At a Glance
- Pan Am flight attendant Helle Crafts vanished in 1986 after returning from Frankfurt
- Husband Richard B. Crafts bought a wood chipper days before her disappearance
- Bone fragments, tissue, and a fingernail were found on a bridge over the Housatonic River
- Why it matters: The case became Connecticut’s first murder conviction without a body, setting a legal precedent
Helle Crafts’ 1986 disappearance led to what prosecutors called a grisly murder plot involving a wood chipper and a husband determined to erase evidence. The case became Connecticut’s first murder conviction without a body.
The Disappearance
Helle Crafts, a 39-year-old Pan Am flight attendant and mother of three, was last seen after flying home from Frankfurt, Germany. When she failed to report for work, concern mounted.
Her husband, Richard B. Crafts, told authorities she had gone to visit a friend in the Canary Islands. Investigators later challenged this story.
The Wood Chipper
Authorities said Richard, a former airline pilot and part-time police officer, had recently purchased a wood chipper. Witnesses testified they saw a man operating a chipper on a bridge between Newtown and Southbury days after Helle vanished.
Police recovered small human remains along the banks of the Housatonic River:
- Bone fragments
- Tissue
- A fingernail
The Prosecution’s Case
Prosecutors said Richard killed Helle inside their Newtown home on Nov. 18 or 19, 1986. They alleged he dismembered her body with a chainsaw and fed the remains through the wood chipper to destroy evidence.
Despite the absence of an intact body, the case moved forward. Richard was arrested in 1987.
Trials and Conviction
The first trial ended in a mistrial after a juror refused to continue deliberations. A second trial resulted in a conviction, with a jury finding Richard guilty of murder in November.
At sentencing, attention turned to Richard’s lack of remorse. Addressing Superior Court Judge Martin L. Nigro, Richard said he had been unfairly portrayed as emotionally cold.
“A great deal has been said about my apparent lack of emotion: ‘He has ice water in his veins,'” Richard told the court. “I have feelings like everyone else.”
Family Reaction
Family members urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence. Karen Rodgers, Richard’s sister, who had custody of the couple’s three children, said she believed her brother had shown concern only in words.
“I am concerned that Mr. Crafts has not publicly nor privately demonstrated any remorse for the murder of his wife,” Rodgers said at the sentencing. “I believe he has paid lip service only to the concerns of his children.”
Sentencing and Aftermath
Judge Nigro sentenced Richard to 50 years in prison, rejecting defense motions to overturn the conviction or grant a new trial. Defense attorneys said they planned to appeal, citing extensive publicity and questions about police recording practices.
Richard continued to maintain his innocence while serving his sentence in Connecticut state prison. Decades later, he was released earlier than many expected under a now-defunct “good time” credit law that applied to inmates sentenced before 1994.
Key Takeaways
- The case marked Connecticut’s first murder conviction without a body
- Evidence included tiny remains and witness testimony about the wood chipper
- The conviction relied on forensic analysis and circumstantial evidence
- Richard’s release decades later sparked renewed attention to the case
