True Crime Collection

The Clutter Family Murder

Herbert "Herb" Clutter was a prosperous farmer in western Kansas. His two elder daughters, Eveanna and Beverly, had moved out and started their adult lives. His two younger children, Nancy, age 16 and Kenyon, age 15, were high school students. Herb's wife Bonnie had reportedly been incapacitated by clinical depression and physical ailments since the births of her children, although this was later disputed.

Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Smith were two ex-convicts, recently paroled from the Kansas State Penitentiary. Floyd Wells, a former cellmate of Richard, had been a farmhand for Herb Clutter. Floyd told Richard that Herb kept large amounts of cash in a safe. However, Herb did not have a safe and transacted all of his business by cheque. After speaking with Floyd, Richard soon hatched the idea to steal the safe and start a new life in Mexico. Richard later contacted Perry, another former cellmate, about committing the robbery with him. According to Truman Capote, the author of In Cold Blood - a non-fiction novel detailing the Clutter Family murders - Richard described his plan as "a cinch, the perfect score".

On the evening of 14th November, 1959, Richard and Perry drove more than 400 miles across the state of Kansas, heading for the Clutter residence, in order to execute their plan. In the early morning hours of 15th November, the pair arrived in Holcomb, located the Clutter home, and entered through an unlocked door while the family slept. Upon rousing the Clutters and discovering that there was no safe, they bound and gagged the family and continued to search for money, but found little of value in the house.

Determined to leave no witnesses, the pair briefly debated what to do. Perry, notoriously unstable and prone to violent acts in fits of rage, slit Herb Clutter's throat and then shot him in the head. Perry later recounted, "I didn't want to harm the man. I thought he was a very nice gentleman. Soft spoken. I thought so right up to the moment I cut his throat." Kenyon, Nancy, and lastly Bonnie Clutter were also murdered, each by a single shotgun blast to the head. During their commission of the crimes, Perry prevented Richard from raping Nancy.

Richard and Perry left the crime scene with a small portable radio belonging to Kenyon Clutter, a pair of binoculars belonging to Herbert Clutter and less than $50 in cash believed to have been the "change" from a $60 cheque Herbert Clutter had recently cashed. Herbert Clutter was well known locally as a businessman who preferred paying by cheque and never carried or kept significant amounts of cash. His billfold and scattered non-cash items were found in his first floor bedroom.

Perry later claimed in his oral confession that Richard murdered the two women. When asked to sign his confession, however, Perry refused. According to Truman's In Cold Blood, Perry wanted to accept responsibility for all four killings because, he said, he was "sorry for Dick's mother". Perry added, "She's a real sweet person." Richard always maintained that Perry had murdered all four victims.

Victims
• Herbert William "Herb" Clutter (24th May, 1911 - 15th November, 1959), age 48
• Bonnie Mae Fox Clutter (7th January, 1914 - 15th November, 1959), age 45
• Nancy Mae Clutter (2nd January, 1943 - 15th November, 1959), was the 16 year old daughter of Herb and Bonnie Clutter. She was the youngest of the Clutters' 3 daughters. As a student, Nancy earned high grades. She attended church regularly and was involved in 4-H. Her interests included horse riding, baking, and helping younger children. On the night of the murders, Nancy was bound with rope and killed in her bed; she received a shotgun blast to her head. It is disputed as to whether she was murdered by Perry or Richard.
• Kenyon Neal Clutter (28th August, 1944 - 15th November, 1959), age 15, was the youngest child and the only son of Herb and Bonnie Clutter. Authorities found Kenyon on a couch; he had been bound, gagged, and shot in the head. Kenyon had been killed by Perry Smith.

The four murder victims are buried at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City, Kansas.

Perpetrators
• Perry Edward Smith (27th October, 1928 - 14th April, 1965), age 31 at the time of the murders; age 36 at execution.
• Richard Eugene "Dick" Hickock (6th June, 1931 - 14th April, 1965), age 28 at the time of the murders; age 33 at execution.