In today's episode, we're going to be talking about an event that shook the whole of America to its core back in the late 1950s,

an event so brutal that it sparked the beginning of true crime entertainment.

This, in fact, is the story that inspired Truman Capote's novel in Cold Blood, one of the most successful true crime novels of all time.

In Cold Blood was placed on bookshelves across the world striking fear into every person that was brave enough to read it.

And what really shook people to their core was the fact that the events of the story were true and had occurred in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959,

a crime where four members of the Clutter family were brutally murdered in their own home.

You're listening to Murder in America. Oh, Oh, Our story starts in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959.

Holcomb's population was around 270 at the time and it truly represented small town America.

Holcomb sits on the west end of Kansas and its farmland stretch for miles and miles.

It's the kind of country small town where when you're walking down the dirt road of Main Street,

you recognize every person that passes, a place where children can play and travel around without supervision,

a place where you can walk to your neighbor's house and borrow eggs and milk.

It was the kind of town where no one locked their doors at night and everyone trusted their neighbors.

I know we've described a lot of towns in this podcast the exact same way,

and it makes you think that maybe these quiet small towns aren't as safe as everyone thinks

they are?

And if there's one thing that I've learned throughout my research into true crime is that no town,

no matter how small or friendly is ever safe for monsters. No family ever thinks that

their small town will be invaded by evil and this was especially true for the people of Holcombe, Kansas.

Among the families that lived in Holcombe was the Clutter family.

And the Clutters were very well respected in their community.

They lived in a large farmhouse on over 600 acres of land just

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