Prime Crime: Solved Murders - The Clutter Family Pt. 2

Episode Date: August 23, 2023

After the massacre of the Clutter Family on November 15th, 1959, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation began an intensive probe into the crime. Their search for the killers would result in one of the greatest true crime stories of all time. This episode originally aired in June 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this murder case, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes dramatizations and discussions of murder and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Deputy, Agent Dewey, I need you to come with me. Can I wait? We're in the middle of church. I'm afraid I can't, Mrs. Dewey. It's about the clutters. The clutters?

I noticed they weren't here this morning. Are you sure this can't wait? The clutters are dead. Dead! Do we know who did it? That's why we need you, sir. I'll be right out. Welcome to our second episode of Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries, a Parcast original.

I'm your host, Carter Roy. And I'm your host, Wendy McKenzie. While we at Parcast love exploring the open-ended mysteries of our first show, Unsolved Murders, Some of the most fascinating crimes are the ones where the bad guys get caught in the end. That's why every Wednesday will tell you the tales of actual closed cases and reveal how some of life's greatest murder mysteries were solved. In part one, we will introduce you to the victims, the mystery of their deaths, and the initial steps investigators took towards finding their killer.

In part two, we'll take you through all the dramatic twists and turns of the investigation, and finally reveal how. how the suspect was caught and the murder was solved. You can find episodes of Solved Murders and all other Parcast originals for free exclusively on Spotify. To stream Solve Murders for free on Spotify, just open the app and type Solv Murders in the search bar. At Parcast, we're grateful for you, our listeners. You allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing.

Reach out on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. This is our second episode on the Clutter family. Beloved and well-respected in their rural community, the clutters were found brutally killed in their home in Holcomb, Kansas. Last week, we dove into the lives of the clutters and followed their patriarch herb through the events leading up to their deaths. Then we discussed the shocking discovery of their bodies on November 15, 1959. This week will cover how the story of the clutter's tragic deaths, went from hometown horror to infamous true crime saga. Then we'll briefly discuss how the tale was forever immortalized

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My lips are sealed. Marble Television's Wonder Man. All eight episodes now streaming, only on Disney Plus. On Sunday, November 15, 1959, Finney County Sheriff Earl Robinson conducted the first search of the clutter home with Under Sheriff Wendell, Clarence E.Walt, and local English teacher, Larry Hendricks.

The four men found the bodies of 45-year-old Bonnie Clutter and 16-year-old Nancy in their bedroom. and 15-year-old Kenyon in the basement. However, they still did not know what had happened to 48-year-old Herb. There was one last door they had yet to open, the door to the furnace room. I can't see my own hand in here. Maybe there's a light switch somewhere around. Found it.

My God. So much blood. Herb Clutter's body laid in the center of the furnace room. He had been placed on top of a large, cardboard box, keeping him off the cold concrete floor. But this strange act of kindness was undercut by the brutality of Herb's murder. He had been shot in the forehead, point blank, just like Kenyon. However, his throat had been slashed open, and blood was spread all throughout the room. Herb's striped pajamas were soaked in red. Tape was wound over his mouth and around his head,

and his ankles were bound. But it looked as though he'd managed to snap the bind that it tied his wrists together. A piece of cord also hung from a pipe above his body. It seemed as though Herb or someone had their wrists secured to the pipe, but then the killer had cut them down. This in itself was baffling, but before the men could dwell too much on the strange detail, they noticed something else.

In the pool of blood surrounding Herb's body, There was a single half-soul footprint. It had two distinctive circles, almost like a pair of eyes. In all the carnage and violence, it seemed this one footprint was the only clue the killer had left behind. As he stared on the horrible scene, Sheriff Robinson realized this case was far beyond his purview. His operation was small and relatively peaceful. Most years, the worst he dealt with were a few drunken barrens. fights and the occasional domestic dispute. He neither had the resources nor the experience

