Unsolved Mysteries: The Walker Family Murders

Were the Murderous Duo of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood Responsible for the Slaughter of a Second Family

December 20, 1959, was seemingly an ordinary morning in Osprey, Florida. The town is small, comprising just a few thousand people, and residents enjoyed the relative peace that comes alongside that. Daniel McLeod rose at his ranch and began to set about his day. It was cold, but not expressly so, and he was headed to meet his friend and co-worker Cliff Walker to go hog hunting. He hooked up his horse trailer, loaded his horse, and set off in good spirits for the day ahead. Parking his truck outside the Walker family home on the 100,000 acres Palmer Ranch, McLeod will have noticed the darkness emanating from the house. It was quiet, which was odd as the family was known to rise early.

McLeod knocked at the front door, getting increasingly louder as he became more alarmed at the lack of response. He had initially believed the family had simply slept in, amused as his friend was also known to be a habitual early riser. After calling out and making further attempts to ascertain the problem, Daniel looked further around the property. He noted the family car was not in its usual position, and there were both a cut log and Christmas gifts laying on the porch. Peering through…