The book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote explains and reconstructs the murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas on November 15th, 1959. The Clutter family, Herbert “Herb”, Bonnie, and two of their children Nancy and Kenyon were all killed, each with a twelve-gauge shotgun. No one knew who killed them or why the crime took place, as the family was well-liked and in high standing in their town. Truman Capote wrote this novel based on information he had gathered about the case. He begins the story with a background on the Clutter family and locks in on the actions of Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, the perpetrators of the crime. The story also includes a background on the lead investigator, Alvin “Al” Dewey, a sheriff, and Special …show more content…
The bodies of the Clutter family were found by Clarence and his daughter Nancy Ewalt. They entered the Clutter home after there was no answer at the door as Nancy Ewalt usually went to Church with the family. Sherriff Robinson and undersheriff Wendel Meier arrived at 9:45 am the morning of November 15th. Nancy Clutter (16) was found under the blankets of her bed in her robe with her hands tied behind her and ankles bound with cord, with a gunshot to the back of the head. Her mother, Bonnie was found tied in her bedroom with her hands tied in front of her, unlike the way her daughter was found. The cord that tied her wrists went down to her ankles, then tied to the end of the bed with a gunshot to the side of the head. Kenyon Clutter (15) was found in the basement playroom by the couch. He was gaged by adhesive tape and tied at the hands and ankles like his mother and sister. He was shot directly in the face. Herbert Clutter was found in the other room of the basement. He was found with his throat cut and was shot directly in the face like his son. His mouth was taped, and he was only tied at the …show more content…
The third section of the story begins with an old cellmate of Dick’s, Floyd Wells. Wells heard about the murder of the Clutter family and immediately knew that Dick committed the crime. He wanted to come forward but was nervous about what could happen to him. When Dick and Floyd shared a cell, they talked about previous jobs they had and when Floyd brought up his experience working on the Clutter farm, Dick could not stop asking questions. He heard about how much money they had which sparked his interest, he then began to ask about the layout of the home. Dick mentioned many times that he was going to rob them and kill any witnesses, including the
While searching the house, Ramsey and White went into the basement, and after looking around, John Ramsey opened the door to, what was later identified as the wine cellar, and turned on the light. At that time John Ramsey found the body of JonBenet on the floor. Instead of calling out to the police, who were in the house, John Ramsey removed the white blanket, which had been covering the body, and carried JonBenet’s body up to the living room and placed her on the floor (Saferstein, 2011). This action alone, contaminated the crime scene, and may have possibly damaged or caused valuable evidence to be lost. When the body of JonBenet was found, her mouth and neck were bound with duct tape, and she had been strangled with a garrote (Denver Post, 1999).
Also, graphic photos from inside the home where the family was killed. These pictures are relevant for us to know because it could give us the idea of how each person was murdered in where in the house. This case became a major problem in 1959. In a Hutchinson article I found on the internet talks about the tragedy and who the Clutter family were. After hearing about the murders of Herb Clutter and his family, Truman Capote wanted to go to Kansas and write about the murders of the family.
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood is a nonfiction novel that starts in the town of Holcomb, Kansas. The story begins by introducing the Clutter family and shifts back and forth with the plot of the murderers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The Clutter family is described as a kind, hard-working, and responsible family that receives great respect from everyone including those in their neighborhood and church.
The Police arrived shortly after and entered Mr. and Mrs. Clutter 's room, there they found Mrs.Clutter tied up and executed the same way as her daughter. Kenyon, the youngest of the Clutters was found in the basement, he was found dead in the same
She was repeatedly stabbed, once in the throat and then washed in a bathtub. Her body was left on the bed and her wounds were covered with adhesive tape with a skirt placed over her head. Hair was found in her hand that leads experts to think that she struggled with the intruder. No valuables were taken. About 7 months later on December 11 another female body was found.
