Father Of Slain Boy Leiby Kletzy Sues Alleged Killer for $100 Million

Accused killer Levi Aron (left, AP) and victim Leiby Kletzky (right)

It wasn't until several weeks ago that the father of Leiby Kletzky, the 8-year-old Brooklyn boy whom police say was brutally murdered by Levi Aron, learned the horrific details of his son's death. Aron reportedly confessed to killing Leiby in July after finding the lost boy wandering the streets of Borough Park. In addition to the criminal charges he now faces, Leiby's devastated father Nachman Kletzky has filed a lawsuit against Aron. The civil lawsuit describes the murder as “one of the most horrific crimes in the history of the County of Kings,” and seeks $100 million in punitive damages from the mentally unstable hardware store clerk.

In the wrongful-death lawsuit, Kletzky claims his son was walking home from summer camp and was “without justification or excuse, abducted, held hostage against his will” at Aron’s home before being “terrorized, physically and psychologically assaulted,” according to court papers obtained by the Wall Street Journal. "The defendant’s culpable acts ... were utterly reckless, malicious, wanton, willful and exhibited a depraved indifference to the health, safety, freedom and rights... of Leiby Kletzky." Kletzky's lawyer says the family is seeking compensation for the potential loss of income that Leiby would have earned had he reached working age. A person familiar with Aron’s finances tells the Journal he has no money.

In a separate lawsuit, Kletzky is suing Aron's father Jack Aron, who owns the Kensington home where the boy was held hostage, smothered to death, poisoned and finally dismembered. The elder Aron is accused of "causing, allowing and permitting tools of terror to be and remain at said premises, knowing of the vicious, assaultive and murderous propensities of his son, Levi Aron," the court document says. Kletzy's lawyer Mark Goldsmith tells the Daily News, "We find it hard to believe he was unaware the boy was in the house all that time when he failed to protect him."

Aron is being held under special guard on Riker’s Island; his pro bono lawyers are expected to plead insanity, but a team of psychiatrists recently deemed him fit for trial.

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By John Del Signore in News on August 29, 2011 4:47 PM

Comments [rss]

Soundstatues

I'm guessing there's a legal strategy behind this. Perhaps Aron and his family won't be able borrow money for his defense if lenders see that there's a $100mil lawsuit waiting in the wings. I don't have any legal training, but I'm guessing there's a strategic reason behind this. Just IMO.

e non

awesome .... so families can now sue for projected lost wages for those killed in car accidents, murder victims, and whatever unexpected death occurs.

k3ll3s

How does one calculate the 'future wages' of a child?He has no past work history, did they use minimum wage? How long would they have expected the child to work? Did they base it on the father's work history? what if a parent were on welfare?
Does the civil suit seem a little early? Does this prevent the parents from spending any of their assets? (getting rid of any of their assets?) Or prevent the nutcase or his parents from receiving any money from interviews or book deals, etc.?
Why didn't they sue any of the other people in the house? Or the ex-wife? Or the employer at the hardware store? Or the psychiatrist who was treating the defendant?

Samantha_Ga

Also curious, if Levi is found innocent by way of insanity, how can you then file a civil suit against someone who has been declared insane? (Or rather, why would they rule the lawsuit in your favor?)

pendejito

And just when I thought stereotypes were sooo outdated.

Just A Hunk

I'm surprised that no one is seeing the symbolic nature of this lawsuit. The civil suit is basically just a "justice guarantee" in case the criminal case goes poorly (i.e. he's found not guilty by reason of insanity). Obviously the family knows they're never going to get $100M out of a hardware store clerk, but that amount guarantees that, should he manage to stay out of jail, he's never going to have a comfortable life or chance for any type of financial security.

pr3t3nd3r

if he is found to be insane, he will be in an asylum, what sort of 'comfortable life' do you mean? Also, the father is being sued too? Is that 'symbolic' in nature?

Samantha_Ga

I get your point, but to me suing for "compensation for the potential loss of income that Leiby would have earned had he reached working age. " seems incredibly tacky.

sharpshoota

They want the assets which is the property.

Nos Feratu

Why to go in not perpetuating those anti-semitic stereotypes about Jews being soulless money-grubbers.

robingee

Where's the hundred bajillion badillion dollars gonna come from?

Fofofofofo

Didn't you read the article? The Future. Duh!

Alex Cornell

I hate when people seek monetary gain after someone they love is killed. Like all of those 9/11 lawsuits... um I mean those were terrorist attacks, why should the families be paid money other than from things like life insurance. The government didn't kill them, yet the families want money from the government for their deaths?

This family should celebrate the life they had with him, because there's nothing that is going to bring him back. Yes it was absolutely horrible what happened to this adorable little boy, but what is $100M going to do for them? I feel like there are some cultural things going on there as well.

B

I don't think the family actually expects to get any money from this guy, since he probably doesn't have any. The family is just looking for an expression of outrage and disgust at this crime, and a $100 million verdict would certainly provide that (since who knows how the murder trial will turn out).

Rocknrope

As the insane murderer doesn't have two nickels to rub together, is there any logical reason for a lawsuit like this? Perhaps there are some legal ramifications for winning the civil suit that people are unaware of? Or is it simply as gross as I'm reading it to be?

k3ll3s

There is a very simple explanation. There are only 3 names on the deed to that three-family in Kensington. One of the parties is deceased, the other two are Levi Aron and his father.
Pretty gross, huh?

robingee

It's gross.

Hevan Chan

Because $100,000,000 is really going to bring your son back. How can you place a monetary value on something so tragic? This disgusts me.

FU Boy

What kills me is the assumption that their son's 'lost wages' would somehow, rightfully, be theirs. Were they expecting their son to work and give 100% of his wages to the family?

And arguing that theoretical money should become real, and given to someone else because of violent tragedy is a weak and opportunistic argument, in my mind.

Sue for the the horrible pain and suffering Leiby endured, fine and understandable. Sue for their pain and suffering, also fine. But possible wages? Who's to say he wouldn't have ended up as a salesman at B&H - and not anywhere close to worth 100 mil?