Before true crime was a genre, one story changed everything — the brutal 1959 murders of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. Their deaths shocked the nation and inspired Truman Capote’s groundbreaking book In Cold Blood, a work that blurred the line between journalism and literature.
In this bonus Halloween episode of Deadly Truths: Season 2 — Leavenworth, Death in the House, host Becca Clark revisits the crime that redefined American true crime. From the quiet Clutter farmhouse to the execution of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock at the Kansas State Penitentiary near Leavenworth, this episode dives into how it happened, why it haunted the country, and how justice was ultimately carried out.
📚 Resources:
Kansas Bureau of Investigation Archives – Clutter Family Case Files
A&E True Crime: “The Real Story Behind In Cold Blood”
HistoryHit: “The Crime That Changed True Crime Forever”
Kansas Historical Society – “Holcomb Murders, 1959”
State v. Hickock (363 P.2d 541, 1961) and State v. Smith (221 Kan. 439, 1977)
Death Penalty Information Center – Historical executions in Kansas
Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood (Random House, 1966)
⚠️ Disclaimer:
This episode discusses murder, capital punishment, and violent crime. Listener discretion is advised.
All historical details are drawn from verified records, official case files, and published works by journalists and historians.
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