Murder, Memory, and Misrepresentation: The Controversial Impact of 'In Cold Blood'

   

    It was like any morning in the small town of Holcomb. A nice quiet small town in Kanas. Susan Kidwell and Nancy Ewalt walked to the house of Nancy Clutter. They knocked on the door of the Clutter home, but there was no response. Little did they know they would walk into the tragedy that would effect the whole town of Holcomb. It would cause reporters flooding to the small town, crafting headlines about 'The Clutter Family Murders' and 'Family of Four Tragically Murdered'. But one author would make the story of the Clutters heard across the nation. One book that would be read by millions and would help start the genre of true crime. 

    Before we get into the book, we need to dive into the facts of the case. On the night of November 14, 1959, the Clutter home was broken into. The intruders entered through an unlocked door and woke the Clutter family. The intruders put Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter into the upstairs bathroom and lead Herb Clutter into his office, looking for money. Herb told them that he did not have cash dollars on him. The intruders were enraged by this information, thinking Herb Clutter was lying. The intruders then took Nancy and Bonnie Clutter into their rooms and tied them up and shot them. They then took Herb and Kenyon into the basement and shot them both. The intruders only took 50 dollars, a pair of binoculars, and a radio. The city was stunned by the case. The Clutters were well know in the community, no one saw why someone would harm the family. The evidence that police found was when a investigator took a photo and was able to show a foot print. The murders fled the area immediately and would be on the run. The police had little evidence, but were sent a letter from a prisoner that said that one of his cellmates was planning on killing the Clutter family. The police found them in Nevada and they had a stolen truck and still had the boots that matched the foot print in the Clutter home. They were able to catch them on December 31, 1959. The murders were Perry Smith and Richard Hickock. The two confessed to murdering the family and were then put on trial. The jury decided unanimously that they were guilty and recommended the death penalty. Perry Smith and Richard Hickock were executed on April 14, 1965.

    During this time, Truman Capote went to Kanas to write about the case. Truman Capote then became attached to the case and specifically telling the story of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock. Truman wanted to show the criminal mind and why would they commit such a violent crime. However, throughout the time with Perry and Richard, Truman became good friends with them. This caused Truman Capote to write about the lives of the two and their side of the crime. Then, 'In Cold Blood' hit the shelves in 1966. 300,000 copies of the book was sold and made people interested in true crime writings. However, in the present day, there are many controversies surrounding the book being allowed in schools and also the thoughts of relatives of the Clutter family. 

    The Clutter family had their own thoughts on the book and how it portrayed the family. One of the big problems the surviving daughters was the portrayal of Bonnie Clutter. Truman Capote describes in the book that Bonnie Clutter was mentally ill and would not get out of bed most days. However, this was false and the Clutter family was upset that Bonnie was seen this way in the book. The family describes Bonnie as a lovely woman and an excellent mother and Truman Capote took those traits away from her. The family has also expressed that they have not received any money from the book or movie, but they would not except any bit of it. The book has also been banned in some schools. In Glendale, California some schools decided to ban the book from being read in AP English classes. Parents believed the book was too violent and contained topics for a young audience. The book has been banned for having depictions of sex, violence, and profanity. 'In Cold Blood' has been a classic that dove into the mind of criminal and would have true crime become what it has today. The book has inspired others, but also has been controversial because of the Clutter family not being portrayed and was a second thought to Truman Capote. 

References

Banned Books 2012 – In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequenses. (n.d.). Marshall Libraries. https://www.marshall.edu/library/bannedbooks/in-cold-blood/

‌ Burbank, J. (2019, November 15). Sixty years later, “In Cold Blood” murders still resonate.

    The Mob Museum. https://themobmuseum.org/blog/sixty-years-later-in-cold-blood-murders-still-                resonate/

Clutter Family Murders | Garden City Police Department. (2019). Gcpolice.org. https://www.gcpolice.org/about-gcpd/history/famous-cases/clutter-family-murders

Tedrow, B., Welch, L., & Bascue, K. (2017, November 18). Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7531564/

Wealthy Farmer, 3 Of Family Slain. (2018). Nytimes.com. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/12/28/home/capote-headline.html

‌‌

‌