Character List and Analysis
Alvin Adams Dewey
Head of the Clutter murder investigation, Al Dewey had been a sheriff of Finney County and a Special Agent of the F.B.I. He becomes completely obsessed with the Clutter case, spending all of his emotional energy — sometimes at the cost his family — on solving the crime: The clues, leads, theories, and his general meditations on both the family and the crime. He admits to be "haunted" by the crime and he intends to continue his investigation until he finally understands why the Clutters were murdered. His motivation becomes the narrative, and the reader finds it equally imperative to continue reading to discover, finally, what actually happened.