’s status as owners of an extremely successful construction equipment rental company over others. She was as sweet, likable, and normal a girl as any young man could want, and any family would readily welcome her into their open arms.
Lynne and Bart developed a strong friendship during their time together in journalism class. They enjoyed learning, studying together, and simply talking to one another. Their courtship lasted nearly a full year before they became an official couple. Bart truly believed that Lynne was “the girl,” and he made every effort in the book not only to woo her, but to keep her happy and content while they were together.
Their relationship flourished over time, and Bart eventually began to open up to Lynne more and more. He felt as if he could trust her with his most intimate thoughts and well-preserved secrets. He knew he could trust her with his life, and that she would never judge him harshly for any flaws he may have buried deep within. He decided to hit her with a doozy.
“I’m adopted,” he whispered to her one afternoon, when just the two of them were together.
“What?” replied Lynne, taken aback.
“I’m adopted,” Bart reiterated.
“You’re not adopted,” Lynne laughed and punched Bart in the shoulder.
“No, it’s true. I’m adopted.” Bart insisted.
Lynne hesitated. “Seriously?”
“I’m dead serious.” Bart remained stone-faced. “I have no idea who my biological parents are. Kent and Tricia adopted me when I was a tiny baby.”
Lynne had no idea what to say. She simply looked quietly at Bart, with a touch of sympathy infiltrating her lovely face. Despite hearing the words coming out of his mouth, she knew what he was saying was not true. He had a way of speaking rather “cryptically, so only he and one other person would catch the gist of the conversation.” Maybe, she thought, that’s what he was doing when he claimed to be adopted. Yet, she never called him on it. She merely wrote it off as one of Bart’s eccentricities, and that he was simply being a goof. Besides, she knew Bart loved his family dearly and would do anything for them. Though they did not speak about their families very often when together, Lynne always noted how Bart seemed very close to his. He told her he worried about his little brother, Kevin, who always seemed to struggle in school. Bart was worried Kevin would not graduate and make it to college and become successful. He was “very protective of Kevin.” Lynne also believed that Bart got along just fine with his parents and never noticed any “ill will” expressed toward them. He definitely “never expressed any violent or hateful comments about anybody in his family to me,” Lynne emphasized.
Bart and Lynne spent most of their time basking in each other’s glow. She did notice a few other not-quite-normal character traits about Bart, which she thought nothing of at the time. The main one being that she believed Bart was a good manipulator. Lynne described Bart as someone who can “convince people to think the way he wants to, or believe the things he wants them to” believe.
Lynne also made note of the type of people he befriended. It was “usually people with low self-esteem” or “people who didn’t think much of themselves.” She never considered herself to fall within that category.
12
July 1997
Clements High School
Sugar Land, Texas
Bart Whitaker spent his summer before his senior year at Clements High School, literally inside Clements High School. Regrettably, it was not under the best of conditions.
Bart and two of his friends decided they were up for a Nietzschean adventure. The three teenagers felt bored and wanted to cause some mayhem. Led by Bart, they agreed they would break into Clements High School for a little vandalism and theft.
Bart and his friends gathered together at Bart’s house to discuss the reconnoitering of the campus. Once they agreed that they should enter the building through a skylight in the roof, they took off for the school, beginning their “mission impossible.” The three teenagers scouted the location two times before they decided to proceed forward with their criminal activity.
When they finally went through with the burglary, one of the friends had dropped out. Bart and the one remaining friend dressed all in black, with gloves and masks—the works. They made their way to the campus, scaled the side of the building, crawled through the skylight, and entered inside the school.
Bart and his friend scampered around inside the building. Bart’s friend seemed nervous, while Bart remained a beacon of calm. As they worked their way around the school’s interior, they found the mother lode—a classroom full of audio-visual equipment. VCRs, television sets, laser disc players, and computers were at their disposal. Bart honed in on two computers, which he and his friend packed up and readied for transport. As the two boys rolled the computers toward the exit, Bart heard a large door slam closed. Bart looked at his buddy and motioned that they take off without their bounty.
Later that same night, Bart convinced his two friends to go to the school to complete the burglary. Like good foot soldiers, they did as they were told. When they met up with Bart to show him their take, he was pleased.
But Bart wanted more.
The three boys continued their illegal escapades, and they decided to target Clements High School once again. They hit the school a second time about a week later. They brazenly entered on a rope through an open window. This time, they stole two televisions, a VCR, and a laser disc player. They stowed the hot items in the bed of one of the friends’ truck, and drove back to the other friend’s house.
The three boys had broken into a school three times, had burgled the place twice, and had not smelled a whiff of trouble for their efforts. They were excited by their rewards, and were starting to feel invincible.
Bart, however, already