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1-Page Summary of In Cold Blood

Overall Summary

In Cold Blood is a nonfiction novel that explores the murder of four people. The author, Truman Capote, interviewed many witnesses and family members to tell what he believed was an accurate story about the murders. Scholars considered In Cold Blood one of the first examples of a new genre called “nonfiction novel,” which combines elements from both journalism and fiction writing. Critics argue that Capote fabricated parts of his book because some interviewees disagree with his portrayal. However, no matter how you look at it, this book has had a huge impact on society: It inspired many other writers to create true crime novels; it also helped popularize this genre in literature and film.

The Summary of the Plot

In this passage, Capote introduces the Clutters and their killers. The Clutter family is a prosperous farming family in Holcomb, Kansas. Two ex-convicts are also introduced as they plan to rob the safe of the Clutters’ home.

The next morning, two of Nancy’s friends found all four Clutters dead. The Southern Kansas Bureau of Investigation sent a special agent to investigate. Everyone was shocked by the tragic deaths.

Dick and Perry go to Mexico, where Perry wants to dive for treasure. However, it’s clear that Dick doesn’t share the same aspirations. They don’t have enough money to continue their journey; they return home. In Las Vegas, authorities apprehend Dick and Perry based on a tip from Floyd Wells (a former cellmate of Dick). He had given false information about the Clutter family safe. Dick confesses quickly but says that he was just an accomplice in all four murders; he blames everything on Perry. Meanwhile, Perry confesses too—he claims that Herbert’s murder was fueled by rage and shame after his initial plan failed miserably; plus Kenyon’s murder occurred because there were two people there when only one person should’ve been present at any time during the robbery planning process. The author also mentions how Bonnie and Nancy were killed by Dick while he claims that he didn’t kill them himself but still feels responsible for their deaths.

In January of 1960, Dick and Perry were imprisoned for the murder of Nancy. They pled insanity in order to receive a reduced sentence, but it was ruled that they did not have diminished responsibility. The court found them guilty and sentenced them to death. Dick spent five years on Death Row at Kansas State Penitentiary before he was executed with Perry on April 14th 1965. Dewey attended the execution but did not feel closure because he remembered an encounter with one of Nancy’s friends who had moved away after high school and was happy now.

Part 1: “The Last to See Them Alive”

In 1959, Holcomb is a small agricultural town in western Kansas. Herbert Clutter owns the River Valley Farm, where he lives with his wife Bonnie and two of their children: Nancy (age 16) and Kenyon (age 15). One morning while the Clutters were still sleeping, someone entered their home and shot them all to death.

Meanwhile, Perry Smith eats breakfast in a cafe in Olathe, Kansas. He’s waiting for Dick Hickock to arrive so they can plan their next move. While he waits, he pores over a map of Mexico and dreams of lost treasure.

Nancy gets a phone call from her neighbor, who wants Nancy to help bake a pie. She agrees, but she has to reorganize her schedule and do other things first. Her father doesn’t want the couple to break up, because Bobby is Catholic and they’re Methodist.

While Perry and Dick get ready to steal the money, Nancy goes to see her mother. When she arrives at her house, she notices that it’s quiet and empty. She calls out for her mother but gets no response. After a few minutes of waiting in the car, she decides to go inside and look around. The lights are off in the house; everything is very dark except for some light coming from under one of the doors upstairs. As Nancy moves closer towards it, she hears a strange noise coming from behind that door. At first, it sounds like an animal scratching or clawing at something hard; then there is a loud thud followed by silence again. Nancy opens up the door slowly with fear on her face as if someone might be hiding behind it just waiting for her to come into their trap so they can kill or hurt her. But when Nancy steps into the room, she finds nothing unusual apart from what appears to be dust covering most things in sight including all furniture items including beds, tables etc…