Over the past decade, though, the Walker family murders have taken on another chilling dimension, as the prime suspects are, at present, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. The Clutters were shot and killed by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith during a botched robbery at their Holcomb, Kansas, farm on Nov. 15, 1959. Having them dead meant peace to the public and justice for their crime. The detectives initially withhold any mention the Clutter case, and allow Dick and Perry to assume they are being held for parole violation. Along with Perry, Richard (Dick) Eugene Hickock was one of the two murderers of the Clutter family. And his lack of self awareness and insight makes Perry a tragic figure. However, I believe that the sentenced should be the same for both, Dick and Perry because both of them killed. While reporters, investigators, doctors, and the court finally get the answers they seek, Perry never does. Analysis. Hickock had heard from a fellow prisoner, who had once worked for the Clutters, that there was a safe . To pay back the world for everything they done to him Explain the comparison Perry makes when describing the Clutter murders and the duty of soldiers. Why is in cold blood a banned book? The punishment for second degree murder is anywhere from 10 years to life in prison while a person can receive the death sentence after committing a first degree murder. The Clutter Murders. Omaha. Perry Smith was convicted of premeditated murder because the two planned the home invasion and,. Said him and Perry was gonna go out there and rob the place, and they was gonna kill all witnesses—the Clutters" (161). Click to see full answer. Out of hatred and jealousy, Dick had decided to rob and kill the Clutter family. Why did Perry Smith kill? Many theories of crime can be examined in the text to try to explain why Dick and Perry committed such murder. Though they were both wounded in accidents they were still sane enough to know they were in the wrong. What projects caused Mrs.Clutter despair and why? The death penalty for both Perry Smith and Dick Hickock was for the best. Pg 97 Dick and Perry got money by writing hot checks for items, then selling the items later when they needed the money. The jurors were biased in the trial and did not give Dick and Perry a fair trial. Perry had read about that case in the paper and figured it was a copycat killing of theirs. In the Las Vegas County Jail, Dick is interviewed by Nye and Church, while Perry's interrogated by Dewey and Duntz. Both killers were found guilty and sentenced to death. Hickock tells police about hearing a "gurgling noise" when Smith slit Herb's throat before killing him with a shotgun blast to the head. Dick had thought that Clutter had a large safe. In regard to his family, Mr . Hearing Wells' stories, Hickock decided to go to the Clutter's property and to kill and rob the family, believing that Mr. Clutter had thousands of dollars in a safe which he kept in his office. He is shocked. Pg 92 In his dreams, he is always in some kind of trouble and a "sort of parrot" ends up saving him just in the knick of time. When you describe them like that, they seem one and the same, they're murderers. Josephine Meier, the undersheriff's wife, offers him some food when he arrives, but Perry is silent and doesn't have an appetite. When officers arrived, Herb Clutter, 48, lay sprawled on a mattress in the basement, stabbed, his throat slashed and a shotgun charge fired to his head. Smith later changed his confession and, because he "felt sorry for Dick's mother", claimed that he did indeed kill all of the Clutters, but because both refused to testify in court, no official testimony of who killed the women exists. Smithlater changed his confession and, because he "felt sorry for Dick's mother", claimed that he didindeed killall of the Clutters, but because both refused to testify in court, no official testimony of who killedthe women exists. The pair have agreed upon an alibi for the night of November 14th, which they confidently present to . 10. Analysis In Cold Blood Summary and Analysis of Answer, Part 2 (215-248) Interrogation of the two suspects begins. The process takes hours. Dick and Perry are requested to take a lie detector test concerning another murder case in which four members of a family were killed in Florida around the time they were in the area. This is because the Clutters portrayed everything Dick and Perry wanted out of their life: wealth and prosperity. Why did Perry really kill the Clutters? Most of the jurors were from the Holcomb community and as Capote introduced us to the Clutter family, the Holcomb community appreciated their charity. There were 19 altogether—15 by the state and four by the U.S. military. In truth, Perry's motivation to kill the Clutters seems to remain a mystery to him. Why did the prosecution refuse to accept Mr. Hickock's assertion that Dick was always a pleasure and changed after the accident? Hickock declared that he would find the farm, rob the Clutters, and kill all witnesses, adding that his former cellmate Perry Smith would be just the man to help. Smith and Hickock killed the four members of the Clutter family Nov. 15, 1959, in the family . In his story In Cold Blood, by giving the reader an insight into the past and the minds of both Dick and Perry, a likeness can be observed between them and the psychological profiles of thousands of other cold-blooded killers since the murder of the Clutter family. This is because the Clutters portrayed everything Dick and Perry wanted out of their life: wealth and prosperity. Smith later changed his confession and, because he "felt sorry for Dick's mother", claimed that he did indeed all of the Clutters, but because both refused to testify in court, no official testimony of who the women exists. I believe that Perry Smith killed all four of the Clutters. Answer (1 of 2): Throughout his life Truman Capote maintained that In Cold Blood was "immaculately factual," most notably when he made the claim in a January 1966 New York Times interview. No. Hickock tells police about hearing a "gurgling noise" when Smith slit Herb's throat before killing him with a shotgun blast to the head. Wells, a former River Valley Farm employee, told Hickock of the Clutter fortune, and Hickock bragged that he and Perry would steal it. 8. Why did Beverly Clutter and Vere Edward English go ahead with their wedding? 