to solve a crime of such horrific magnitude. Sheriff Robinson immediately reached out to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, or KBI. Specifically, he contacted Garden City's resident KBI agent, 47-year-old Alvin Adams Dewey. Dewey was a handsome former sheriff, who had also worked as a special agent for the FBI. He and his wife attended the same Methodist Church as the Clutters, and they knew the family well. In fact, when Agent Dewey was first informed of their murders, his wife was at the very church service the Clutters were supposed to attend that morning. Upon hearing the news, Agent Dewey rushed to the Clutter's farm. By the time he arrived, Clarence Ewalt and Larry Hendricks had left, but Sheriff Robinson and Under Sheriff Wendell

were still conducting their investigation. As Dewey walked onto the property, he overheard a conversation between Wendell and the Clutter's groundskeeper, Alfred Stockline. You sure you didn't hear anything last night? I didn't even know a thing about it till five minutes ago when one of my kids come running in and told us the sheriff was here. So you must have slept through it all?

Slep? We was up all night. The missus and me, we didn't sleep too, hours. Was up and down the whole time. On account we got a sick baby. And you heard nothing? The only thing we heard, about 10.30, quarter to 11. I heard a car drive away and I made the remark to the misses. There goes Bob Rupp. Bobby Rupp. The Rupp boy must have been the last one to see the clutters alive. I'd say so. Agent Dewey made note of this conversation and put Bobby first on his list of suspects. If the boy was the Clutter's last guest, perhaps he was responsible for their deaths. A KBI agent did a sweep of the house with the help of Mrs. Helm, the Clutter's housekeeper.

Mrs. Helm knew the home better than anyone, and Dewey figured she would notice if anything had been taken or moved out of place. But as they walked through the house, they found almost nothing. Aside from the few odd details Sheriff Robinson had already encountered, nearly everything inside was in its place. Mrs. Helm only noticed one thing out of the ordinary. A portable radio had been taken from Kenyon's bedroom. The more Agent Dewey learned the stranger the crime became. As he left the house, he discussed his findings with the fellow agent.

It just doesn't make any sense. If the killers wanted the clutters dead, Why did they take the radio? Don't know, Dewey. Maybe it was an impulse grab. Just saw it in the act and took it. Maybe, maybe. Or a robbery. A robbery where they only took a radio?

And left Bonnie's gold rings on her hands. Yep. No matter how you look at it, it just doesn't make sense. With many questions and few answers, Dewey had his team of KBI agents dig through the house one last time. This time, however, they discovered a few more interesting details. They took pictures of everything they came across. First, they found a watch, stuffed into his shoe in Nancy's closet.

They believed Nancy most likely put it there herself in an effort to hide jewelry from the intruder. If this were true, it seemed she thought the killer was there to rob them. Second, they found Nancy's diary. Inside, she had written an entry around 11 p.m. the night before. It read, Jolene Kay came over, and I showed her how to make a cherry pie. Practiced with Roxy.

Bobby here, and we watch TV, left at 11. Now they had a secondary source confirming that Bobby was the last person to see the clutters alive. But perhaps more interesting was that as the agents read on, Nancy's diary hinted at the fact

that her father didn't approve of her relationship with Bobby. Dewey thought that perhaps Herb's insistence that Bobby stopped seeing his daughter was a potential motive for him to commit murder. After all, Herb and Kenyon had been shot face forward while Bonnie was shot from the side. Nancy was the only clutter who had been shot in the back of the head, implying the killer could not make eye contact with her. If the killer had been her boyfriend, that might explain the discrepancy.

Finally, the last clue was only discovered when the photographs of the house were developed. The naked eye could only see one footprint left in Herb Clutter's blood. But the flashbulb of the camera had illuminated a second set in a layer of dust on the furnace room floor. Unlike the first one, these footprints had different patterned soles, a diamond design. This implied that a second person had been involved in the slayings. With the knowledge that an accomplice was involved, the theory that Bobby had killed the clutters seemed less likely. But Agent Dewey still had to do his due diligence and interview the boy. They found Bobby crying with Susan Kidwell, Nancy's best friend.

