In Cold Blood, Part 2 Analysis - Essay Example

During the next rounds of questioning, the evidence is put forth. The sets of footmarks taken at the scene of the crime are similar to those of two pairs of shoes in the possession of the two accused. In a panic, Dick breaks down and names his friend for the murders. The people of Holcomb take the developments of the case leading to the arrest of two men stoically. They have doubts about whether they are to be blamed for the murders exclusively. Truman Capote writes about their mixed feelings, “Some day they’ll get to the bottom, and when they do they’ll find the one behind it. The one wanted Clutter out of the way (231).

Once the detectives succeed in creating confusion between the two accused based on the evidence in their possession, they have achieved the obvious. Both the accused become suspicious of each other and wish to save one’s skin and escape from the clutches of law. Look at the plight of Perry en route to Garden City when Dewey, the Chief Investigator, mentions to him the episode of the bicycle chain killing.

Perry concludes that Dick has made a clean slate of the issues. He panics and makes a detailed confession and avers that of the four Dick is responsible for two killings. The sequence of events was: The duo reached River Valley, being sure that Clutter kept safe with 10 thousand dollars. On breaking in, they were unable to locate the treasure and reached out to Mr Clutter in his ground-floor bedroom and threatened him to reveal the location of the safe or other big sums of cash in the house. Clutter pleaded ignorance about such holdings and all that he owned was a paltry thirty dollars. The duo reached upstairs and demanded cash from other family members. Dick continued his efforts to locate the safe after gagging them. Perry took care of the hostages and then he had other ideas. Dick wished to rape Nancy Clutter and was strongly rebuked by Perry for his reckless disposition. A hot exchange of words followed which is the prime cause of killings. The ghastly act was spontaneous. No planning and pre-meditation were involved. Both desperately needed money for their secular needs and they were not compulsive criminals. Perry’s statement corroborates this fact. Capote writes, "But also--I'll be honest--I had faith in Dick; he struck me as being very practical, the masculine type, and I wanted the money as much as he did. I wanted to get it and go to Mexico. But I hoped we could do it without violence" (234)…after their arrest, on the day of their being produced in the courthouse, the law enforcement authorities were expecting a large, abusive crowd. But the scene was amazing and it is described thus by Capote, “When the crowd caught sight of the murderers, with their escort of blue-coated highway patrol-men, it fell silent, as though amazed to find them humanly shaped” (248). Some crimes are too hard to believe!