In Cold Blood, 50 years Later
On November 15, 1959, Herb and Bonnie Clutter and two of their four children were murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. This crime was later chronicled in Truman Capote’s book In Cold Blood and in four movies. The Guardian takes a look back at the crime, the book written about it, and how the town of Holcomb has dealt with its notoriety for 50 years. Some of the townspeople welcomed the attention; others wish everyone would stay away. Bob Rupp, the last townsperson to see the Clutters alive, and who erected a memorial plaque honoring the family, has his own opinion.
Truman Capote to Andy Warhol in an interview: “I never could have written ‘In Cold Blood,’ for instance, if I had used a tape recorder, if I’d ever taken a note. Ever.”