Final answer:
The Luetgert murder case involved a trial in 1914 where a sixteen-year-old boy named Jean Gianini was accused of murdering his former teacher. The defense argued that Gianini was legally insane and did not realize the enormity of his crime. He was ultimately found not guilty.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Luetgert murder case refers to a historical criminal trial that took place in 1914 in the village of Poland, New York. In this case, a sixteen-year-old boy named Jean Gianini was accused of murdering his former teacher, Lydia Beecher. The prosecution argued that it was a premeditated, cold-blooded murder, while the defense claimed that Gianini was legally insane.
Gianini was linked to the crime through a lost button found at the scene, and he ultimately confessed to the murder. The trial included testimony from psychologist Dr. Henry Herbert Goddard, who presented his views on Gianini's mental state at the time of the crime. The jury found Gianini not guilty, accepting the defense's argument that he did not have a true realization of the enormity of his crime.