Bobby's tears nearly extinguished Dewey's suspicions completely. Still, as the last person to see the clutters alive, Dewey knew he had to get the teenager talking. Bobby, I know this must be tough, but I need you to tell me what happened last night. I went over, we watched TV. I can even tell you the shows we watched and win if you'd like. Maybe later. Just tell me what happened. I only cared about watching the sports, which ended at 10.30. So when they finished, Nancy walked me out. We talked a while and made a date to go to the movie Sunday night, a movie called Blue Denim. Go on. Then she ran back in the house, and I drove away. It was as clear as day. The moon was so bright

and cold and kind of windy. A lot of tumbleweeds blown about, but that's all I saw. When Dewee finished interviewing Bobby, he was convinced that the boy wasn't the killer. To be safe, however, Dewey had him questioned while connected to a lie detector, but the test was clean. Bobby was telling the truth. With his prime suspect eliminated, Dewey had few other leads. He assembled a team of 17 officers and sent his top three men out in the community to hunt down tips. These men were agents from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, or KBI. Their names were Harold Nye, Roy Church, and Clarence Dunst. Agent Nye, an energetic man with skeptical eyes, was sent to interview the remaining two members of the Clutter family, their

daughters, Eviana and Beverly. Nye thought that Evianna, Eviana in particular might have insight to offer into the crime. Eviana, I know it's an awful thing that happened, but we are doing everything we can to find the people who did this. I just need to ask you a few questions. I appreciate it. What do you need to know? Was there anybody who didn't like your siblings? Bullies, teachers, ex-boyfriends?

Everybody loved Nancy and Kenyon. They never had a crossword with anyone. What about your mother? I know she was having some difficulties. Those were hers alone. She never heard of fly. Is there any possibility? I'm not saying it's likely, just wondering if it's possible.

Did your father have a mistress? What? He was healthy, handsome, well-liked, and he and your mother slept in different rooms. Look, my parents never spoke to their children about their love life. But as far as I'm aware, they were still intimate with each other, not anyone else. Thank you for your candor. After interviewing the clutters to surviving daughters and their extended family, KBI Special Agent Nye found that no one could think of a single possible motive for the crime.

In fact, Nye only had this to say. Of all the people in the world, the clutters were the least likely to be murdered. But as Nye's search within the family proved to be a dead end, his colleagues, Dunce and Church, heard a slightly different sentiment from the community. Clarence Dunce was a burly man with a wide face. As he spent time in Holcomb asking around about the clutters, he heard about an altercation herb had gotten into a few years before. According to In Cold Blood by Truman Capote,

Herb and a man will call Tim Sr. had conducted a minor business transaction, the outcome of which angered Tim Sr. After Tim Sr.'s business dealings with Herb went south, he made a habit of drinking. He also regularly talked about his grudge against the clutters in public, spouting threats against Herb to anyone who would listen. And to make matters more interesting,

his son, who will call Tim Jr., was already known for being an alcoholic and a minor criminal. Tim Sr. and Tim Jr. had even gone so far as to drunkenly trespass on Herb's land, calling him out to fight. Herb chased them off his property with a shotgun. Their drunken behavior, criminal history, and open threats on Herb's life made the Tim's seem like promising suspects. And yet, another promising lead would be discovered by Agent Roy Church around the same time. Besides Tim Jr. and Tim Sr., there was another mayor, who held a grudge against Herb Clutter. For the sake of anonymity, we will refer to him as Mr. Hudgens.

Hudgens believed that Herb had gunned down his beloved hunting dog, and like Tim Sr., was known to frequently complain about Herb. His disdain for him was public knowledge. Church went to investigate this lead at Mr. Hudgens' farm. But though Hudgens himself wasn't there when he arrived, the agent noticed an interesting coincidence. I arrived at the Hudgens farm to question Hudgens about his feud with the clutters, but Hudgens was not home.

His barn door was cracked open. I took a peek inside and noticed something interesting. Ropes were tied up in the rafters. Upon closer inspection, the knots were the same style knot used on the clutters. It isn't a complicated knot, but we can't ignore the similarities, especially since he had the motive to tie up the clutters. Dewey and his team scrambled to track down and interrogate the Tim's and Mr. Hudgens.