8. The Search for the Killers The police are baffled by the apparent senselessness of . Floyd Wells is an inmate at the local prison, serving several years for theft. I suspect that Dewey and West promote the "Hickock killed the women scenario" in order to strengthen the idea of his physical culpability. Dick's calm. Where was Mr. Bell heading? He thought these would help him get inside someone's house as a hunter so that they could rob or kill the people. Perry is frantic. Wells is a former employee of Herb Clutter, one of the family members murdered in a robbery gone wrong. How did Dick and Perry obtain money to get to Mexico? 7. Along with Dick, Perry Edward Smith was the . Richard (Dick) Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, the cold blooded killers of the Clutter family in In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Capote spent a great deal of time interviewing the accused murderers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. However, this gives a false impression that all deranged killers have rational . 9. "I grew to know Dick Hickock and Perry Smith as human beings more so than murderers," McAtee said. They wake and tie up the entire family. On November 15, 1959, Clutter and three other members of his family were brutally murdered in a robbery/homicide that would gain infamy thanks to Truman Capote and his book In Cold Blood. Based on stories from a cellmate who worked for the Clutters that Mr. Clutter went through thousands of dollars every month, the killers had expected to find a very full wall safe in the house. Which left, still living at home, the boy, Kenyon, who, at fifteen, was taller than Mr. Clutter, and one sister, who was a year older—the town darling, Nancy. Members of the Clutter family are still around." Hickock and Smith weren't the only people hanged on that gallows. Both killers were found guilty and sentenced to death. Dick wants to rape Nancy, but Perry threatens to kill him if he does. As soon as Hickock and his ex-cellmate, Perry Smith, got probation, they made plans to rob the Clutter household. They would . He is a practical man who excludes confidence and cruelty, but in reality he is not a ruthless or as brave as he seems. Study and Comprehension Questions pages 251-279 Floyd Wells is an inmate at the local prison, serving several years for theft. Dick had Penny's guitar, a shotgun, apparel, and hunting gear when he picked up Perry. Kill him. Both killers were found guilty and sentenced to death. Richard Eugene Hickock (June 6, 1931 - April 14, 1965) was one of two ex-convicts convicted of murdering four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas on November 15, 1959, a crime made famous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.Along with Perry Edward Smith, Hickock took part in the burglary and multiple murder at the Clutter family farmhouse. The thief thought they did. Hearing Wells' stories, Hickock decided to go to the Clutter's property and to kill and rob the family, believing that Mr. Clutter had thousands of dollars in a safe which he kept in his office. Wells is a former employee of Herb Clutter, one of the family members murdered in a robbery gone wrong. Dick grew up in Kansas, was married twice, and was jailed for passing bad checks. As soon as Hickock and his ex-cellmate, Perry Smith, got probation, they made plans to rob the Clutter household. 9. Why did Perry really kill the Clutters? 9. Floyd Wells eventually tells the investigators who the killers of the Clutter family were after being offered $1,000 and early parole. Dick waits for him outside and thinks of the ways in which he plans to rid himself of Perry. The Clutter family was murdered because of Perry daring Dick to complete what he had started, but this became a frenzy of activity in which Perry seems to have acted alone. The novel presents the wild background of its protagonists: the Clutter family murderers. On a couch in an adjoining room was 15-year-old Kenyon Neal Clutter, bound, gagged and shot in the head. The family is unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of this fury, but they are by no means its source. At this point in Truman Capote's account of the true story, In Cold Blood, two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Richard Eugene 'Dick' Hickock, have intentionally driven 400 miles . The murders were committed by two ex-convicts out on parole, Perry Smith and Edward Hickcock. Shortly after the book first appeared in print, however, critics, pundits, and others close to the Clutter m. Herb Clutter's former hired hand dismissed Hickock's plan as a fantasy, but he came forward when he heard of the murders. Did Perry and Dick carry out their plan against Mr. Bell? In Cold Blood. Said him and Perry was gonna go out there and rob the place, and they was gonna kill all witnesses—the Clutters" (161). But, there is way more to them as people than just that, they are similar and they are very