Richard hickock last words
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Biographies of Key Figures
Perry Smith
Perry Edward Smith (October 27, 1928 - April 14, 1965) was one of two ex-convicts who murdered four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, United States on November 15, 1959, a crime made infamous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.Perry Smith was born in Huntington, Nevada, a now-abandoned community in Elko County. His parents, Florence Julia "Flo" Buckskin and John "Tex" Smith, were rodeo performers. Smith was of mixed Irish and Cherokee ancestry (from his father's and mother's side, respectively).
The family moved to Juneau, Alaska, in 1929, where the elder Smith distilled bootleg whisky for a living. Smith's father abused his wife and four children, and in 1935 his wife left him, taking the children with her to San Francisco. Smith and his siblings were raised initially with their alcoholic mother. After Smith's mother died when he was thirteen, he and his siblings were placed in a Catholic orphanage, where nuns allegedly abused
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Clutter family murders
1959 killings in Kansas, United States
In the early morning hours of November 15, 1959, four members of the Clutter family – Herb Clutter, his wife, Bonnie, and their teenage children Nancy and Kenyon – were murdered in their rural home just outside the small farming community of Holcomb, Kansas. Two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death. They were both executed on April 14, 1965. The murders were detailed by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novelIn Cold Blood.[1][2]
Background
Herbert "Herb" Clutter was a prosperous farmer in western Kansas. His oldest daughters, Eveanna and Beverly, had moved out and started their adult lives. His wife Bonnie had reportedly been incapacitated by clinical depression and physical ailments since the births of her children, although this was later disputed.[3] Nancy Clutter, 16, and Kenyon Clutter, 15, attended Holcomb High School.[4][5]
Richard "Dick" Hickock and Perry Edward Smith were two e
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Perry Edward Smith
Executed American mass murderer
Perry Edward Smith | |
|---|---|
Kansas State Penitentiary, March 1960 | |
| Born | (1928-10-27)October 27, 1928 Huntington, Nevada, U.S. |
| Died | April 14, 1965(1965-04-14) (aged 36) Kansas State Penitentiary, Lansing, Kansas, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Occupation(s) | Criminal, seaman, soldier |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Parent(s) | Florence Julia Buckskin and "Tex" John Smith |
| Motive | Robbery Eliminating witnesses |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (4 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Date | November 15, 1959 |
| Country | United States |
| Location(s) | Holcomb, Kansas |
| Target(s) | Clutter family |
| Killed | 4 |
| Weapons | Shotgun Knife |
Date apprehended | December 30, 1959 |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service / branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1948–1952 |
| Rank | Private |
| Battles / wars | Korean War |
Perry Edward Smith (October 27, 1928 – April 14, 1965) was one of two career criminals convicted of murdering the four members of the Clutter
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