But sadly, these leads turned out to be as dead as the clutters themselves. In fact, all three men, Tim Senior, Tim Jr., and Mr. Hudgens had airtight alibis. And Mr. Hudgens was out of state. It seemed the investigators were entirely out of leads. Yet Dewey was persistent. He knew that somewhere in the clutters passed,

there was some connection between the killers and their victims. And Dewey was determined to find it. He would do everything in his power to capture their murderers once and for all. When we return, Agent Dewey's manhunt intensifies. Now, back to the story. The murders had occurred on November 15, 1959, and by late November, Agent Dewey's only leads on the clutter case had been ruled out one by one. Determined to find something, he took a fine-tooth comb to the family's lives. He made it his mission, to investigate every former classmate, business associate, employee.

Everybody who had ever met the clutters. Slowly, his team worked their way through a long list of people. But as days turned into weeks and fall slipped into winter, still the agents only hit dead ends. It seemed the clutter's killers would remain on the loose forever. Until one day, Agent Dewey's phone rang. What do you want? Is this KBI agent Alvin Dewey?

I thought you knew that when you called. I did. Just didn't expect this response. My apology, sir. It's just been quite the day, the month really. May I ask who's speaking? Yes, my name is Hand, the warden at Kansas State Penitentiary. I think I've got some good news for you.

Warden Hand? That's right. I've got a boy here by the name of Floyd Wells, tells a mighty interesting tale, says he knows who killed your people, and Dewey. I think you might want to hear him out. Floyd Wells was an inmate who'd been imprisoned for stealing lawnmowers. At first, Dewey thought Wells might have been making stories up for the attention or for the reward money.

However, when Dewey listened to more of the inmate's story, the agent's opinion quickly changed. Back in 1948, I was drifting around the country looking for work. I found myself at River Valley Farm. Got hired by Mr. Clutter. Work for about a year. Were you fired? No, no. Herb treated me fine. They were a nice family, real nice.

I was just feeling kind of footy, wanted to move on. Eleven years later, you end up here. Yes, sir, round June. My first cellmate was a man named Dick Hickok. He talked about all sorts of plans you have for when he got out. Big scores, he called him. He almost always talked to him. He almost always talked about a friend of his, a half Indian named Perry who helped him.

How does Herb factor into all of this? Don't exactly recall how Mr. Clutter first got mentioned, but when I brought up the clutters, Dick never stopped asking me about the family. What he want to know? All sorts of things. How many were there? What ages would the kids be now? How was the house laid out? Did Mr. Clutter keep us safe? but Herb didn't have a safe. He never worked with cash.

That's the thing. I told Dick he did, because I seemed to remember a sort of cabinet or safe or something right behind the desk in the office. Next thing I knew, Dick was talking about killing Mr. Clutter, said him and Perry was going to go out there and rob the place, and they was going to kill all the witnesses, tie them people up and gun them down.

I've just said it about a dozen times. It's been weak since the killings. Why did it take you so long to tell us about this? I thought it was just talk. That's why. When I heard it on the radio, well, I didn't hardly believe it. It took me some time to work up the courage to tell anybody, but then I remembered Mr. Clutter, and how he'd never done me no harm.

Guess I harmed him without ever meaning to. Floyd's story was exactly what Dewey had been served. searching for. It perfectly explained so many perplexing aspects of the crime. The clutters had been the targets of a robbery, but there was an unfortunate misunderstanding. The thieves had expected a safe full of money to make the crime worthwhile, but there was nothing to steal. The robbers didn't know the clutters, but they did know of the clutters. They had never been to the farm, but they knew everything about the farm, how to get there, where the phones were and how many people lived in the house.

And the killers only knew about the family because a former employee who had worked for them over a decade earlier happened to mention them by pure chance. It was an incredible chain of coincidence that felt just as random and purposeless as the killings themselves. Dewey had a strong hunch that Dick Hickok and Perry Smith were the two men responsible for the clutter family murders. The only thing left to do was find them.

