64 years ago, one of the most horrific murders in Kansas history took place in Holcomb Kansas. Herb Clutter, his wife, and two children were killed by Perry Edward Smith and Eugene Hickock, after breaking into their home to rob them. Eventually, they were captured and later convicted and executed for their crimes. The crime was the topic of a famous book and movie by Truman Capote, “In Cold Blood”. The lead investigator for the KBI in the case was Roy Church. Now, the rest of the story. Roy Church was born in Ottawa in 1897, went to Ottawa High School and then created a petition to organize the National Guard in Ottawa. Several months later he was at Fort Riley training with them and was eventually sent to the Mexican border with other Franklin Countians. After the Army he came back to Ottawa, where he served as the Franklin County Sheriff from 1942 to 1946, becoming a KBI special agent in 1947. 12 years later, he worked the clutter case. Roy retired from the KBI in 1964. Afterward he served as a technical advisor on the movie “In Cold Blood”. Roy Church died January 20, 1971, at ransom memorial hospital in Ottawa.
