In Cold Blood: Part 1 Summary and Analysis

Part 1 (248-307)

  • Dick and Perry are held separately in the Finney County jail.
  • Dick is in the men's wing.
  • Perry is near the Sheriff's residence, in the cell for women.
  • State-appointed defense attorneys prepare their cases over several months.
  • Dick and Perry make official statements.
  • Perry revises his confession, stating he shot all four victims.
    • He claims this is out of respect for Dick's parents, not concern for Dick.
  • Defense attorneys arrange psychiatric evaluations by Dr. W. Mitchell Jones.
  • An auction of the Clutter's possessions is held at River Valley Farm one week before the trial.
  • Trial begins with testimonies from:
    • Sue Kidwell
    • Nancy Ewalt
    • Holcomb residents and officials
    • Floyd Wells
    • Four K.B.I. agents, including Alvin Dewey
    • Mr. Hickock
    • Dr. Jones

Dr. Jones' Psychiatric Evaluations

  • Uncovers details about Dick and Perry.
  • Dick:
    • Shows "emotional abnormality", possibly from brain damage in a car accident.
    • Feelings of social and sexual inadequacy drive reckless actions.
    • Displays characteristics of a "severe character disorder" (295).
  • Perry:
    • "Shows definite signs of severe mental illness."
    • Neglected as a child, leading to a "paranoid orientation toward the world."
    • Struggles to distinguish real intentions from projections.
    • Has "poorly controlled rage," triggered by feelings of being tricked, slighted, or seen as inferior.
    • Personality resembles paranoid schizophrenia.
  • Dr. Jones cannot fully present these diagnoses because the court's criteria for criminal intent is limited.
  • Dr. Joseph Statten, a colleague of Dr. Jones, published an article with evaluations of other convicted murderers.
    • Statten concludes killers experienced "severe emotional deprivation" in childhood and feelings of inadequacy.
    • They committed violence in a detached state.
    • Victims became surrogate objects of blame for past traumas.

Testimony and Closing Remarks

  • Don Cullivan, an old Army friend, visits Perry and offers to be a character witness.
  • Cullivan, a devout Catholic, tries to comfort Perry with religious thoughts.
  • Perry admits he is not bothered by the murders and feels no remorse.
  • Defense lawyers plead for mercy in their closing remarks, attempting to prevent the death penalty.
  • The jury finds Dick and Perry guilty on four counts of first-degree murder after a forty-minute deliberation.
  • Both are sentenced to death.

Analysis

  • Dr. Jones' findings confirm the book's exploration of Dick and Perry's personalities.
  • The murder of Herb Clutter represents Perry's frustrations and missed opportunities.
    • Perry: "I didn't have anything against them…Maybe they're just the ones who had to pay for it."
    • Herb Clutter symbolizes a traumatic figure from Perry's past: his father, orphanage nuns, army sergeant, or parole officer (302).
  • Perry's trance-like state during the murders is attributed to his psychological disposition.
  • The interpretation invites sympathy, which may be why Dr. Jones's testimony is limited.
  • The court uses the M'Naghten rule:
    • If the defendant knew their actions were wrong, they are responsible.
  • Opposed to the Durham rule:
    • Defendants are not responsible if the crime results from a mental defect.
  • The court's inability to accommodate Dr. Jones' testimony symbolizes society's difficulty in understanding such complex individuals.
  • Dick and Perry are social misfits due to:
    • Mental illness
    • Implied repressed homosexuality
    • Status as ex-convicts
    • These factors place them outside conventional society.