Episode 425: The Clutter Family Murders

Morbid

Morbid Network | Wondery

True Crime, Comedy, Exhibit C

4.5 • 95.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2023

⏱️ 91 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1959 the state of Kansas was absolutely shocked to find that one of its most prominent and well-liked families, The Clutters, had been murdered. Richard Hickock and Perry Smith, two convicts that had recently been released from prison were the ones responsible. Both had been told by a fellow inmate while incarcerated that the Clutter family had a large amount of cash stashed in a safe on their property. The two broke into the family home and searched for the safe, they then woke up the family when they couldn't find it, tortured and murdered them one by one.

thank you to exquisite David White for research assistance

References

Capital Wire Service. 1959. "Two Itinerant Laborers Held for Murder Quiz." Topeka Daily Capital, November 20.

Capote, Truman. 1965. "In Cold Blood." The New Yorker, September 25.

Cowan, Carole. 2005. "Persons Unknown." New York Times, Jan 23: F6.

Garden City Telegram. 1965. "Last Words Attack Capital Punishment." Garden City Telegram, April 14: 1.

Gonsalves, Antone. 1984. "25 years later, 'In Cold Blood' murders still haunt." United Press International, November 11.

Greer, Bob. 1959. "Clutter Family Murders." Garden City Telegram, November 16: 1.

Hegeman, Roxana. 2009. "The Stains of In Cold Blood Still Fresh 50 Years Later." Guelph Mercury, November 10.

Hickock, Richard. 1960. "Spectre of Noose Haunts Prisoner." Topeka Daily Capital, March 25.

Kalbfleisch, Gay. 1959. "Empty Shell Cases, Fatal Shot Found." Topeka Daily Capital, November 19: 1.

Keglovitts, Sally J. 2004. "In Cold Blood Revisited: A Look Back at an American." Federal Probation: A Journal of Correctional Philosophy and Practice 68 (1).

Kull, Ron. 1960. "Crime Plans Listed." Topeka Daily Capital, 03 24: 1.

—. 1960. "'They'll Both Get the Rope'." Topeka State Journal, March 23: 1.

—. 1960. "'Wells Was to Get Cut,' Says Hickock." Topeka State Journal, March 26.

McAvoy, Gary. 2019. And Every Word is True. Bremerton, WA: Literati Editions.

New York Times. 1959. "Wealthy Farmer, 3 of Family Slain." New York Times, November 16: 39.

State Journal News Services. 1960. "Jury Tours Clutter Farm; Death Asked." Topeka State Journal, March 23.

State of Kansas vs. Hickock & Smith. 1961. 363 P.2d 541 (Supreme Court of Kansas, July 8).

Time Magazine. 1960. "Kansas: The Killers." Time Magazine, January 18.

Topeka State Journal. 1965. "Clutter Case Reporter Finds Relief in End of Long Story." Topeka State Journal, April 14: 1.

United Press International. 1959. "Fear, Grief Follow Murder Shock." Topeka Daily Capital, November 16: 1.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime members, you can listen to morbid early and add free on Amazon music.
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0:06.3	Hey, hey, weirdo!
0:08.3	I'm Ash and I'm Elena.
0:11.3	And this is morbid.
0:13.4	This is morbid.
0:38.7	I said, um, you did.
0:42.7	I was just repeating it.
0:45.7	I don't know what to say.
0:47.0	Um, yeah, this is morbid and it's going to be morbid because we're talking about a very
0:51.2	big, um, older, because it's me, but it's like the 50s.
0:56.1	So don't worry, it's not that old.
0:57.8	Uh, an older true crime case, but one that a lot of people know about crazy because the
1:01.4	50s, like, is old now.
1:03.0	It's like super old, but not like, you know, when I say old, usually it's like 181901,
1:08.3	1877.
1:09.3	I was going to say, like, 1492, you know, failing the ocean blue all that's it.
1:15.5	But yeah, we're here.
1:17.0	Um, I just saw that you guys have gotten the episode where we were talking about sinister
1:22.0	porn babe on given dark vibes.
1:24.6	It's given dark saturday because I just saw that people were commenting being like,
1:29.4	I came here from morbid and I cannot be fucking happier.
	...

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