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For nearly 50 years, many have wondered if Ann Woodward got away with murder.
The New York socialite found herself in the crosshairs of Truman Capote following the fatal shooting of her wealthy husband, and she paid with her life. In 1975, the 59-year-old was found dead in her duplex apartment on Fifth Avenue. The mother of two poisoned herself with cyanide.
The shocking true-crime case that rocked Manhattan’s elite is highlighted in the limited series “Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans,” which explores how the secrets of high society made their way into the pages of the author’s works. The series is based on Laurence Leamer’s bestselling book, “Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era.”

Ann Woodward’s sons, William Woodward III, 11, and James, 7, at the time of the shooting. (Hal Mathewson/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
But the tragedy didn’t end there. Woodward’s sons each jumped to their deaths. Jimmy Woodward died in 1978 at age 31. His older brother, William “Woody” Woodward, died in 1999 at age 54.
Capote, known for “In Cold Blood” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” died in 1984 shortly before his 60th birthday.
Today, Leamer hopes readers will see a new side to Woodward.

Ann Woodward hysterically told police she shot her husband in the darkened hallway between their two bedrooms in the belief that he was a prowler at their Oyster Bay estate. (Getty Images)
“No matter what you do, people may come at you and accuse you of something you didn’t do,” he said. “It’s a tragic thing. People can be so wonderful, but they can also be so disgusting.”