The fact that something of the sort took place doesn’t really change the nature of the novel. It functions as a sad historical curiosity.
I did not mean it would change perceptions positively or negatively.
It does illuminate some of the writing process.
Ayn Rand found a source of inspiration in a similar crime, the abduction and murder of 12 yr old Marion Parker in 1927.
Authors often use real life events as a starting point for their work.