The Gruesome Murder of Helle Crafts and the Landmark Case Without a Body

In a case that shocked Connecticut and legal circles alike, flight attendant Helle Crafts was murdered by her husband, Richard Crafts, in 1986. The case became the first in the state’s history to result in a murder conviction without the discovery of the victim’s body.

A Marriage Marked by Suspicion and Infidelity

Helle Lorck Nielsen, born July 7, 1947, in Charlottenlund, Denmark, married Richard Crafts in 1975. The couple settled in Newtown, Connecticut, where Helle continued her career as a flight attendant while raising their three children. By 1986, Helle suspected her husband of infidelity and confronted him about suspicious long-distance phone calls, leading to increased tension within the marriage [1].

Helle initiated divorce proceedings and retained a private investigator, Keith Mayo, who documented Richard kissing another flight attendant. On November 18, 1986, after returning home from a flight from Frankfurt, West Germany, Helle was never seen again [1].

The Disappearance and Initial Investigation

Richard Crafts initially told friends and family he was taking Helle and their children to his sister’s house in Westport, Connecticut, but Helle was not with him. He subsequently offered a series of inconsistent explanations for her absence, claiming she had traveled to Denmark to visit her mother, or to the Canary Islands with a friend [1]. These conflicting stories raised concerns among Helle’s friends, who were aware of Richard’s volatile temper.

The Chilling Evidence: A Wood Chipper and Gruesome Remains

The investigation took a disturbing turn when authorities discovered that Richard Crafts had rented a U-Haul truck and a 1,200 kilogramme wood chipper the month before Helle’s disappearance, stating he needed it to clear trees from his property [3], [2].

A highway maintenance worker, Joseph Heinz, reported seeing Richard operating the wood chipper near Lake Zoar at approximately 3 a.m. A search of the area revealed a horrifying scene: fragments of wood, clumps of blonde hair, a human thumb and toe, pieces of bone and teeth, and fabric from women’s undergarments [3]. A postal label bearing Helle Crafts’ name was too found [3]. A chainsaw with blonde hairs tangled around the blade was recovered from the nearby Housatonic River [3].

A Landmark Trial and Conviction

Helle Crafts was officially declared dead, and Richard Crafts was arrested and charged with her murder. The prosecution faced the unprecedented challenge of securing a conviction without a body. After two trials, Richard Crafts was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 50 years in prison [1]. This case marked the first time in Connecticut history that a person was convicted of murder without the recovery of the victim’s remains.

Early Release

In 2020, Richard Crafts, then 82 years old, was granted early release after serving 30 years of his 50-year sentence for good conduct [1].