Dick was the partner in crime of the Clutter murders with Perry Smith. Much like Perry, he was also a stout man who grew up in Kansas. His criminal record shows his history for being jailed due to passing bad checks. He was married twice, but had no children. Considered to be a practical man, he was known for exuding a cruel confidence, but truthfully he wasn't as rough and tough as he seemed. Also like Perry, he was uneducated but did have street smarts along with an extremely charming personality which he often used to con people, especially women, out of money. He was the mastermind and instigator of the of the murders and supposedly intended to rape Nancy, the teenage daughter, which further motivated his plan to rob them.
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'Dick thinking to himself in jail: "It was Perry he ought to have silenced." ' - Quote from In Cold Blood. |