In Cold Blood, Non-fiction novel in Kansas, United States
In Cold Blood is a work of narrative journalism that reconstructs the murder of four members of the Clutter family at their farmhouse near Holcomb in November 1959. Truman Capote built the account from hundreds of interviews with residents, investigators, and the accused, as well as trial records and personal correspondence.
The investigation began immediately after the crime in November 1959 and led to the arrest of Perry Smith and Richard Hickock within weeks. Both men were tried in 1960 and, after several appeals, executed by hanging at Kansas State Penitentiary in 1965.
The work shaped how readers approach true crime by blending fact with literary storytelling, creating a template that journalists and writers continue to follow. It invites people to think about justice, memory, and violence in ways that feel both personal and deeply unsettling.
Capote spent six years gathering material through interviews in Holcomb, conversations with investigators, and close reading of trial documents. He also met repeatedly with the two convicted men in prison and followed their case through years of appeals and delays.
Capote formed a close personal bond with both convicted men during their imprisonment and spent over 300 hours in conversation with them. This closeness gave him access to their inner lives but also weighed on him emotionally for the rest of his career.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
