Answers - Part 3 Summary

On November 17th, 1959 FLoyd Wells, a former cellmate of Richard Eugene Hickock, ear a radio report on the Clutter Massacre.  The radio report wanted anyone with knowledge of the killers to report to the KBI, and receive a $1000 prize.  Wells knew immediately who the murderer was : Hickock.  When Wells and Hickock shared a cell they talked a lot. Wells, eleven years earlier, worked on River Valley Farm for Mr. Clutter.  When Hickock and Wells began talking of past work experiences, Hickock became very interested in Mr Clutter.  He asked if he had a lot of money and a safe and Wells said he supposed that Mr. Clutter did.  Hickock wanted to know everything about Mr. Clutter’s life, how many children he had, their current ages, the layout of the house, and Mr. Clutter’s daily routine.  Hickock told Wells that he would rob Mr. Clutter and the slit his throat and shoot the rest of the family.  At the time, Wells assumed that Hickock was all talk and thought nothing of it.  After hearing the radio report, however, Wells knew it was Hickock’s doing.  He was reluctant, though, to tell the warden for he did not want to be pinned as an accessory to the crime.  After several weeks, Wells gave in and told the warden, the warden then called Logan Sanford who immediately phoned Dewey. Dewey is very happy at finally having viable suspects for the Clutter Case.  

Detective Nye goes on a series of investigations, mostly including interviews with Hickock and Smith’s family and people, such as store owners, who may have come in contact with them since the night of the Clutter murders.  He interviewed Mr. and Mrs. Hickock saying that Dick had written a series of false checks.  They asked them specifically of Hickock’s whereabouts the night of November 15th.  The parents told him that he had returned home the night after the 15th, very tired and very hungry.  When asking them if they knew where he might be now, Mr. Hickock told him to point to somewhere random on a map, and maybe he’ll be there.  He asked the motel owner of a place Smith stayed, what she knew about him and allowed Nye to search through a box of his things that he had asked to keep there until his next arrival.  Next, he visited Smith’s sister, who had a very poor relationship with Perry and insisted that she knew not where he was and was not interested in knowing.
During this time, Dick and Perry have been hitch hiking across the country.  They arrive in Nebraska and run from the rain into and old barn.  While in the barn, they spot a Chevy with it’s key in the ignition. They steal the car and Dick convinces Perry that they should go back to Kansas.  Perry is very reluctant to do so, but Dick guarantees they will be able to make money in Kansas.  After writing another series of faulty check in Kansas, and stealing new license plate off a wrecked car, the two leave for Miami in time for Christmas.  
Nye finds the string of faulty checks written under Hickock’s own name, but not before the two are out of the state. However, they know the car they have and a smart Pawn shop owner had the sense to write down the license plate number of their car before they left.  
On December 30th, Dick and Perry were caught in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Perry had just picked up a package from the post office that contained the  shoes he was wearing the night of the murder.  A patrole car recognized the car and license plate, follows them and when they stop, arrests them both. Dewey is ecstatic about the capture of the men and flies to Las Vegas immediately.
2 pm. -1st interrogation of boys.  The interrogators avoid the subject of the Clutter case because the boys were arrested only under terms of parole violation and faulty checks.  The question hovers around their activity over the past month, trying to subtly ask more detailed questions about november 15th.  Dick and Perry had created a false alibi for the night of the 15th- two hookers at a rundown motel.  Finally, at the end of the first interrogation Nye inserts, “I guess you know why we’re here, tell me Dick. Have you ever heard of the Clutter case?” (page 252)Dick was said to undergo an ‘intense visible reaction.’  He turned gray and his eyes twitched. In Perry’s interrogation, conducted by Dewey and Duntz, Dewey finally said, “Mr. Duntz is going to tell you where you really were that Saturday night.  Where you were and what you were doing” Followed by Duntz bluntly stating, “You were killing the Clutter family.”
Both refused to admit guilt to the crime until Nye showed Dick the photographs of the footprints.  Followed by Dick saying, “Perry Smith killed the CLutters, It was Perry. I couldn’t stop him. He killed them all.” Stepping out of the room following his confession, he fainted.
Even after telling Perry that Dick had confessed, Perry did not, thinking it was a ruse to get him to confess.  In the car, to transport the convicts back to Kansas, Dewey tells Perry that Dick told him the story of ‘the nigger’ that he had killed claiming he was a ruthless killer.  After this statement, to which Dewey hadn’t counted on a reaction, Dewey finally received one.  Perry began his full verbal confession.  
First, Perry got a letter from Dick with a plan to steal from the Clutter’s safe and leave no witnesses.  Perry wanted to get black stocking to shield their identities, but Dick was refusing.  Perry almost said no and did not join Dick, but for his own reasons, met Dick in Kansas.  When Dick and Perry arrived at the Clutter estate, the side door was unlocked, they could not find the safe so they woke up Mr. Clutter who slept on the first floor.  Perry cut the telephone cords.  Mr. Clutter offered to pay them off but they kept pestering him about his safe. He begged them not to bother Bonnie, his wife,because of her medical problems.  The found Bonnie and searched her purse, she had barely any money.  Next, they put both parents in the bathroom and went into
Kenyon’s room,told him to get dressed and put him in the bathroom as well.  Nancy comes out into the hall, trying not to act scared and gets put in the bathroom. Dickand Perry frisk the rooms bu find no money.  All they ended up stealing were binoculars and a radio.  They tied up each family members in different areas of the house.  Both Kenyon and Herb were brought to the basement.Bonnie was tied up in her own bed and Nancy in her own bed. They then taped everyone’s mouths shut except for Nancy.  Dick wanted torape Nancy, but Perry prevented it.  Right before they killed Herb, he asked how his wife was doing, they cut his throat and then shot him in the head.  Next to get shot was Kenyon, then Nancy, and lastly Bonnie.  Perry thought about shooting Dick-truly leaving no witnesses, but then decided against it. Dick and PErry received only about $40-50 a the Clutter house that night.
When the cars finally reached Kansas, there was a crowd formed to witness the arrival of the murderers.  Violence had been anticipated from the crowd, but there was none.