A Crime to Remember

BACK IN 1959,

BEFORE TRUMAN CAPOTE AND THAT BOOK OF HIS, "IN COLD BLOOD",

NO ONE FROM THE BIG CITIES

KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT OUR VILLAGE OF HOLCOMB, KANSAS.

NANCY?

AND WE LIKED IT THAT WAY.

MR. CLUTTER?

OURS WAS THE SIMPLE, GRACIOUS LIFE.

BUT AFTER THAT DAY, WHEN OUR NEIGHBOR, SUSAN,

WENT TO PICK UP NANCY CLUTTER FOR CHURCH...

NANCY?

MR. CLUTTER?

NANCY?

WE'RE GONNA BE LATE.

...OUR LITTLE TOWN -- THE WHOLE COUNTRY --

WE ALL LOST OUR INNOCENCE... FOREVER.

30 IN THE MORNING,

SHERIFF EARL ROBINSON AND MR. HENDRICKS,

WHO'S A NEIGHBOR, ARRIVE AT THE HOME

AND SEE 16-YEAR-OLD NANCY CLUTTER'S BODY.

SHERIFF, OVER HERE.

THE SHERIFF GOES DOWN THE HALL, AND HE SEES THE MOTHER, BONNIE.

BONNIE HAS ALSO RECEIVED A FATAL GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD.

SHERIFF ROBINSON CONTINUES TO CLEAR THE RESIDENCE

LOOKING FOR THE REST OF THE CLUTTER FAMILY

BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT THERE'S TWO MORE UNACCOUNTED FOR.

IN THE BASEMENT, THEY FIND THE FATHER, HERB CLUTTER,

LYING ON A MATTRESS BOX...

...AND HIS SON, KENYON, ON THE COUCH.

THE SHERIFF'S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

THE FAMILY'S BEEN WIPED OUT.

THEY'RE HORRIFIED.

THIS IS THE KIND OF THING YOU READ ABOUT IN NEWSPAPERS

THAT HAPPEN ELSEWHERE

BUT DOESN'T HAPPEN HERE IN HOLCOMB, KANSAS.

THANK YOU, HONEY.

WONDERFUL. HERE IS THE CORN!

THE CLUTTERS WERE PROBABLY THE MOST PROMINENT FAMILY

IN FINNEY COUNTY.

THEY WERE WELL-RESPECTED, WELL-LIKED, CHURCHGOING PEOPLE.

THE FATHER, HERB CLUTTER, WAS A SELF-MADE MAN.

HERB WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL FARMER, RANCHER,

RESPECTED BY ALL.

IT WAS THE AMERICAN DREAM.

BONNIE CLUTTER WAS THE MOTHER OF THE FAMILY.

SHE WAS A GREAT HOMEMAKER.

KENYON WAS 15 YEARS OLD.

HE'S 6 FOOT TALL, LITTLE AWKWARD FOR HIS AGE.

NANCY CLUTTER -- 16 YEARS OLD.

SHE WAS OFTEN ON THE HONOR ROLL,

SHE WAS CLASS PRESIDENT,

SHE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS,

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CLUTTERS JUST IS UNIMAGINABLE

TO THIS SMALL COMMUNITY.

AL. SHERIFF.

THE SHERIFF IMMEDIATELY SUMMONS ONE OF HIS BEST FRIENDS,

AL DEWEY OF THE KANSAS BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIONS,

CERTAINLY ONE OF THE BEST INVESTIGATORS I'VE EVER MET.

AGENT DEWEY IMMEDIATELY STARTS GOING THROUGH THE HOUSE

SURVEYING THE SCENE.

SHOTGUN?

CLOSE RANGE.

NANCY IS COVERED IN BLOOD.

HALF OF HER HEAD HAS BEEN BLOWN AWAY.

HOG-TIED.

NANCY IS CLOTHED IN HER PAJAMAS AND HER ROBE AND SLIPPERS,

SUGGESTING THAT SHE WAS STILL AWAKE

WHEN THE KILLER ENTERED THE HOUSE.

WHEN THEY ENTER BONNIE'S ROOM,

THEY ENCOUNTER ANOTHER HORRIBLE SCENE.

SAME KNOTS AS THE GIRL.

THE KNOTS THAT WERE USED WERE VERY UNUSUAL.

IT WAS A HALF-HITCH KNOT.

JEWELRY'S STILL HERE.

AND THEY FIND THAT BONNIE IS WEARING TWO VALUABLE RINGS,

AND THIS IS CONTRADICTORY TO A ROBBERY.

LOOK AT THIS.

THEY CUT THE LINE.

HERB CLUTTER'S THROAT HAS BEEN SLASHED,

AND HE'S BEEN SHOT IN THE HEAD.

WATTLE.

WHEN AL DEWEY IS IN THE BASEMENT,

HE SEES A BOOT PRINT IN THE BLOOD.

THE CORONER DETERMINES THAT THEY WERE SHOT IN THE FACE

AT POINT-BLANK RANGE WITH A 12-GAUGE SHOTGUN.

TIME OF DEATH?

I'D SAY ABOUT 9 TO 12 HOURS AGO.

AND THAT THE CRIMES TOOK PLACE 00 P.M. AND 2:00 A.M.

PILLOWS, CARDBOARD...

SOMEBODY TRIED TO MAKE THEM COMFORTABLE.

AND THEN BLEW 'EM AWAY?

THE PILLOW PLACED UNDER KENYON'S HEAD

AND THE BOX FOR HERB

ARE STRANGE AND CONFUSING DETAILS FOR THE INVESTIGATORS.

