Holcomb, Kansas

Holcomb is a city located in Finney County, Kansas. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,026.

Notoriety

The town of Holcomb was unwittingly thrust into the headlines on November 15, 1959, when four members of the prominent Clutter family -- Herbert, 48; his wife Bonnie, 45; daughter Nancy, 16; and son Kenyon, 15 -- were found bound and shot to death in various rooms of their River Valley Farm on the outskirts of town.

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Two ex-convicts, Richard ("Dick") Eugene Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, were eventually arrested, tried, and convicted of the killings. The duo's murderous odyssey began when both Hickock and Smith were released from prison and, acting on casual comments made by a fellow cellmate who had once worked for Mr. Clutter, made plans to rob the Clutter household under the mistaken belief that Mr. Clutter kept thousands of dollars in cash in a safe at the residence. There was no safe, nor any substantial amount of cash in the home. Upon this discovery, and after killing the captive family to eliminate any witnesses, the pair fled with around $42, a portable radio, and a pair of binoculars. They were arrested months later in Las Vegas, Nevada. Following their convictions, and after several appeals, both Hickock and Smith were hanged for their crimes on April 14, 1965.

Related Topics:
Richard ("Dick") Eugene Hickock - Perry Edward Smith - Las Vegas, Nevada - April 14 - 1965

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The shocking murders and the arrests and convictions of both Hickock and Smith were the basis for author Truman Capote's acclaimed work, In Cold Blood, which was serialized in The New Yorker magazine in 1965 and published in book form in 1966. The best-selling book, in turn, spawned two filmed versions of the compelling story: director Richard Brooks' theatrical feature film in 1967 starring Robert Blake, Scott Wilson and John Forsythe, and a two-part made-for-television movie starring Eric Roberts, Anthony Edwards and Sam Neill that aired on network TV in 1996. Portions of the 1967 theatrical film were shot on location in and around Holcomb and nearby Garden City, including the actual Clutter house where the crimes occurred.

Related Topics:
Truman Capote - In Cold Blood - The New Yorker - Richard Brooks - Robert Blake - Scott Wilson - John Forsythe - Eric Roberts - Anthony Edwards - Sam Neill

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