Posted on 11/09/2009 10:35:07 AM PST by JoeProBono
It's one of America's most haunting crime stories: four members of a Kansas family brutally murdered on Nov. 15, 1959, at their rural farmhouse.
The slayings of the Clutters — chronicled in Truman Capote's book, "In Cold Blood" — have overshadowed the town of Holcomb for the past half century and the trial and execution of the culprits has brought little, if any, closure.
For many townsfolk, the wounds have been slow to heal partly because of Capote's critically acclaimed, nonfiction novel that spawned a new literary genre. The book has been reviled in its birthplace by residents because of its recreation of events that never happened and what they say is commercial exploitation of the victims. The subsequent movies have also been unpopular here.
"They made a tremendous amount of money off our great tragedy," said Bob Rupp, who as a teenager dated Nancy Clutter.
The horrific slayings of Herbert Clutter, a prominent farmer and community leader, and his wife, Bonnie Mae Fox, along with their children, 15-year-old Kenyon and 16-year-old Nancy, shattered the innocence of a generation accustomed to leaving their doors unlocked.
The hunt for their killers — parolees Dick Hickock and Perry Smith — mesmerized the nation, drawing journalists from across the country to this rural outpost on the Kansas prairie.
Then when Capote's book hit the shelves, it forever linked the small town with a crime now known around the world......
As was Truman Capote.
It is evened rumored/suspected that Truman Capote and Perry Smith were more than just friends and had a sexual relationship.
That's like asking what Islam has to do with the Hasan masacre?
Capote obviously had his reasons for covering up the results of the investigation. Others believe that homosexual jeolosy was the motivation for the killing.
Now that every death of a gay man brings the prospect of a 'hate crime' why are you willing to look away from a gay hate crime?
Thank you. I've seen this discussion on FR before, and anyone who doesn't think that there's a homosexual subtext to the book is utterly clueless. It seems that Perry was hung up on Dick (no pun intended, but happily accepted). Dick was an opportunist. He preferred women, but he'd take what was on hand. Perry wanted to impress Dick, and show how manly and tough he was, which is why Dick was able to goad him into killing the Clutters. That Dick might have been talking about raping the daughter might have ticked Perry over the edge.
The fact that they were perverted homosexuals have a lot to do with it. The perversion of homosexuality is an unacceptable life style choice. Perverted homosexuals like these two strike out against a society that does not accept them.
It is theorized that their homosexual relationship was the actual cause for the slaughter of the family. One of the guys was going to rape the daughter...the other caught him and was jealous...this led to the murders.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.