Richard Crafts

This is one of those cases that if you know a lot about true crime you remember hearing about. There have been television documentary shows about it for decades. Part of the notoriety that it received came from the fact that it was the first time prosecutors in the state of Connecticut obtained a conviction despite there not being a body to examine.

I had a report that Richard and Helle Crafts were married in 1979 but I cannot say that is accurate because other reports state that by 1986 the couple had been married eleven years and had three children. Regardless of how long they were married, by late 1986 the marriage was in shambles. Both Richard and Helle were in the airline business. He was a pilot and she was a flight attendant for a Dutch airline. Helle was of Dutch heritage, in fact, her mother still lived in Denmark. It was said that the marriage was failing due to Richard's infidelity and that Helle had recently filed for divorce but the couple still lived together in their Newtown Connecticut home.

Helle was last seen on the night of November 19, 1986 when a friend dropped her off at the home. For the next few weeks her friends, as well as a private investigator that Helle had hired, attempted to reach her but if they spoke to anyone it was Richard who told different stories to different people regarding her whereabouts. He told some people she had gone to visit her mother in Denmark; he told others she had gone to the Canary Islands (off the coast of Africa); and still others he would simply say he did not know where she was. It was said that Helle had told several people, “If something happens to me, don't think it was an accident.” Because of this the private investigator, Keith Mays and a friend of Helle's went to the police.

On December 25, 1986 a search warrant was issued for the Craft property. It was discovered that several pieces of carpet had been removed from the bedroom floor. A nanny for the Craft children told investigators that one of those removed pieces had suddenly had a “dark, grapefruit size stain” before it was cut out. Credit card records had shown investigators that a new freezer had been bought but they could not find it within the home. It was also discovered that Richard had bought new bedding for the master bedroom since Helle had been seen but the most interesting charge was for $900 for the rental of a wood chipper right around the time investigators believed now that Richard had likely murdered Helle.

A man went to investigators and told them that he had seen Richard Crafts on the shore of Lake Zoar, near his home, operating a wood chipper late in the night of November 20^th (some reports say the 19^th but that doesn't add up with other things). The most interesting thing about this was that a huge snowstorm was going on at the time. Investigators went to the area in which the man stated he had observed Richard Crafts. In the end they found what they called “less than 3 ounces of human remains” in the area. One item found was a tooth with “unique dental work.” It was this tooth that a forensic dentist was able to determine belonged to Helle and using this the state was able to get a death certificate for Helle. Richard Crafts was arrested on January 11, 1987 and charged with her death. In 1986/87 DNA was not what it is today. Investigators were only able to use blood typing to determine things. At the scene in which it was alleged the wood chipper was used they found blood which matched Helle's Type O. It was believed that most of the remains ended up in the lake.

Richard's first trial began in May of 1988 in New London Connecticut. It ended on July 15, 1988 when the jury was deadlocked on a verdict. It was said that it was 11-1 for conviction and the remaining juror not only refused to budge but had all but stormed out of deliberations. The judge declared a mistrial. His second trial was held in Norwalk Connecticut. Prosecutors theorized that Helle had been struck in the master bedroom of the home with some sort of blunt object and knocked unconscious. Whether they allege that Richard continued to beat her until she was dead or simply put her unconscious body in the freezer he had purchased is unclear. It appears that he left the body in the freezer for approximately a day when he transported the body to the shore of the lake and used the wood chipper to dispose of the body. Private investigator, Keith Mays, provided investigators with a receipt for a chainsaw that Helle had given him at some point showing Richard had purchased one. The reason behind her giving him this information was not clear. The chainsaw was found on the shore of Lake Zoar. The serial number had been filed off and it was covered in hair and blood, both of which would later be determined to be Helle's Testimony was presented that indicated not only was Helle in fear of her life but that Richard had physically abused her in the past. Prosecutors believed that the motive was to prevent having to divide the assets in a divorce. At the time of the murder Richard made $120,000 a year. This is a hefty sum in 2018 but in 1986 it was even more. An inflation calculator shows that today it would be more like $270,000. To add to this Helle also worked for an airline so they lived a high lifestyle. It is unclear exactly what the defense had to offer. On November 21, 1989, after eight hours of deliberations the jury found him guilty.

At his sentencing on January 9, 1990 even Richard's sister, Karen Rodgers, who had taken custody of the three Craft children, asked for the maximum sentence available. Rodgers claimed that he had shown no remorse for his actions. For his part it was said that he expressed that he was “wrongly portrayed as a cold-blooded killer” but did not address directly whether he had murdered his wife. He was sentenced to fifty years in prison. According to the Connecticut Department of Corrections website his maximum release date is March 11, 2021 when he will be eighty-four years old.

As a side note, the 1996 movie Fargo, was said to be inspired by this case. And, if you would like to know more about the case itself you can simply look up “The Wood Chipper Murder.”