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Murders of Clutter Family
Herbert, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter are murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. -
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Fugitives on the Run
Perry Smith and Richard Hickock are on the run. They initially fled to Mexico but eventually ended up in Las Vegas. -
Clutter Family Funeral
Clutter family funeral held in Garden City, Kansas. -
Fugitives Arrested
Las Vegas police arrest Perry Smith and Richard Hickock on a Kansas warrent for passing bad checks. -
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Capote Intervies
Capote interviews Richard Hickock and Perry Smith on death row at the Kansas penitentiary at Lansing. -
Murderers Confess
Richard Hickock, followed by Perry Smith confess to the Clutter murders. -
Murder Trial Begins
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Found Guilty
A jury of 12 men found Richard Hickock and Perry Smith guilty. They were sentenced to death. -
Original Execution Date
The original exection date was postponed. -
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Appeals to the Kansas Supreme Court
Lawyers for Hickock and Smith appeal the case all the way to the Kansas Supreme Court. Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court declines to review the cas -
Date of Execution
The killers are executed shortly after midnight; Hickock first, pronounced dead at 12:43 a.m.; then Smith on the same gallows at 1:22 a.m. They are buried in unmarked graves at a nearby cemetery. -
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The first edition of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote was published.