In discussion of In Cold Blood, one controversial issue has been Perry’s plea. Was justice served correctly by sentencing Perry to death row? On one hand, it is a fair eye for an eye sentence, in which the consequence matches the wrongdoing. On the other hand, Perry could have been sentenced to an insane plea, which would’ve spared his life, and therefore given him a chance at treating his psychological illness. In Cold Blood, Truman Capote illustrates the events of the trial to the reader. On November 15, 1959, both Perry Smith and Richard Hickcock broke into the Clutter’s home in hopes of finding a safe with a monetary reward. Unfortunately, there was no safe and Richard, who was the mastermind behind this massacre, felt it was best to murder …show more content…
Hickock’s, Dr. Jones stated, “Perry Smith shows definite signs of severe mental illness. His childhood, related to me and verified by portions of the prison recoreds, was marked by brutality and lack of concern on the part of both parents. He seems to have grown up without direction, without love, and without ever having absorbed any fixed sense of moral values”(296-297). With this description, I believe Mr. Smith’s trial was misfair and unjust, because the psychologist stated that Mr. Smith does indeed shows signs of severe mental illness. With this being stated by a professional, it was unjust and cruel for the jury to convict Perry Smith to death row. If anything, Mr. Smith should have been put on an insanity plea, leading him to go seek a personal psychologist to help him with his mental illness, instead of taking his life away. Also, who are they, the people standing in the jury, to send someone death row? In 2014, Art Swift did a statistical research, based on reason for the death penalty. 35% of Americans agrees that, eye for an eye is the solution. 13 % believe that they deserve it. 11% believe that it will save taxpayers money. Which is completely wrong, because sending someone to death penalty actually cost more money than to keep them alive. According to deathpenaltyinfo.org, “Cases without the death penalty cost $740,000 while case with the death penalty is sought cost $1.26 million.” (Deathpenalty) We understand …show more content…
It did not make any sense on why the jury chose, to send him onto death row. Although, Perry did execute an ideal family, he was discriminated by his actions. We’ve have looked at Perry Smith’s background, Perry’s experienced a rough childhood, didn’t have any of his parents to teach him any morals, leading him to grow in a detention center, where he got beat for urinating his bed sheets. Once he turned 16, he joined the Marines, switched branch and at that moment he showed some psychological illness. Perry threw a Japanesse officer over a bridge, stole a taxicab, and demolished a local café. On the other hand, Richard Hickock had a normal life until he met his wife and he fantasized about little girls. He stated that, the reason why he went back to the Clutter’s home, was to rape Nancy, however his place was unsuccesfull. Leading to their trial, Dr. Jones was hired to analyze each of the suspect’s behavior. Dr. Jones wasn’t able to speak at the trial. But if he had so, Dr. Jones indeed believes that Perry Smith does have a mental illness, which would’ve placed him in a insanity plea, leading him to live and get medical treatment. Therefore, Perry’s case was unjust and