Perry Edward Smith

Perry Edward Smith
Kansas State Penitentiary, March 1960
Born(1928-10-27)October 27, 1928
DiedApril 14, 1965(1965-04-14) (aged 36)
Cause of deathExecution by hanging
Occupation(s)Criminal, seaman, soldier
Criminal statusExecuted
Parent(s)Florence Julia Buckskin and "Tex" John Smith
MotiveRobbery
Eliminating witnesses
Conviction(s)First degree murder (4 counts)
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
DateNovember 15, 1959
CountryUnited States
Location(s)Holcomb, Kansas
Target(s)Clutter family
Killed4
WeaponsShotgun
Knife
Date apprehended
December 30, 1959
Military career
Allegiance United States
Service / branch United States Army
Years of service1948–1952
RankPrivate
Battles / warsKorean War

Perry Edward Smith (October 27, 1928 – April 14, 1965) was one of two career criminals convicted of murdering the four members of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, United States, on November 15, 1959, a crime that was made famous by Truman Capote in his 1966 non-fiction novel In Cold Blood.[1][2] Along with Richard Hickock, Smith took part in the burglary and quadruple murder at the Clutter family farmhouse.

  1. ^ Anatomy of a Murder, Time Magazine, December 22, 1967 Archived July 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York: Random House, 1965.