Hitchcock's Involvement In The Clutter Case
The two primary suspects of the Clutter case, Richard Eugene Hitchcock and Perry Edward Smith, were arrested on December 30, 1959 for driving a stolen vehicle in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alvin Dewey, the KBI detective assigned to the case, was informed by a colleague that the suspects were arrested, fearing that he would lose his chance to interrogate them, he decided to drive to Las Vegas. When first questioned about their involvement in the quadruple homicide, both suspects deny having anything to do with the horrific crime and recount a phony story they had conceived and thoroughly rehearsed. Perry is the first to succumb to the detective's scrupulous questioning, and proceeded to recount what really occurred on the evening in question. Hitchcock
immediately became defensive, stating that Perry was the one that committed the atrocities and that he even attempted to get Perry to stop killing. In his original testimony at the police station Perry Smith stated that both he and Hitchcock had partaken in the executions of the Clutters. However, once he was extradited back to Kansas, Perry changed his testimony, stating that he committed all four homicides in a fiery rage because he found Hitchcock, earlier that evening, in Nancy Clutter's room and knew exactly what his intentions were.
immediately became defensive, stating that Perry was the one that committed the atrocities and that he even attempted to get Perry to stop killing. In his original testimony at the police station Perry Smith stated that both he and Hitchcock had partaken in the executions of the Clutters. However, once he was extradited back to Kansas, Perry changed his testimony, stating that he committed all four homicides in a fiery rage because he found Hitchcock, earlier that evening, in Nancy Clutter's room and knew exactly what his intentions were.