First, the KBI looked up their suspect's case files. Perry Edward Smith was a five-foot-four-inch-tall, 31-year-old man with dark brown hair. He'd lived all over the western half of the United States, was known for his violent temper and had been arrested for burglary. Smith had been released from prison on parole less than six months prior to the murders. In July, 1959, on the condition that he never returned to the state of Kansas ever again, Again, clearly he had violated the terms of this agreement. Richard Eugene Hickok, otherwise known as Dick Hickok, was a 28-year-old man who had grown up in a suburb of Kansas City.

He was a charismatic and promising young athlete until he suffered devastating head trauma in a car accident. After the crash, Hickok lost his inhibitions. However, his criminal record didn't particularly stand out. He cashed a series of bad checks around town, and was eventually imprisoned for a home burglary. Hickok was released from prison that previous August in 1959 and returned home to live with his parents, Walter and Eunice Hickok,

outside of Kansas City. Agent Nye visited the Hickok's at their home to ask after their son's whereabouts. By this point, I'm sure you know why I'm here. Our boy violated his parole and cashed some bad checks. That's right. Mr. Nye, certain as I'm sitting here, that no good friend of his, Perry Smith was the one who put him up to write in them checks. Dick brought him home one evening, but no, sir, I wouldn't have him in the house.

One look and I saw what he was, a criminal. Interesting. Now, when did Perry show up around here? Must have been early November. Dick found a room for Perry at the Hotel Olathe, and after that Dick was with him every spare minute. Once they went off on a weekend trip. Now on this weekend trip, where did they go? The way I understood it, Perry Smith has a sister who lives in Fort Scott.

She was supposed to be holding a piece of money belonged to him. So Dick drove him down there to get it. It was only an overnight trip, from the 14th to the 15th, I believe. So they left Saturday and returned Sunday, November 15th. Was there anything strange about his behavior when he was back? On the 20th, have he painted the town red with bad checks? Then vanished on the 21st without a word. No idea where he went.

Interesting. Now I have one last question. That shotgun in the corner. Do you do much hunting, Mr. Hickok? That's Dick's 12-gauge. Bought it on credit to shoot pheasants. Agent and I left the Hickok's home shaking with excitement. Almost everything they told him

indicated that Dick Hickok and Perry Smith had killed the clutters. While the Hickok's thought Hickok and Smith traveled to Fort Scott on November 14th, Nye knew that Smith's sole surviving sister had never lived in Fort Scott, Kansas. It seemed Hickok had told his parents a complete lie, likely to cover up their trip to River Valley Farm. And to top it all off, Nye was certain that he had just spotted the murder weapon. Now all he had to do was find his suspects. The KBI contacted law enforcement insolmings. 17 states and several cities where Perry Smith and Dick Hickok had been known to travel.

The KBI gave these agencies descriptions of their suspects, and an active search began for Smith and Hickok in Kansas City, Reno, Las Vegas, and Alaska. The pair had vanished one week after the murders on November 21st, and the KBI had only started tracking them in early December. Dui and I and the rest of the team all knew their suspects might be too far gone, possibly even out of the country, but they were willing to wait as long as it took to find them. But to their surprise, just one week after putting out their APBs, they got a hit. Al, brother Nye, get ready for some big news. I'm ready. Our friends were right here in Kansas City just yesterday. Hickok's written checks from one side of town to the other using his own name.

His own name? That must mean he doesn't plan to hang around long. So Smith's still with him. Oh, they're together okay. But driving a different car. One of the guys they scammed had the sense to write down the license number. Johnson County, license 16212. Hmm.

Must be a stolen car. Stolen tags, too. We sent out an alert with the new information. Good chance. We catch them by Christmas. The agents would not apprehend Smith and Hickok by Christmas time, but they wouldn't have to wait much longer. Around 5 p.m. on December 30th, Las Vegas police officers O.C. Pigford and Francis McCauley were on patrol on their regular route. While driving, they noticed a black and white 1956 Chevrolet bearing Kansas license plate number J.O. 16212, parked outside of the Las Vegas Post Office.

