John Henry Carpenter (June 24, 1928 – September 3, 1998) was an American video equipment salesman, most widely known as a friend of—and the accused murderer of—actor Bob Crane, who died in 1978.[6][7]
John Henry Carpenter | |
|---|---|
 Carpenter during his 1994 trial | |
| Born | June 24, 1928[1] |
| Died | September 3, 1998 (aged 70)[3] Torrance, California, U.S.[3] |
| Occupation | Video equipment salesman[4] |
| Known for | Friendship with, then accused in the murder of, actor Bob Crane |
| Spouse | Diana Tootikian[5] |
Biography
editCarpenter was born in 1928 in Los Angeles,[2] of Native American and Spanish heritage.[8]
Carpenter served in the United States Army and was married twice.[citation needed] Following his retirement from the Army, he took a job marketing video technology, achieving expertise in that field and becoming head of the video wing of a new Japanese electronics company debuting in the United States, later known as Sony.[citation needed]
Relationship with Bob Crane
editDuring the run of Hogan's Heroes (1965–1971), actor Richard Dawson introduced Bob Crane, star of the series, to Carpenter, then a regional sales manager for Sony Electronics.[4] Carpenter often helped famous clients with video and audio equipment.[9] The two men struck up a friendship and began going to bars together. Crane attracted women due to his celebrity status and good looks, and introduced Carpenter as his manager. Later, the two would videotape their sexual encounters with women they met.[10] While Crane's son Robert later insisted that all of the women were aware of the videotaping and consented to it, some, according to one source, had no idea they had been recorded until informed by police after Crane's murder.[11] During his friendship with Crane, Carpenter became national sales manager at Akai and arranged his business trips to coincide with Crane's dinner-theater touring schedule, so that the two could continue seducing and videotaping women after Hogan's Heroes had run its course.[12][13][14] Crane was discovered bludgeoned to death in Scottsdale, Arizona, on June 29, 1978.[15]
Investigation and trial
editThe crime scene yielded few clues; no evidence was found of forced entry, and nothing of value was missing. Detectives examined Crane's extensive videotape collection, which led them to Carpenter, who had flown to Phoenix on June 25 to spend a few days with Crane. Carpenter's rental car was impounded and searched. Several blood smears were found that matched Crane's blood type; no one else of that blood type was known to have been in the car, including Carpenter. DNA testing was not yet available, and the Maricopa County district attorney declined to file charges.[16]
In 1990, investigators re-examined the evidence from 1978 and persuaded the county attorney to reopen the case.[17] DNA testing was inconclusive on the blood found in Carpenter's rental car, but an evidence photograph of the car's interior appeared to show a piece of brain tissue. The actual tissue samples recovered from the car had been lost, but an Arizona judge ruled that the new evidence was admissible.[17] In June 1992, Carpenter was arrested and charged with Crane's murder.[18][19]
Carpenter was tried in 1994 and eventually acquitted.[13] As a result of the accusation, he was fired from work as National Service Manager at the electronics firm Kenwood USA.[20] He always maintained his innocence, and later said he felt a huge relief after his name had been cleared. One jury member later said in an interview that the jury believed there was insufficient proof to determine Carpenter's guilt and that "you cannot prove someone guilty on speculation."[21] Despite the acquittal, Maricopa County district attorney Rick Romley stated, "I am convinced John Carpenter murdered Bob Crane."[22]
Carpenter died in 1998 in Torrance, California.[3] In the 2002 biopic Auto Focus, Carpenter was played by Willem Dafoe.[23]
References
edit- ^ "Social Security Death Index". Social Security Administration. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via fold3.com.
- ^ a b "Draft Registration Card". Selective Service System. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via fold3.com.
- ^ a b c Altman, Larry (10 September 1998). "Torrance man tried in killing of TV star dies". Daily Breeze. Torrance, California. p. 3. Retrieved 13 August 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Bob Crane - Yahoo! TV". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "John H. Carpenter; Acquitted in Actor Bob Crane's Death". 11 September 1998. Retrieved 4 May 2018 – via LA Times.
- ^ Crane, Robert; Fryer, Christopher (16 March 2015). Crane: Sex, Celebrity, and My Father's Unsolved Murder. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813160757. Retrieved 4 May 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "All about Bob Crane's murder case by Denise Noe". 27 October 2003. Archived from the original on 27 October 2003. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ The Bob Crane Case - Crime Library on truTV.com Archived 2008-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Katz, Hélèna (2010). Cold Cases: Famous Unsolved Mysteries, Crimes, and Disappearances in America. ABC-CLIO. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-313-37692-4.
- ^ Kim, Eun-Kyung (1 November 1994). "Crane's friend acquitted". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. pp. A–8. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (18 July 2001). "Klinky Sex". sfweekly.com. Archived from the original on 23 December 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ (Katz 2010, p. 289)
- ^ a b "Friend Is Acquitted in 1978 Killing of Actor". The New York Times. Associated Press. November 1994. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Actor Bob Crane died a gruesome death. Anchor's book takes another look". usatoday.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ "Actor Bob Crane Beaten To Death". La Crosse Tribune. La Crosse, Wisconsin. AP. 30 July 1978. p. 5. Retrieved 20 January 2024 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Rubin, P. (April 28, 1993). The Bob Crane Murder Case, Part Two. Phoenix New Times archive, retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ a b "Crane case to go forward". The Bulletin. 12 March 1993. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "How did Bob Crane die, anyway?". straightdope.com. 8 May 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ Balazs, Diana (12 September 1998). "Suspect in killing of 'Hogan's Heroes' actor Bob Crane". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. A–12. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
- ^ "Sex, Murder and Videotape". people.com. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
- ^ D'Anna, John. "'Hogan's Heroes' star Bob Crane was murdered 40 years ago. Why does it still fascinate us?". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ Tresniowski, Alex (4 November 2002). "What About Bob?". People. Vol. 58, no. 19. Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Auto Focus". 1 November 2002. Retrieved 4 May 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
External links
edit
- Richard Dawson interview – Richard Dawson talks about Carpenter (Part 2, starting at 29:25) via televisionacademy.com