Click Here To Read About “In Cold Blood”

On a quiet Monday in November 1969, Truman Capote was sitting in his apartment in Manhattan, reading page 39 of the New York Times, where he found the following 300-word account of a brutal murder in an obscure corner of bar Western Kansas.

A wealthy wheat farmer, his wife, and their two young children were found shot to death today in their home. They had been killed by shotgun blasts at close range after being bound and gagged. The father, 48-year-old Herbert W. Clutter, was found in the basement with his son, Kenyon, 15. His wife Bonnie, 45, and a daughter, Nancy, 16, were in their beds. There were no signs of a struggle, and nothing had been stolen. The telephone lines had been cut. “This is apparently the case of a psychopathic killer,” Sheriff Earl Robinson said. Mr. Clutter was the founder of The Kansas Wheat Growers Association. […] Mr. Clutter, his wife, and daughter were clad in pajamas. The boy was wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt. The bodies were discovered by two of Nancy’s classmates, Susan Kidwell and Nancy Ewalt. Sheriff Robinson said the last reported communication with Mr. Clutter took place last night at about 9:30 PM when the victim called Gerald Van Vleet, his business partner, who lives nearby. Mr. Van Vleet said the conversation had concerned the farm and ranch.

Capote became fascinated by how such a shocking crime would affect a small, close-knit community.

The Clutter Family

Truman Capote immediately decided to visit the town. Aided by Harper Lee (later the author of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird), he spent the next five years getting to know everyone in the town, the investigators, friends of the victims, and especially the killers.

In 1966 he published what was called the first “nonfiction novel,” the blockbuster bestseller and later film, “In Cold Blood.” These same events have been retold in two biographical movies, “Capote” starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, and  “Infamous” starring Toby Jones.

In this unique multimedia presentation, we will explore Capote’s life and his work on “In Cold Blood” and try and determine how historically accurate are the book and film.

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