The main characters are Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, the two killers, and the members of the Clutter family who were the victims, such as Herb Clutter, Bonnie Clutter, etc.
The main plot is about the real - life murders of the Clutter family in Kansas. Two ex - convicts, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, planned and carried out the killings for what they thought would be a big haul of money. But they found very little at the Clutter home. The story then follows the investigation and the eventual capture, trial, and execution of the two killers.
Sure was. The book was meticulously researched and documented to present an accurate account of the tragic events it portrays. Truman Capote spent a lot of time interviewing and gathering information to make it as true to life as possible.
The back story in 'In Cold Blood' involves the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. They were a well - liked and respected family. The killers, Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, had their own troubled backgrounds. Hickock had heard that there was a large sum of money in the Clutter household. Smith was a complex character with a difficult upbringing. Their paths converged and led to the brutal murder of the Clutter family.