In June 1978, actor, radio personality, and drummer Bob Crane was in Scottsdale, Arizona, performing in Beginner’s Luck at the Windmill Dinner Theater. He was staying temporarily in apartment 132A at Winfield Place when he was found murdered inside the apartment on June 29. Crane had suffered severe blunt-force injuries to the head, and an electrical cord had been tied around his neck. There was no obvious forced entry, no clear robbery motive, and the murder weapon was never conclusively identified.

Crane was best known to millions as Colonel Robert Hogan on Hogan’s Heroes, but the investigation into his death exposed a much more private side of his life. Police recovered videotapes from the apartment, and reports described hundreds of women appearing in Crane’s photographs and recordings over the years. Those discoveries dramatically expanded the number of people who might have had a reason to feel angry, humiliated, jealous, or threatened by him.

Before Theresa reveals any of that, David knows only Robert Edward Crane’s name, date of birth, and photograph.

During his intuitive reading, David describes a man with a strongly sexual private life, a temporary apartment that feels more like a bachelor pad than a permanent home, a female visitor behaving suspiciously near an exterior door, a close male friend stopping by later, and a killing that David believes happened after Crane fell asleep. He does not connect the close friend to the murder. Instead, David’s impressions lead him toward an unknown man he believes may have been connected to a woman in Crane’s orbit.

Theresa then reveals that Crane really was staying in a temporary Scottsdale apartment, that longtime friend John Henry Carpenter was with him during part of his final night, and that the apartment door was later found unlocked. Carpenter ultimately became the central suspect, was charged, tried, and acquitted. He maintained his innocence until his death.

Other theories have circulated for decades, but no one has ever been convicted.

Who entered Bob Crane’s apartment that night? Was the answer hidden in his private life, in a relationship investigators never fully understood, or in evidence that can no longer speak for itself?

Listen with an open mind. Consider the facts. Decide for yourself.

David’s intuitive impressions are personal perceptions and are not presented as fact or evidence. Nothing discussed should be interpreted as an accusation or determination of guilt.

Support the show

Still Unanswered
Evidence meets intuition.
Hosted by David Zarza & Theresa Michaels.

Explore cases, episodes & more at StillUnansweredPodcast.com
Follow: @stillunansweredpodcast (Instagram & Facebook)

Have a case you think we should investigate? Visit the website to get in touch or email directly contact@stillunansweredpodcast.com