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Arts & Entertainment

Limited Series On 'In Cold Blood' Murders In The Works

capote.jpg
Truman Capote with copies of In Cold Blood. (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection)

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A new limited series based on the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, which Truman Capote covered in his famous book In Cold Blood, is in the works, according to Deadline. Author Gary McAvoy uncovered old steno pads from the murder investigation and worked with the son of one of the Kansas investigators to bring this information to light, because much of the information they uncovered presents a far different story of the murders than what Capote wrote in his classic work of (supposed) non-fiction. McAvoy will now present the information via the limited series.

The series will also provide an in-depth look into the attempts to suppress McAvoy's discoveries and how his knowledge brushed up against the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. A Wall Street Journal investigation from 2013, which came from McAvoy's discoveries, revealed that at least two iconic scenes from the book were fabrications in order to present the Kansas Bureau in a positive light. The WSJ also revealed that the killer, Richard Hickock, had written his own account of the murders. Capote was aware of the manuscript, but never mentioned it in his notes. Hickock wrote the memoir while on death row, so it's unclear to what degree his account is accurate.

The series does not yet have a timeline for production and appears to be in early stages of development.

This article previously misstated the date of the murders. They occurred in 1959, not 1969.

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