In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood

In Cold Blood is the true story of a multiple murder that rocked the small town of Holcomb, Kansas and neighboring communities in 1959. It begins by introducing the reader to an ideal, all-American family, the Clutters; Herb (the father), Bonnie (the mother), Nancy (the teenage daughter), and Kenyon (the teenage son). The Clutters were prominent members of their community who gained admiration and respect for their neighborly demeanors.

Capote tells the story in a way that makes you feel you are being told about the characters by a close acquaintance of each individual character. When you aren’t hearing the voices of the characters as they tell their own stories, we hear, not the voice of an author, but the voice of a friend who knew the characters well. (Before saying her prayers, she always recorded in a diary a few occurrences... Perry didn’t care what he drank... etc.)

The structure and style of the story allows you to feel as if you are a part of the events that transpire. We first become acquainted with the Clutter family through great detail. It seems as though we learn everything there is to know about the lives of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon -- that Bonnie spends the majority of her days locked in her room or in treatment centers as a result of some mysterious psychological disorder, that Herb prefers apples for breakfast, that Nancy is the perfect teenage girl, that Kenyon is a loner who enjoys spending time in the basement working on inventions and building furniture. Once we have gained such knowledge, the story begins to shift back and forth between the events taking place in the Clutter’s lives just prior to their deaths and the events taking place in the killers lives (their preparations for the Perfect score). When the two killers arrive at the Clutter’s home, we are left only with the information that the car crept forward toward the house. Suddenly, we are witnesses to the events, which transpire the following morning as two teenage girls (who had planned to attend church with the Clutters) end up finding the bodies in the house. It is not until the killers are captured much later in the story that we learn what happened in the house that night, and in the time between the Clutters killings and the apprehension of Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, we shift repeatedly between the Clutter’s community and the actions of the killers. Because we aren’t given information concerning the murders until the killers are captured, we are able to experience the sense of fear and frustration that plagues the local citizens and law enforcement officials. Not until Perry’s confession do we learn the actual events that took place at the Clutters’ estate on the night of the murders.

After being introduced to the Clutter family, you become acquainted with Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The two were former inmates who met in prison. After their release, the men meet up for what Dick calls a perfect score. As it turns out, Dick’s cell mate had worked for the Clutters some years earlier and suggested to Dick that he check into employment at the Clutters farm because the Clutters were such friendly, kind hearted people. The more Dick learned about the Clutters, the more he considered seeking fast cash as opposed to employment. During the trial in the last chapter of the book, however, Dick admitted that his sexual interest in teenage girls was the most powerful force in his decision to invade the Clutters home. Perry stopped him from harming Nancy.

Finally, the killers were identified by Dick’s former cellmate and tracked down in Las Vegas. In the time leading up to their arrest, you are offered greater insight into the characters of the two men. Because Perry opposed Dick’s crude behavior and showed compassion for the people, Dick intended to harm Perry and you are left to feel a bit of sympathy for him. It becomes tempting to see Dick as the manipulative leader and Perry as the helpless follower.

After the suspects were taken into custody, Perry eventually confessed that he had killed Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon, tied each of them up, made sure they were comfortable, then shot each of them in the head with a shotgun. In addition, it was Perry who cut Herb’s throat. Though Dick didn’t actually pull the trigger or hold the knife, he shined the flashlight into the faces of the victims as Perry killed them. Both men were found guilty of 4 counts of premeditated murder, and each was sentenced to death. While awaiting their executions, they appealed several times, losing each time, but managing to have their execution dates postponed.