Monday, April 30, 2007
Why read In Cold Blood?
I am going to read for the details that Capote chooses to use even though he wasn't present for them.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Clutter Family Murder
The Clutter family was brutally murdered by Dick Hickock and Perry Smith in Holcomb, Texas at their family home. There are many questions surrounding the murder, which leaves many aspects of the murder left unknown. People have their different views on the incident and some clash with eachother. Some think that Perry Smith was the only one who actually killed the family and Dick Hickock was just there to see it all happen. This is what I have learned based off of my research.
Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were connected to the Clutter family through Floyd Wells, Hickock's former inmate at Kansas State Penitantiary. While Wells was Hickock's inmate he told him about Herb Clutter, the father and husband of the Clutter family, and how the Clutter family had a safe in their house that held thousands of dollars. Wells knew all this information because he worked for the Clutters prior to going to jail. Upon hearing the news of the money that was held in the safe at the Clutter's, Hickock became fascinated and determined in robbing the Clutter family for the safe. Perry Smith then became part of the plan to pull the "perfect score" when Hickock wrote to him asking for his help. Hickock knew Smith because Smith was also one of Hickock's former cellmates. Smith met Hickock in Olathe, Kansas where Hickock was currently living with his parents. The pair set off towards the Clutter home on Saturday November 15, 1959. Hickock told his parents that they were just going to see Smith's sister in Fort Scott and that they would be back Sunday morning. The two arrived at the Clutter home around midnight and the plan was ready to be put into action.
Holcomb, Texas was a small town in which everyone knew one another. It was for this reason that many people in town did not lock any of their doors at night. This made it very easy for Hickock and Smith to enter the home of the Clutter's because they just walked in through a side door on the house that led to Herb's office where the safe was located. Both men got in the house very easy, but they were suprised to find out that there was nothing in the safe. The men cut the telephone lines that led to both phones so that the Clutters could not call for any help. After finding that there was nothing in the safe, the men continued in the house and tied up Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon. Hickock's plan was to kill all witnesses so that is what he was going to do. This was apparent because the men wore gloves so that they wouldn't leave finger prints but they did not wear masks because they were going to kill the whole family any ways.
Herb was the first one to get killed. His body was found near the furnance in the basement. His throat was sliced and he was also shot in the head. Kenyon, the youngest and only son of the Clutter family, was also found in the basement but on the couch. Kenyon was shot in the head. Bonnie's, Herb's wife, and Nancy's, Herb and Bonnie's 16 year old daughter, bodies were found laying in their beds. Both of them were shot in the head. All members of the Clutter family had their ankles and wrists tied up with rope. The original plan was to slice all of their throats but Smith could not take the sound it made when he cut Herb's throat so they just shot the rest of them. The knife that was used was a hunting knife and the gun was a .12-gauge shotgun. The pair left the Clutter home with $40 cash, Kenyon's radio and Herb'd binoculars.
The dead bodies of the Clutter family were discovered the next morning by Nancy's two friends Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell. Nancy's friends came over because they drove to church with the Clutter family every Sunday morning. The investigation into the murders then began. Hickock and Smith wore gloves so they didn't leave finger prints, but they did leave behind bloody boot prints by the body of Herb Clutter. Another fact that was discovered was that Herb Clutter signed papers for $40,000 in life insurance just either hours before he was murdered. This life insurance also stated that if his death was accidental, the sum would double to $80,000. The police got a lead on who the killers of the Clutter family were from Floyd Wells. When Wells heard about the murders, he knew it had to be Hickock. Wells was the one who told Hickock about the family and he knew it had to have been him who killed them. Wells later received a $1,000 reward and got out of prison early because he had told the police about Hickock.
Hickock and Smith were not captured until December 30, 1959 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cops recognized the 1956 Chevrolet that the two were driving in and pulled them over and took them to the Las Vegas City Jail. In the beginning Hickock thought the police were only after him for violating parole and writing bad checks. But once the police showed Hickock the pictures of the bloody footprint he left behind and told him they had a witness to the whole murders, Hickock confessed and said Smith was the one who did all the killings. The two went on trial for the Clutter family murders in March of 1960. They were both found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were hung on April 14, 1965.
Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were connected to the Clutter family through Floyd Wells, Hickock's former inmate at Kansas State Penitantiary. While Wells was Hickock's inmate he told him about Herb Clutter, the father and husband of the Clutter family, and how the Clutter family had a safe in their house that held thousands of dollars. Wells knew all this information because he worked for the Clutters prior to going to jail. Upon hearing the news of the money that was held in the safe at the Clutter's, Hickock became fascinated and determined in robbing the Clutter family for the safe. Perry Smith then became part of the plan to pull the "perfect score" when Hickock wrote to him asking for his help. Hickock knew Smith because Smith was also one of Hickock's former cellmates. Smith met Hickock in Olathe, Kansas where Hickock was currently living with his parents. The pair set off towards the Clutter home on Saturday November 15, 1959. Hickock told his parents that they were just going to see Smith's sister in Fort Scott and that they would be back Sunday morning. The two arrived at the Clutter home around midnight and the plan was ready to be put into action.
Holcomb, Texas was a small town in which everyone knew one another. It was for this reason that many people in town did not lock any of their doors at night. This made it very easy for Hickock and Smith to enter the home of the Clutter's because they just walked in through a side door on the house that led to Herb's office where the safe was located. Both men got in the house very easy, but they were suprised to find out that there was nothing in the safe. The men cut the telephone lines that led to both phones so that the Clutters could not call for any help. After finding that there was nothing in the safe, the men continued in the house and tied up Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon. Hickock's plan was to kill all witnesses so that is what he was going to do. This was apparent because the men wore gloves so that they wouldn't leave finger prints but they did not wear masks because they were going to kill the whole family any ways.
Herb was the first one to get killed. His body was found near the furnance in the basement. His throat was sliced and he was also shot in the head. Kenyon, the youngest and only son of the Clutter family, was also found in the basement but on the couch. Kenyon was shot in the head. Bonnie's, Herb's wife, and Nancy's, Herb and Bonnie's 16 year old daughter, bodies were found laying in their beds. Both of them were shot in the head. All members of the Clutter family had their ankles and wrists tied up with rope. The original plan was to slice all of their throats but Smith could not take the sound it made when he cut Herb's throat so they just shot the rest of them. The knife that was used was a hunting knife and the gun was a .12-gauge shotgun. The pair left the Clutter home with $40 cash, Kenyon's radio and Herb'd binoculars.
The dead bodies of the Clutter family were discovered the next morning by Nancy's two friends Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell. Nancy's friends came over because they drove to church with the Clutter family every Sunday morning. The investigation into the murders then began. Hickock and Smith wore gloves so they didn't leave finger prints, but they did leave behind bloody boot prints by the body of Herb Clutter. Another fact that was discovered was that Herb Clutter signed papers for $40,000 in life insurance just either hours before he was murdered. This life insurance also stated that if his death was accidental, the sum would double to $80,000. The police got a lead on who the killers of the Clutter family were from Floyd Wells. When Wells heard about the murders, he knew it had to be Hickock. Wells was the one who told Hickock about the family and he knew it had to have been him who killed them. Wells later received a $1,000 reward and got out of prison early because he had told the police about Hickock.
Hickock and Smith were not captured until December 30, 1959 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Cops recognized the 1956 Chevrolet that the two were driving in and pulled them over and took them to the Las Vegas City Jail. In the beginning Hickock thought the police were only after him for violating parole and writing bad checks. But once the police showed Hickock the pictures of the bloody footprint he left behind and told him they had a witness to the whole murders, Hickock confessed and said Smith was the one who did all the killings. The two went on trial for the Clutter family murders in March of 1960. They were both found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to death by hanging. Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were hung on April 14, 1965.
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