The Brick Slayer

In 1937, a series of brutal home invasions rocked Los Angeles, culminating in the arrest of African American teenager Robert Nixon in Chicago a year later. His arrest sparked significant racial tensions, exacerbated by his mistreatment in custody and the racially charged portrayal by the press. Facing an all-white jury, Nixon experienced the fastest conviction in Cook County history, a case that inspired Richard Wright’s influential novel, Native Son. The Brick Slayer, part of Harold Schechter's Bloodlands collection, delves into this historical narrative, exploring themes of bigotry, suppressed rage, and the complexities surrounding the making of a murderer.