1

The Woodchipper

Murder

Richard Crafts Helle Crafts

2

The Woodchipper Murder

Married

3

The Woodchipper Murder

Married

Guns

Machinery

Travel

2

1

3

Had trouble

with money

Hired P.I.

Helle dropped off at home

4

1986

Nov 19th

Nov 18th

Richard sent the children to his sisters house

Dec 1st

P.I. contacted

the police

Only Richard answers the phone

5

Police investigation

Richard: wife disappeared Passed a lie detector test

1

Carpet fragments

Strange purchases Chainsaw

Freezer

Woodchipper

No blood 2

3

6

Christmas Day 1986

Crafts house searched

Bloodstains on mattress 1 Matched Helles blood type (O+)

Witness placed wood-chipper at Lake Zoar

Searched river bank 1 Human hair

Letters

7

Search of the lake

Reservoir with a dam

Water level lowered

to facilitate search

Lake Zoar

8

Search of the lake

Chainsaw 1

Human tissue

Human hair

Blue clothing fibres

Serial number restored Richard

9

2660 strands of bleached hair

Search of the lake

2

69 slivers of human bone 3

5 droplets of human blood 4

2 teeth 5

Helles hair color

O+

One proved to be Helles

Chainsaw 1

10

A portion of a human finger

Search of the lake

3 oz human tissue 7

8

1 human fingernail 9

1 portion of human toe nail 10

A truncated piece of human skull 6

11

January 1987

Richard Crafts arrested

Evidence of murder of Helle Crafts

Bail posted at $750 000

How did Richard Crafts kill his wife?

12

Reconstruction of events

Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?

Police assumption

Body preserved in freezer

1

2

13

Richard Crafts murder plan

Sent children to sisters house in Westport

Made up a story about

electricity problems

Returned to Newtown to dispose of Helles body

Lake Zoar

14

Used chainsaw to cut up Helles body 3

Ran Helles body parts through woodchipper 4

Helle beaten to death on early Nov 19th?

Police assumption

Body preserved in freezer

1

2

Reconstruction of events

Used a pig carcass

15

Re-enactment

Put it through a woodchipper

Effect of woodchipper on a human body?

16

Re-enactment

17

Pig remains

Re-enactment

Consistent with

human remains found in lake

rental

witness

body parts,

tooth

hair, tissue

(serial number restored)

rental

hair

tissue

fibres (rug)

Richard Crafts sentenced to 50 years in prison

Network of Evidence

18

Types of forensic work

Comparison leading to Association

Locards Principle:

19

Summary

Reconstruction & Re-enactment

Every contact leaves a trace

4

3

1

2