by Lisa Fagan

Created on: November 06, 2010   Last Updated: November 14, 2010

 THE CLUTTER FAMILY MURDERS: THE INCIDENT THAT INSPIRED "IN COLD BLOOD".

November 14 and 15 mark the 51st anniversary of the murders of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas. This tragic incident inspiredovember 14 and 15 mark the 51st anniversary of the murders of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas. This tragic incident inspired both the book and the movie, In Cold Blood.

Herbert Clutter, 48, was a wealthy wheat farmer and a devout Methodist. He lived with his wife, Bonnie, 45 (who suffered from clinical depression) and their two teenage children; 16-year Nancy and 15-year-old Kenyon. Their other two daughters, Eveanna and Beverly, lived on their own. Eveanna was already married. Beverly was engaged to be married the next month, and she was studying to be a nurse in Kansas City. Nancy also had a boyfriend named Bobby Rupp, who was a Catholic.

I strongly believe that robbery was the motive for the murders. On Saturday, November 14, two ex-convicts, Richard (Dick)Hickock and Perry Smith, drove across the state of Kansas. Hickock learned from another prisoner, Floyd Wells, that Mr. Clutter kept a safe with ten-thousand dollars in his house. (Floyd Wells previously worked for Mr. Clutter.) Both Hickock and Smith planned to rob Mr. Clutter, take that money, leave no witnesses, and go to Mexico with Mr. Clutter's money.

Sometime between 11 pm Saturday night and 2 am Sunday morning, while they were sleeping, both Hickcok and Smith arrived at the Clutter farm. They purchased the ropes, adhesive tape, and a knife to commit the murders. They entered the house, cut the phone lines, and ransacked the house to find the safe. Mr. Clutter was awakened and they ordered him to go downstairs to his office. They demanded to know where the safe was. Mr. Clutter didn't have one, but they didn't believe him. They were not going to leave until they found the safe. Mr. Clutter gave them twelve dollars out of his wallet, but that wasn't good enough.

The rest of the family was also awakened and taken into the bathroom. Mr. Clutter and Kenyon were then taken downstairs to the basement. They were both bound and gagged. Kenyon was on the couch and Mr. Clutter was on the floor. Nancy was also taken to her bedroom. Her hands were tied behind her back, but she wasn't gagged. Mrs. Clutter was also bound and gagged as well in the bedroom as well. Before Mr. Clutter was shot to death with a twelve-gauge shotgun, his throat was slit with a knife. Then Kenyon, Nancy, and

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