John Henry Carpenter
Encyclopedia
John Henry Carpenter was most widely known as the friend, and accused murderer, of actor Bob Crane
in 1978.
heritage. He was born on an Indian reservation
where as a teenager he often earned money as a migrant worker harvesting apricot
s. He served in the U.S. Army and was married twice. Following his retirement from the Army, he took a job marketing video technology, achieving expertise in that field and becoming head of the video wing of a new Japanese electronics company debuting in the USA called Sonycom, later to be known simply as Sony
.
Despite prosecutors' assertions to the contrary, the waitress at Bobby Mcgee's restaurant and bar testified in court that Carpenter and Crane hadn't had an intense argument at the night before Crane was bludgeoned to death
in June 1978. She argued that they were engrossed in an intense but normal conversation. Evidence also suggests that Crane must have known the person who murdered him. The district attorney at the time of Crane's death declined to prosecute Carpenter.
Years later, in 1994, the case was re-opened and Carpenter was tried and eventually acquitted, although he was fired from work as national sales manager at Kenwood USA, a California electronics firm, as punishment for being accused for the murder of Crane.
He always maintained his innocence, and later said he felt a huge relief after his name has been cleared. One jury member later said in an interview that the jury believed there was insufficient proof to determine Carpenter's guilt and that "you cannot prove someone guilty on speculation".
, Carpenter was played by Willem Dafoe
.
The film strongly suggests that Carpenter was bisexual and was sexually attracted to Crane which was the theory and supposition presented by prosecutors who were lacking a motive for the crime. Not one witness, lover or any photo, video or frame of film was ever produced or came forth to verify or support the prosecution's suppositional bisexual theory. Medical exams and doctor testimony was presented in court to dispute the theory. In the special features section of the DVD, a documentary extra has Carpenter's second wife adamantly asserting that Carpenter was completely heterosexual. The film also portrays Carpenter as suffering from colorblindness.
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
in 1978.
Life
John Carpenter was of Native AmericanIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
heritage. He was born on an Indian reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
where as a teenager he often earned money as a migrant worker harvesting apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
s. He served in the U.S. Army and was married twice. Following his retirement from the Army, he took a job marketing video technology, achieving expertise in that field and becoming head of the video wing of a new Japanese electronics company debuting in the USA called Sonycom, later to be known simply as Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
.
Relationship with Crane
Carpenter, a salesman specializing in video technology, met Crane via Richard Dawson, another cast member on Hogan's Heroes. The two men (Crane and Carpenter) frequented bars together, picking up women and often recording their exploits in snapshots and on videotape.Despite prosecutors' assertions to the contrary, the waitress at Bobby Mcgee's restaurant and bar testified in court that Carpenter and Crane hadn't had an intense argument at the night before Crane was bludgeoned to death
Club (weapon)
A club is among the simplest of all weapons. A club is essentially a short staff, or stick, usually made of wood, and wielded as a weapon since prehistoric times....
in June 1978. She argued that they were engrossed in an intense but normal conversation. Evidence also suggests that Crane must have known the person who murdered him. The district attorney at the time of Crane's death declined to prosecute Carpenter.
Years later, in 1994, the case was re-opened and Carpenter was tried and eventually acquitted, although he was fired from work as national sales manager at Kenwood USA, a California electronics firm, as punishment for being accused for the murder of Crane.
He always maintained his innocence, and later said he felt a huge relief after his name has been cleared. One jury member later said in an interview that the jury believed there was insufficient proof to determine Carpenter's guilt and that "you cannot prove someone guilty on speculation".
Portrayal in Auto Focus
In the 2002 biopic Auto FocusAuto Focus
Auto Focus is a 2002 American biographical film directed by Paul Schrader that stars Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe. The screenplay by Michael Gerbosi is based on the book The Murder of Bob Crane by Robert Graysmith....
, Carpenter was played by Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe
Willem Dafoe is an American film, stage, and voice actor, and a founding member of the experimental theatre company The Wooster Group...
.
The film strongly suggests that Carpenter was bisexual and was sexually attracted to Crane which was the theory and supposition presented by prosecutors who were lacking a motive for the crime. Not one witness, lover or any photo, video or frame of film was ever produced or came forth to verify or support the prosecution's suppositional bisexual theory. Medical exams and doctor testimony was presented in court to dispute the theory. In the special features section of the DVD, a documentary extra has Carpenter's second wife adamantly asserting that Carpenter was completely heterosexual. The film also portrays Carpenter as suffering from colorblindness.