Hollywood has some wild stories about true crime. In many of these cases, the most famous are those that have remained unsolved. Thelma Todd, William Desmond Taylor, the Black Dahlia, Natalie Wood, we can move on on this front, but we won’t. One of the darker unsolved murders is that of Hogan’s heroes Stern, Bob Crane. So who killed Bob Crane?
Of course we don’t know. The case has officially remained unsolved since 1978. But did he? Someone has been tried and acquitted of the crime. Did you get away with murder? Or could someone who killed Bob Crane still be out there? Let’s dive into the fascinating case that will shock and disturb you.
Bob Crane: A short story
Before we get into the theories of who killed Bob Crane, let’s look at Bob Crane. Younger generations would likely only recognize the name if they delved into the world of true crime. But for a decent number of years, Crane was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in one of the most popular sitcoms out there. Hogan’s heroeswho followed a group of Allied prisoners of war carrying out sabotage missions under the noses of the Nazis.
Yeah, we swear it was a comedy series. As the star of the show, Bob Crane had the potential to make it big. In fact, many people expected him to have a great career. Unfortunately, however, Crane’s porn addiction resulted in his falling out of favor after Hollywood’s cancellation Hogan’s heroes Crane took pride in his porn collection and showed it off even when engaging in amateur pornography.
A man named John Henry Carpenter, a regional sales manager for Sony, later Akai, helped Crane delve into this side of himself. Carpenter rode Crane’s coattails, met women attracted to the famous actor and helped him film the encounters. According to Crane’s son, Robert Crane, who wrote a book on the case, he believed his father had the consent of women involved in his amateur porn.
We should note that one woman said she did not know that she was filmed by Bob Crane after his death.
The murder of Bob Crane
Now that we have an idea of who Bob Crane was, let’s look at how he was killed. After the nosedive of his career, Bob Crane was largely relegated to dinner theater and guest appearances on television series. There was an attempt to star on TV The Bob Crane Show, but that went up in smoke after 13 episodes of the series. At the time of his death, he was playing a dinner theater in Scottsdale, Arizona.
On June 29, 1978, he missed lunch for the show he was on Beginner’s luck. His co-star Victoria Ann Berry went to Crane’s house to check on him. Then his body was discovered. Crane had been beaten to death and found with a power cord around his neck. The damage to his face had been so severe that only one side could be identified.
At the time of his death, Crane’s son Robert said his father was planning to make some big changes in his life. Bob Crane was two weeks before his 50th birthday. He had plans to divorce his second wife. Hogan’s heroes Co-Star Patricia Olson and Cutting Bad Influences like Carpenter. Carpenter was a prime suspect in the case.
Who Killed Bob Crane?
Many people involved in the case believed the killer got away with murder. John Henry Carpenter was the prime suspect. At the time of Bob Crane’s murder, the two were seen arguing and Type B blood, the same type of blood as Bob Crane, was found in Carpenter’s rental car. In 1992, a detective found what looked like brain tissue in a picture of Carpenter’s car.
The physical evidence, of course, was long gone. But the photo was enough to arrest Carpenter and bring him to justice. Not only that, there were problems trying a cold case, too. There was an inconclusive DNA test on the blood, witnesses recalled Carpenter and Crane having a friendly dinner that night, and the murder weapon has still never been found.
The defense team was more than happy to find out Crane’s sexual preferences for the jury and suggested that an angry lover, husband, or friend could have attacked Crane. It was reasonable enough doubt to get Carpenter acquitted of the murder. But many suspect that he was somehow involved. Crane’s son Robert believes his stepmother Patricia Olson was involved.
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Who Killed Bob Crane? Do you think Carpenter got away with murder? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