different. Soldiers get medals for killing, but he is being punished for killing people Describe the scene at the Garden City Courthouse on the day that Perry and Dick arrive. Describe Perry's recurring dream. Neither one, back in the stolen Chevrolet, notices the police car pulling up alongside them. Invited were made, People were there, church was reserved . Alvin has just gotten word that Dick and Perry are the main suspects in the Clutter killing. They pass the lie detector test. Click to see full answer. There is a question of whether or not Dick actually killed Nancy and Mrs. Clutter, but it remains unanswered. Explain the comparison Perry makes when describing the Clutter murders and the duty of soldiers. Similarly, what happened to Floyd Wells in cold blood? He never thought Dick Hickock, his former roommate, would go through with his plans. (although Dick was still legally culpable without pulling any triggers) (1967) In Cold Blood Watch on Two ex-cons recently paroled from the Kansas State Penitentiary went hunting for a safe in the Clutter farmhouse. When they didn't find it, Perry wanted to leave. About a month earlier, Smith and Hickock slaughtered the four-member Clutter family in Kansas, creating the tragedy that was immortalized in author Truman Capote's 1966 true . Dick - with his narrow eyes - certainly looks like a criminal, but Perry - with his soft eyes that are "dreamy" and "rather pretty" - doesn't look like a criminal at all. He wonders aloud to Don Culliver why he did it, and he admits that Dick didn't do it. Why did Perry Smith kill? Floyd Wells hears news of the Clutter murders over the radio while reclining in his jail cell. Floyd Wells eventually tells the investigators who the killers of the Clutter family were after being offered $1,000 and early parole. They didn't realize Mr. Clutter did all his business by check and the money he was referring to was the value of the crops and labor. Perry is the first man to ever be held in the "ladies' cell," which is built into the kitchen of the Sheriff's Residence (an apartment in the courthouse). The criminal justice system plays a very important role in the novel In Cold Blood. In Cold Blood is a non-fiction novel about the murder of the Clutter family by to men (Dick and Perry) and after their murder it focuses more on Dick and Perry's travels "on the run" as well as. But 50 years ago today, after his life had zigzagged, Hickock led his gimpy buddy, Perry Smith, into a 14-room farmhouse on the Great Plains, expecting to find a safe stuffed with cash. On November 15, 1959 at 2:00 am, Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Richard 'Dick' Hickock (Scott Wilson) break into the isolated Holcomb, Kansas farmhouse of Herbert Clutter (John McLiam) and systematically bind, gag, and then murder Clutter, his wife Bonnie (Ruth Storey), and their teenage children Nancy (Brenda Currin) and Kenyon ().The movie follows the murders, the search for Smith and . Perry Smith and Dick Hickock were charged with first degree murder after killing the Clutter family of Garden City, Kansas. Unwilling to leave any witnesses, Dick and Perry kill the four members of the Clutter family and flee to Mexico. Check Writing Quality. His hands were bound and his mouth was taped shut. Hickock & Perry In Cold Blood introduced the world to Dick Hickock & Perry Smith, who were all but dead criminals in 1966 when Capote dropped his most famous work. They have carried out other offenses in their time such as check fraud and theft. But Dick wanted to look around more. The American Dream is ultimately responsible for pushing both Dick and Perry to commit the cardinal sin and inadvertently cause irreparable damage to their own selves. However, after their stories were told, the two became much more than murderers. How did the M'Naughten Rule prevent Dr. Jones from finding Dick . Both killers were found guilty and sentenced to death. It tells them to make money through any means necessary and allows mental illness to fester, all culminating in their final downfall, the death of the Clutter family and the . He shows his wife the photographs, and Marie considers their faces. Why did Perry Smith kill? Smith later changed his confession and, because he "felt sorry for Dick's mother", claimed that he did indeed kill all of the Clutters, but because both refused to testify in court, no official testimony of who killed the women exists. Truman Capote's "nonfiction novel" In Cold Blood, published in 1966, told the story of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, two murderous drifters who, in the course of a pathetically nonlucrative . Out of hatred and jealousy, Dick had decided to rob and kill the Clutter family. The murders, it seems, were not inspired by a literal hatred of this specific family, but by misdirected frustration and resentment that finds a symbolic object in the Clutters and the values that they represent. Why is in cold blood a banned book? The Clutters were shot and killed by Richard Hickock and Perry Smith during a botched robbery at their Holcomb, Kansas, farm on Nov. 15, 1959. He then expresses his fear than an . What was the outcome of the score, meaning what did Perry and Dick get out of robbing the Clutter household? When Dick Hickock and Perry Smith murdered the Clutter family many parts of the community were affected, but also played a role in their arrest. Perry Edward Smith (October 27, 1928 - April 14, 1965) was one of two career criminals convicted of murdering the four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, United States, on November 15, 1959, a crime that was made famous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood. He wore paja mas.