SHOWS THAT SOMEBODY HAD SOME EMPATHY

TOWARDS THOSE INDIVIDUALS

AND YET WAS STILL ABLE TO BRUTALLY MURDER

ALL FOUR PEOPLE IN THAT HOUSE.

OTHER THAN THE BOOT PRINT,

THERE'S NOT MUCH EVIDENCE TO GO ON.

THERE'S NO SHOTGUN SHELLS.

THERE'S NO FINGERPRINTS.

FOR THE LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS,

THIS WOULD BE INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING.

YOU HAVE FOUR LIVES TAKEN

AND VERY, VERY LITTLE EVIDENCE TO GO ON.

WHAT'S THAT?

YEAH, A MAN'S LEATHER BILLFOLD.

THE INVESTIGATORS FIND MR. CLUTTER'S BILLFOLD...

EMPTY.

...BUT NO MONEY.

CHECK LEDGER...

HOLCOMB CAFE, $1.45,

MAIN HARDWARE, $3.17.

EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD KNEW THAT MR. CLUTTER

NEVER HAD CASH AROUND.

HE WROTE CHECKS FOR EVERYTHING.

WHO ROBS A MAN OF CASH WHO WRITES CHECKS FOR THAT AMOUNT?

IT WAS THE JOKE OF THE TOWN

THAT HE WOULD WRITE A CHECK FOR $2 FOR A HAIRCUT.

THE MOTIVE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT.

IT SEEMS TO BE A VERY SENSELESS CRIME.

HOLCOMB IS A SMALL TOWN, AND WORD SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE.

WHEN I HEARD, I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

I'D BEEN BABYSITTING FOR THE CLUTTERS

SINCE NANCY WAS LITTLE.

IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

IN RURAL AMERICA ESPECIALLY, THERE'S A FEELING OF,

IT'S SAFER, PEOPLE ARE NICER,

AND THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN.

AL DEWEY IS BEFUDDLED.

HE ALWAYS LOOKED, "WHAT'S THE MOTIVE HERE?"

MOTIVE IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE SOLUTION OF ANY HOMICIDE.

WHO COULD'VE HATED THESE PEOPLE THAT MUCH TO DO THAT TO THEM?

THE INVESTIGATORS START CANVASSING THE AREA,

AND THEY FIND ALFRED STOECKLEIN, A HIRED HAND THAT LIVES

LESS THAN A THOUSAND FEET AWAY FROM THE CLUTTERS.

DID YOU HEAR ANY GUNSHOT LAST NIGHT?

THE MISSUS AND I WERE UP AND DOWN ALL NIGHT WITH OUR LITTLE ONE,

BUT, WE DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING,

BUT THERE WAS A CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY.

A CAR?

WHEN?

PIECE BEFORE MIDNIGHT, I GUESS.

ALFRED REMEMBERS, 30 P.M.,

HE HEARD A CAR DOOR CLOSE.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE CAR?

I CAN DO YOU ONE BETTER.

I COULD TELL YOU WHOSE CAR IT WAS.

NANCY'S BOYFRIEND.

YOU'RE CERTAIN?

YES, SIR.

THE NEIGHBOR, ALFRED STOECKLEIN, REMEMBERS THERE WAS A CAR,

AND HE KNEW EXACTLY WHO IT BELONGED TO.

HE USED TO COME AROUND HERE ALL THE TIME,

TOO MUCH, IF YOU ASK ME.

CAN YOU GIVE US A NAME?

HE TELLS DEWEY THAT HE REMEMBERS TURNING TO HIS WIFE AND SAYING,

"THAT MUST BE NANCY'S BOYFRIEND, BOBBY RUPP."

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

IF YOU HAD ASKED ME IF I COULD EVER IMAGINE

BOBBY WOULD WANT TO HURT NANCY,

I WOULD'VE SAID, "YOU'RE CRAZY."

THE BOY ADORED HER.

BUT IF ANYONE WOULD KNOW

WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON BETWEEN BOBBY AND NANCY...

IT WAS NANCY'S BEST FRIEND, SUSAN KIDWELL,

THE POOR GIRL WHO FOUND THE BODIES.

HAVE A SEAT.

THANK YOU FOR COMING IN, SUSAN.

WE WERE WONDERING IF YOU COULD TELL US

ABOUT NANCY AND BOBBY'S RELATIONSHIP.

THEY'VE BEEN GOING TOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.

SUSAN KIDWELL TELLS THE INVESTIGATORS

THAT BOBBY RUPP AND NANCY CLUTTER

WERE IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER.

DID THEY EVER FIGHT?

EVERY COUPLE HAS THEIR PROBLEMS, DON'T THEY?

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

DID NANCY HAVE TROUBLE WITH BOBBY?

THERE WERE SOME DISAGREEMENTS THAT SHE MENTIONED.

WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.

I GOT THIS FOR YOU.

I'M SORRY. I CAN'T.

SUSAN TELLS THE INVESTIGATORS ABOUT A FIGHT

THAT BOBBY AND NANCY HAD HAD

A COUPLE OF WEEKS PREVIOUS TO THE MURDERS.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS IS GOING.

WE BOTH KNOW --

THAT'S YOUR FATHER TALKING.

BOBBY'S FAMILY IS CATHOLIC

AND THE -- THE CLUTTERS METHODIST.

MR. CLUTTER, HE -- HE THOUGHT THAT THAT MEANT

THAT THERE WASN'T REALLY A FUTURE FOR NANCY AND BOBBY.

I HAVE TO GO.

NO. WAIT!

MR. CLUTTER REALLY WANTED HIS DAUGHTER

TO END THIS RELATIONSHIP,

AND THAT CAUSED A LOT OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE TWO.

AND NANCY WAS WILLING TO BREAK IT OFF?