Dick Hickok was sitting in the driver's seat. Both officers had memorized their list of APBs, and they recognized Hickok and the stolen vehicle almost immediately. They kept their distance, parked behind the car, and waited. Shortly after, the officer spied Perry Smith emerging from the post office, carrying a large cardboard box. They watched Smith get into the car and followed as they drove away. The cops tailed the suspects for half a mile,

winding up and down the Las Vegas streets. Finally, the perps pulled up in front of a seedy motel and parked. The officers quickly sped up beside them and hopped out of the car. Guns drawn. Dick Hickok and Perry Smith, you two are under arrest. Shoot, honey, here we go again. The officers brought the duo in for questioning. They also searched the box Smith picked up from the post office.

It contained a collection of his belongings. longings. Most interesting among them were two pairs of boots. One set had a distinct diamond soul. The second had a cat's paw pattern that could also look like two eyes. These were the boots that had walked across the clutter's basement. The officers had found their smoking gun. Yet, despite this, the KBI agents knew that matching boot prints would not be enough evidence to get a conviction in court. After all, any lawyer could argue that some other pair of men had worn the same boots that fateful night. Now, if the KBI wanted to put these guys away for life,

they knew they would need a confession. Soon, the KBI's best agents would arrive in Vegas to make that happen. When we return, the interrogation begins. Now, back to the story. On December 30th, 28-year-old Dick Hickok and 31-year-old Perry Smith, the prime suspects and the clutter family murders, were arrested by police in Las Vegas. KBI agents Alvin Dewey, Harold Nye, Roy Church,

and Clarence Dunst arrived in Vegas by January 1st, 1960. They interrogated Hickok and Smith around 2nd on January 2nd. The four agents split the suspects into two different interrogation rooms. Alvin Dewey and Clarence Dunst questioned Perry Smith, Harold Nye and Roy Church interrogated Dick Hickok. Harry Smith was quiet and offensive. He did little talking at all. Hickok, on the other hand, was chatty and confident.

It was clear to Nye and Church that Hickok thought he could talk his way out of anything. This meant he was their best bet at a confession. First, they warmed Hickok up by claiming they'd only traveled to Vegas to ask him about his check-cashing sprees back in Kansas. convinced he'd only get time for fraud. Hickok talked openly about his many travels. He and Smith had spent the past two months driving all over America, from Kansas City to Miami to Mexico City

and all the way back to Las Vegas. Once they felt Hickok was at ease, they dropped a bomb on him. Those hitchhackers were something else. Sounds like it. I guess you know why, were here. Er what? I guess you realize he wouldn't have come all the way to Nevada just to chat with a couple of two-bit check chislers. Would we, Dick? I can't think of any other reason. Tell me, Dick.

Have you ever heard of the clutter murder case? Whoa, now hold on here. I'm no goddamn killer. A vicious crime. Vicious, cowardly. And almost perfect. But you made two mistakes, Dick. One was you left a witness who will get on the stand and tell a jury how Richard Hickok and Perry Smith bound and gagged and slaughtered four helpless people. Living witness, no. Second was you left a bootprint. You and Perry both. We know you were there. And here's what's going to happen to you, Hickok.

You'll be taken back to Kansas. You'll be charged on four counts of first-degree murder. Perry Smith killed the clutters. It was Perry. I couldn't stop him. He killed him all. Hickok told them everything that happened beginning to end. It was everything they needed from a confession. And it largely matched Floyd Wells, Hickok's former cellmate's testimony. Wells was the one living witness Agent Nye had told Hickok he'd left alive in order to get him to confess. Ironically, though Floyd Wells was the reason the clutters were killed, he also became the reason why their killers would be tried. But first, they had to get Perry Smith to talk, too. They couldn't trust Hickok's word alone. After all, he was pinning every murder on his accomplice.

They needed to know if Smith would do the same to Hickok. The next day, Agent Dewey spoke with Smith as they drove him in the patrol car on the long road back to King. Kansas. He says he tried to stop you, Perry, but says he couldn't. Says he was scared you'd shoot him too. In fact, Hickok tells us you're a natural born killer. Says you whipped a man to death with a bicycle chain in Vegas. Little Dick Hickok, what a tough boy. At first, I didn't believe you. That Dick confessed. I never killed a man in Vegas, but he thought so. So, Dick was afraid of me? That's It's amusing. I'm very amused. Of course, he doesn't know that I almost did shoot him. Tell me about it, Perry.

