Spoiler warning: this post explains the full ending of In Cold Blood. If you have not finished the book, stop here and come back later.
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Quick answer: Perry Smith and Richard Hickock are hanged for murdering the Clutter family. The book ends with Alvin Dewey meeting Susan Kidwell in the graveyard.
Quick facts
– Book: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
– First published: 1966
– Type: A nonfiction novel
– Tone of the ending: Somber
Table of Contents
What Leads Up to the Ending
In 1959, the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, is murdered. Two ex-convicts are tracked down and arrested. They confess but their motive is unclear.
What Happens at the End of In Cold Blood
After a trial and years of appeals, Perry and Dick are executed by hanging in 1965. Dewey then visits the Clutter graves and meets Susan, Nancy's friend. He feels that life goes on despite the loss.
The Ending in Five Quick Points
- After a trial and years of appeals, Perry and Dick are executed by hanging in 1965.
- Dewey then visits the Clutter graves and meets Susan, Nancy's friend.
- He feels that life goes on despite the loss.
What Happens to the Main Characters
| Character | What happens to them |
|---|---|
| Perry Smith | Hanged |
| Richard Hickock | Hanged |
| Alvin Dewey | Continues his life |
What the Ending Means
The ending shows that closure is incomplete. The execution does not bring back the Clutters.
Other Ways to Read the Ending
Some readers feel sympathy for Perry, while others think Capote's approach is too sympathetic.
Themes the Ending Brings Together
Crime and punishment. The final pages are where this idea lands hardest, and rereading the last chapters with crime and punishment in mind changes how the ending reads.
Violence. Truman Capote uses the closing events to show what violence costs or achieves, rather than simply stating it.
Empathy. The ending gives empathy a final shape, which is why readers often point to it when they explain what the book is really about.
Justice. Even in the last scenes, justice keeps shaping the choices the characters make.
Is the Ending Happy or Sad?
Most readers describe the ending of In Cold Blood as Somber. That reaction usually depends on what you hoped for the characters and what you expected Truman Capote to do with the story, so it is worth asking friends how they felt before you compare notes.
Book Versus Adaptation
The 1967 film and 2005 film Capote show the writing of the book.
Discussion Questions About the Ending
If you are reading In Cold Blood with a book club or a friend, these questions work well once everyone has finished:
- Did the ending surprise you, or had you seen it coming from the first chapters?
- What does the final scene say about crime and punishment, and do you agree with Truman Capote's view?
- Which character made the most important choice in the last part of the book, and was it the right one?
- How would the story feel if it had ended one chapter earlier or one chapter later?
- Does the ending leave you hopeful about the characters, or do you worry about what comes next?
- After finishing, would you describe the book as somber, or would you choose a different word?
Discussion Prompts by Theme
- Crime and punishment: Which moment in the last chapters made crime and punishment feel most real to you, and did it change how you saw earlier scenes?
- Violence: How does Truman Capote use the closing events to say something about violence, and do you agree with that view?
- Empathy: If you could ask a character about empathy at the very end, who would you ask, and what would you say?
- Justice: Does the ending leave justice resolved, or is it something that stays unsettled after the last page?
How to Read the Final Chapters Again
- Compare the opening with the close. Look at how the first chapter introduces crime and punishment and how the ending answers it.
- Track each final choice. The table above shows where every main character ends up, so ask which of those outcomes was earned.
- Notice what Truman Capote leaves unsaid. Gaps in the last pages are often deliberate, and they are where most of the debate about the ending begins.
- Listen for echoes. Images, phrases or settings from earlier in In Cold Blood often return in the final scene with a new meaning.
Questions to Ask Yourself After Finishing
- Was the ending of In Cold Blood earned by what came before it, or did it feel sudden?
- Which character's final moment affected you most, and why?
- If you could change one thing about the last chapters, what would it be?
- Did the ending change how you think about the opening pages?
- Would you recommend In Cold Blood to a friend who dislikes spoilers, or to one who loves a discussion?
Check price of In Cold Blood on Amazon
Books to Read After In Cold Blood
- The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer
- The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Related: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: Summary and Key Takeaways · 15 Books Like In Cold Blood You’ll Love: True Crime That Reads Like a Novel
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at the end of In Cold Blood?
Perry Smith and Richard Hickock are hanged for murdering the Clutter family. The book ends with Alvin Dewey meeting Susan Kidwell in the graveyard.
Is the ending of In Cold Blood happy or sad?
Most readers call it Somber.
What does the ending of In Cold Blood mean?
The ending shows that closure is incomplete.
Is the ending of In Cold Blood the same in the adaptation?
The 1967 film and 2005 film Capote show the writing of the book.
Who should read In Cold Blood before reading the ending explained?
Anyone who plans to read the book, because this post gives away the whole ending.