“First-degree murder involves “any intentional murder that is willful and premeditated with malice” In Cold Blood is the story of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock, the murderers of the Clutter family. They had later been caught and were sentenced to death for the murders. Perry and Dick deserved the death penalty because of Dick’s premeditated plan to kill the Clutter’s and his pedophilia, Perry’s execution of their plan, and the lack of remorse from both of them when admitting to the murder. Dick deserved the death penalty because his plan was well thought out and calculated beforehand, which proves it was in the first degree, and because of his pedophiliac tendencies. Floyd Wells, Hickock's former cellmate, talks about what Dick had said to him
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He told me he would probably tie them up and then rob them and then kill them” (Capote 283). As if premeditated murder wasn't enough, they had also revealed that Hickock had a history of sexually abusing underage girls which really solidified the ideology that he was a danger to society. One example of when his sexual tendencies were discovered was when they were tying up Nancy Clutter and he vocally expressed to Smith, “I’m gonna bust that little girl”(Capote 243). Luckily, he never did end up raping Nancy Clutter because Smith stepped in after expressing how Hickock would have to kill him before he let him near her, and that Smith despised men who couldn't control themselves sexually. Another time we see this is when there was a little girl on the beach that he tried to seduce and in doing so, the audience gets a look into his brain to which he explained, “Seducing pubescent girls, as he had done ‘eight or nine’ times in the last several years, did not disprove it. “(Capote …show more content…
This was shown when Bartleby.com states, “... he brutally murdered an entire family with the help of Dick Hickock. Perry also admitted to thinking about killing Dick also, just because he didn't want any witnesses”. As the one who carried out the murders, Smith played a crucial role in the crime, and his actions alone would be enough to justify the death penalty. Perry and Dick both merited their death sentences because they blatantly admitted it was them and had no remorse. Hickock thoroughly planned the murder of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter, showing no guilt for the innocent lives he was about to take. Hickock made a comment that showed how little he cared for human life and it said, “We’re gonna go in there and splatter those walls with hair” (Capote 234). With Smith, there was no beating around the bush because when he was blatantly asked if he was sorry, he responded with, “Am I sorry? If that’s what you mean–I’m not. I don’t feel anything about it. I wish I had. But nothing about it bothers me a bit. Half an hour after it happened, Dick was making jokes and I was laughing at them” (Capote
He told me he would probably tie them up and then rob them and then kill them” (Capote 283). As if premeditated murder wasn't enough, they had also revealed that Hickock had a history of sexually abusing underage girls which really solidified the ideology that he was a danger to society. One example of when his sexual tendencies were discovered was when they were tying up Nancy Clutter and he vocally expressed to Smith, “I’m gonna bust that little girl”(Capote 243). Luckily, he never did end up raping Nancy Clutter because Smith stepped in after expressing how Hickock would have to kill him before he let him near her, and that Smith despised men who couldn't control themselves sexually. Another time we see this is when there was a little girl on the beach that he tried to seduce and in doing so, the audience gets a look into his brain to which he explained, “Seducing pubescent girls, as he had done ‘eight or nine’ times in the last several years, did not disprove it. “(Capote …show more content…
This was shown when Bartleby.com states, “... he brutally murdered an entire family with the help of Dick Hickock. Perry also admitted to thinking about killing Dick also, just because he didn't want any witnesses”. As the one who carried out the murders, Smith played a crucial role in the crime, and his actions alone would be enough to justify the death penalty. Perry and Dick both merited their death sentences because they blatantly admitted it was them and had no remorse. Hickock thoroughly planned the murder of Herb, Bonnie, Nancy, and Kenyon Clutter, showing no guilt for the innocent lives he was about to take. Hickock made a comment that showed how little he cared for human life and it said, “We’re gonna go in there and splatter those walls with hair” (Capote 234). With Smith, there was no beating around the bush because when he was blatantly asked if he was sorry, he responded with, “Am I sorry? If that’s what you mean–I’m not. I don’t feel anything about it. I wish I had. But nothing about it bothers me a bit. Half an hour after it happened, Dick was making jokes and I was laughing at them” (Capote