According to Smith, the plan was first formed when Hickok wrote to him from prison about a sure-fire job. It concerned a rich man named Clutter. Hickok told Smith that the Clutter House was a guaranteed score, and that Herb had at least $10,000, tucked away in a safe that was theirs for the taking. Because Smith had few other options at the time, he agreed to partner with Hickok, and they met up in early November. They prepared themselves for the robbery. At 1.30 p.m. on Saturday the 14th, they headed straight for the clutter farm. They brought along ropes, gloves, a shotgun, and a knife. After a 400-mile drive from Olathe, Kansas, they reached Holcomb, a little after midnight.

As they pulled onto the clutter's driveway, they turned off their headlights. The moon was bright enough to drive without them. In order not to be heard, they stopped their car halfway down the lane and parked beneath the shadow of a tree. They noticed the light flicker on and the stock lines home, but as soon as it shut off, they were out of the car, gloves on. Smith held the gun. Hickok had the knife and a flashlight. They approached the house and entered through the unlocked side door, which took them directly into Herb's office. At first, they were excited, as the safe should have been right there. They thought perhaps they could open it discreetly and leave without ever seeing anyone at all.

But, of course, the safe didn't exist. They searched everywhere in the office but found nothing. Dejected, Smith grabbed a pair of binoculars and pocketed them. Infuriated by the missing safe, Hickok marched into Herb's bedroom and woke him up. Are you, Mr. Clutter? Who is it? What do you want? We want your safe, sir, and everything inside. Safe? I don't have a safe?

Don't give me that. In your office. Now, you're going to find it for us. Hickok continued to interrogate Herb, but Herb insisted he didn't own a safe. Smith believed the farmer, but Hickok only got angry. The two began to clash, bickering in front of Herb. Then they separated. Hickok returned Herb to his bedroom and took $30 from his billfold. Smith cut the telephone wires to buy more time. Displeased with his $30 hall, Hickok marched Herb up to Bonnie's room and had him wake her. He searched through her purse, but she only had a few dollars. At this point, Smith pulled Hickok aside. It's time for us to leave, Dick.

These people clearly don't have $10,000 on hand. These people are lying, honey. We've just got to look harder. Hickok brought Herb and Bonnie into the bathroom, where Smith placed a chair for Bonnie to sit on. Then they pulled 15-year-old Kenyon from his bed and 16-year-old Nancy from her room before shoving them in the bathroom with their parents.

Hickok stood guard as Smith searched the house. He looted Nancy's purse, taking a single silver dollar, and he took a portable radio from Kenyon's room. When he returned to the bathroom, Smith tied Herb's hands together and marched him to the basement. There he placed a large cardboard box on the cement floor and ordered Herb to lay down on top of it. Next, Smith brought Kenyon downstairs, stood him next to his father and tied his wrists to a pipe above his head. then thinking better of it, Smith moved Kenyon to the couch in the other room. He ordered him to lie down and propped a pillow underneath his head for comfort.

Smith returned to the second floor, where he tied Bonnie up in her room. But as he tightened the cords, Bonnie pleaded with him. She wanted Smith to protect her daughter from Hickok as she didn't trust Hickok's intentions. Sure enough, Smith found Hickok in Nancy's room. He was sitting on her bed. attempting to flirt with a terrified girl. Disgusted by Hickok's behavior, he stopped his partner and reminded him they were there for money alone.

Smith then tied Nancy up and tucked her into her bed as Hickok left in a huff. After he'd left the room, Hickok took $7 from Nancy's purse and left it on the kitchen floor. When Smith and Hickok reunited in the hallway, Hickok had something to say. I'm going to bust that little girl.

