The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, in a lonesome area

that other Kansans call out there. That's Truman Capote's famous opening sentence of his

best-selling novel based on real events in cold blood. The clutters lived in the exact heart

of the Americas. Their harmonious lives, which were filled with social meetings, picnics, and church events,

were interrupted one bloody night 63 years ago.

Herb, with his wife Bonnie, and two of his four children, were killed November 15, 1959,

by intruders who entered their home with the intent of robbery.

The small community had never experienced such a brutal and pointless crime before.

The events inspired Truman Capote to write his true crime bestseller.

That novel ushered in an era of nonfiction and cemented Truman Capote as a worldwide best-selling writer,

propelling him to household fame and fortune. However, working on this case would change his life

and the Holcomb community forever. Welcome to 10-minute murder, brief and bingeable true crime.

My name is Joe, the host, and thank you for joining today.

And to be frank, I'd have to change my name, but the story today is one that not a single soul requested.

I nearly always do episodes and cases that you listening ask to hear about.

And back in August when I was traveling for work, I took a book along with me

because heaven forbid I risk dropping and destroying my phone and being

left without entertainment. The airport is impossible without that. So the book was in cold blood by

Truman Capote in case you haven't picked up on that by now. It's a story based on the murder of the

clutter family in 1959 and I did not expect it to be so interesting. I mean, I should have. It's considered

a novel that poured gasoline on the spark of interest that the country had in true crime.

And now look at it. Podcasts, TV shows, and movies, and the whole nine yards. Before we get going

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