On December 26, she was found by her father, John Bennett Ramsey, with duct tape covering her mouth, a nylon cord strangled around her neck, and her hands tied above her head. With little evidence and many theories, three main suspects include, Patsy Ramsey,
The two then left Nancy’s room and decided to check out the rest of the house, “So we walked to the end of the hall, the last door, in there, on her bed, that's where we found Mrs. Clutter. She'd been tied,
A Family Tragedy : In Cold Blood by Truman Capote In Cold Blood is a nonfiction novel written by Truman Capote in which he narrates the murder of a family the Clutter family; “Herbert Clutter The father of the Clutter family, Bonnie Clutter Herbert's wife, Nancy Clutter youngest Clutter children, Kenyon Clutter the oldest Clutter children” (SparkNotes Editors) in a savage act. “Capote’s next big project started out as an article for The New Yorker”(biography.com) but after going with Harper Lee, his friend, to interview the people in the small Kansas community. He decided to make a nonfiction book which was later on famous for the “dark [themes]”(biography.com) Truman expose, which was later on banned in “Savanna, Georgia, for containing
In the novel In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote, many relationships are tested and different perspectives of trust, and determination are seen when a tragedy hits the small town of Holcomb, Kansas. In 1959, Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter were all murdered, leaving no trace of the potential killer. Their deaths were gruesome, and unpleasant, leaving the whole community of Holcomb terrified. Within the piece of literature, the main controversial issue present is the topic of violence. Although In Cold Blood displays scenes with very gruesome violence, it should be included in high school Advanced Placement curriculum because it explains the reality of the situation, and displays the different perspectives of trust when the murder of
He also had a wife which he had a child with. He later divorced his his wife and married another lady and had a child with her too, but he ended that relationship also. His life kept going further and further down, he started writing fake checks for himself, which put him in prison. That's where he met has future partner in crime Perry smith and came up with the plan to do this robbery. Dick wanted to take the money and get away from the world.
In Cold Blood Rhetorical Analysis Typically upon hearing about a murder, especially a brutal and unwarranted one, we find ourselves feeling a great sense of disgust for the murderer or murderers who committed these crimes; however, in Truman Capote’s novel In Cold Blood, the lives and experiences of the murderers, particularly Perry Smith, are displayed in a way the makes you feel pity for him as well as the victims. When comparing Capote’s Novel to a typical news article on a similar topic it is easy to see the that Capote's style varies from typical journalism. An article written by Frances Robles and Nikita Stewart titled “Dylan Roof’s Past Reveals Trouble at Home and School,” discusses the childhood and background of Dylann Roof, a twenty-one
How crazy would it be to interview criminals who murdered 4 people in cold blood? Well that’s exactly what Truman Capote did in this chilling book. In the novel In Cold Blood, Truman Capote used different rhetorical strategies to create sympathy and influence the idea that there are always two sides to every story. Some of the mainly used rhetorical strategies throughout the novel were imagery, diction, tone, and pathos. Furthermore, Capote also illustrated sympathetical emotion towards both types of characters, the protagonists and antagonists.
He is portrayed as a mastermind in the cold-blooded killing of the Clutters family, a man with little respect for the lives of others, which can be seen through Dick’s expression before the murder of the Clutters when he converses Perry, “We’re gonna go in there and splatter those walls with hair” (Capote 234). This sudden tone shift enables Capote to depict Dick as a cruel and immoral character. Dick’s lack of empathy and concern for other people beside himself allow him to commit crimes without remorse, which is in contrast to Perry’s moral contemplation after each bad actions they committed. Moreover, Dick is represented as the true criminal with evident motives in murdering the Clutters, while Perry is seen as a vulnerable victim who depends on Dick for validation and acceptance, something in which Dick happily provides in order to manipulate Perry, as Capote writes, “Dick became convinced that Perry was that rarity, ‘a natural born killer,’—absolutely sane but conscienceless, and capable of dealing with or without motive, the coldest-blooded deathblows. It was Dick's theory that such a gift could, under his supervision, be profitably exploited” (Capote 205).
Nancy had been "shot in the back of the head with a shotgun held maybe two inches away. She was lying on her side, facing the wall, and the wall was covered with blood. The bedcovers were drawn up to her shoulders." "Her hands were tied behind her, and her ankles were roped together." Mrs. Clutter was found on her bed "she'd been tied, too.
“But the evidence will show he directed her off the highway to a dark, secluded where he strangled her with a rope and threw her body off a bridge.” Desloup stated (pg 1). As stated in the case, the murder weapon was a rope, as she died because of strangulation. After the murder,