Uh-huh, but you'll have to kill me first. What do you care? Hell, you can bust her too. I despise people who can't control themselves. Leave her alone, else you've got a buzzsaw to fight. Okay, honey, if that's the way you feel. The two returned to the basement where they taped Kenyon and Herb's mouth shut. Every member of the clutter family was tied up, and Hickok had yet to raise his gun. Hickok had always said there would be no witnesses.

Hickok had assured Smith that he was willing to kill, but now, with the clutters bound before them, helpless, Hickok stood frozen. Smith knew now that Hickok was a blowhard, all talk and no action. He felt a rage building up inside him, not at the clutters, but at Hickok, and of all the stupid blustering he'd forced him to sit through

since learning about the job. Dick, it's time to go. Leave them alive, and this won't be any small wrap. Ten years, the very least. Give me the knife. Perry. All right, Dick. Here goes.

Smith marched over to Herb, and without even realizing what he was doing, slit his throat. Herb was still alive struggling with his binds on the ground. Smith handed Hickok the knife. Finish him. You'll feel better. Let's just go.

Let's run. Get out of here. He's breaking free, Dick. It's far too late for that. Smith shot Herb in the head. Then with the sound still ringing in his ears, he marched to the next room and shot Kenyon, then Nancy, then Bonnie.

Smith barked at Hickok to collect the shotgun cartridge in each room. The two men left. the carnage behind them, hopped in their car and drove away. They hardly spoke to each other as they fled, stopping to bury the shells, left over cord, and hunting knife in a field in the middle of nowhere. The men had killed an entire family intending to steal $10,000. Instead, they left with $40, a pair of binoculars, and a portable radio. The agents sat in shock as Smith finished his story. The mysterious crime was solved, but knowing what happened made it all the more horrifying. The clutter's deaths were almost random, purposeless, awful.

Perry Smith and Dick Hickok were tried and found guilty in March of 1960. They were sentenced to death. Both were executed by hanging on April 14, 1965. But before they died, they told their story. one more time, to the man who would make the clutter name known across the nation. The clutter family tragedy was such an impactful case. It attracted the attention of one of the nation's greatest writers at the time, Truman Capote. Originally, Capote had intended to write an article for the New Yorker about the effect the murders had had on the small town of Holcomb,

but the story quickly became much larger than a single article could capture. Over the next several years, Capote interviewed every person he could, including the killers. He got an in-depth look into the psyche of everyone involved and compiled his findings into the first true crime novel in Cold Blood. Capote's work proved to be groundbreaking in the literary world. It was perhaps the first book to provide an in-depth look not only at the humanity of the victims, but of the killers themselves. In cold blood told both sides of the story. It immortalized the clutter family and heightened the tragedy of their deaths. But at the same time, it explored the dark circumstances that created the killer's desperation and highlighted the staggering

coincidences that led to such a tragic outcome for all involved. Now, people the world over mourn the clutters, just as they understand the complex nature of the men who killed them. The dark tale stands as a grim example of lives that were ended far too soon. The clutters, Herb, Bonnie, Nancy and Kenyon were sorely missed, and their tragic loss will continue to be remembered for the rest of time. Thanks again for tuning into Solved Murders. We'll be back next Wednesday with a new episode. You can find all episodes of Solve Murders and all other Parcast originals for free on Spotify.

Not only does Spotify already have all of your favorite music, but now Spotify is making it easy for you to enjoy all of your favorite parcast originals, like Solve Murders for free from your phone, desktop, or smart speaker. To stream Solve Murders on Spotify, just open the app and type Solve Murders in the search bar. We'll see you next time. If we live till next time. For more information on the clutter family murders, amongst the many sources we used, We've found In Cold Blood by Truman Capote extremely helpful to our research.

Solved Murders, True Crime Mysteries was created by Max Cutler and is a parcast studio's original. It is executive produced by Max Cutler. Sound design by Russell Nash with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, and Isabella Way. This episode of Solved Murders was written by Giles Hofseth with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon. The amazing cast of voice actors includes Bill Butz, Tom Bauer, Joe Hernandez, Harris Markson, Rebecca Thomas, and Dan Velasquez. It stars Wendy McKenzie and Carter Roy.