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Herb Clutter provides a foil for the killers. While Dick and Perry live in a constant present, attempting to fulfill their immediate desires, Herb is the picture of an upstanding citizen, devoted to building something lasting for his family and his community. Herb had been one of the most well-known figures in Holcomb and Garden City, admired not just for his agricultural success but also for his generosity, his goodness, and his unwavering moral standards. A devout Methodist, Herb built everything he had through hard work, putting 18-hour days into building up his farm. Though he had his share of trouble—a wife who struggled with spells of profound depression, disagreements with his daughter about her love life, a farming accident that cost him part of his finger—he remained faithful and optimistic, believing up until the final day of his life that more good days were on their way. While Perry and Dick leave behind pain, horror, and grief, the memory of Herb’s kindness, strength, and dedication is a comfort to those who are left to grieve him. The stark contrast between the legacy of these three men illustrates the power of goodness within a dark story.

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