Wood Chipper Killer WALKS FREE

Handling handcuffs and unlocking with a key.

A convicted murderer who dismembered his wife with a wood chipper in one of America’s most notorious “no-body” cases has been quietly released from prison after serving just over three decades, walking free despite maintaining his innocence in a crime that revolutionized forensic prosecution.

Story Snapshot

Richard Crafts, 82, released late 2024 from 50-year sentence for murdering wife Helle with wood chipper in 1986
First Connecticut murder conviction without a body, relying on forensic fragments including tooth, bone chips, and hair
Victim warned friends before disappearance: “If something happens to me, don’t assume it was an accident”
Local police initially dismissed case due to Crafts’ law enforcement connections as part-time officer
Landmark case set nationwide precedent for circumstantial evidence prosecutions in no-body homicides

Calculated Betrayal and Gruesome Disposal

Richard Crafts, a pilot and part-time police officer, murdered his wife Helle in November 1986 after she discovered his infidelity and hired a divorce attorney. The Pan Am flight attendant had confronted him with photographic evidence from a private investigator showing Richard with another flight attendant. Facing financial ruin from alimony and child support for their three children, Crafts executed a calculated plan that shocked investigators. He froze her body in a rented chest freezer, dismembered it with a chainsaw, and fed the remains through a commercial wood chipper near the Housatonic River.

Law Enforcement Ties Delayed Justice

Private investigator Keith Mayo, hired by Helle before her death, reported her missing to Newtown Police on December 1, 1986, but was initially dismissed. Richard’s colleagues in local law enforcement resisted suspicion despite Mayo’s evidence and Helle’s chilling warning to friends anticipating foul play. Connecticut State Police intervened after a snowplow driver, John Heim, reported witnessing wood chipper activity near a river bridge during unusual late-night hours. This delay underscores the dangers of law enforcement insiders evading scrutiny, a concern for Americans who value accountability and equal justice regardless of professional status or connections.

Forensic Breakthrough Without a Body

Dr. Henry Lee, Connecticut’s forensic expert, orchestrated groundbreaking investigative techniques to overcome the absence of a complete body. His team recovered tiny bone fragments, tissue, hair matching Helle’s DNA profile, and a tooth crown near the river, confirmed through dental records on January 13, 1987. Lee conducted a pig carcass simulation using the same wood chipper model Richard rented, proving the disposal method’s viability. Investigators traced chainsaw serial numbers, rental agreements for the Asplundh Badger Brush Bandit 100 chipper, and purchases made under aliases. Richard’s taunt to family—”Let them dive… It’s gone”—combined with overwhelming circumstantial evidence secured Connecticut’s first no-body murder conviction in March 1989.

Early Release Sparks Concerns

Richard Crafts, now 82, was released late 2024 after serving approximately 35 years of his 50-year sentence, currently residing in a Bridgeport halfway house for veterans with full release expected June 2025. He continues to maintain innocence despite two trials, the second ending in conviction after a 1987 mistrial. The case’s legacy transformed forensic standards nationwide, lowering thresholds for circumstantial prosecutions and advancing trace evidence techniques. For families of victims and advocates of justice, Crafts’ early release—while potentially compliant with parole guidelines—raises questions about whether sentences adequately reflect the brutality of premeditated murder and the calculated effort to destroy evidence, values central to law-and-order principles.

Precedent for Justice System Reform

The Wood Chipper Murder became a landmark study in forensic collaboration, demonstrating that meticulous evidence collection can overcome defense strategies exploiting the absence of a full body. Dr. Lee’s methods, including the examination of a missing bed spring hypothesized as a murder weapon, elevated Connecticut’s forensic capabilities and influenced national standards. The case highlighted systemic vulnerabilities when suspects hold law enforcement credentials, a reality that demands transparent oversight to preserve public trust. Helle Crafts’ prescient warning and her private investigator’s persistence remind Americans that vigilance and private accountability mechanisms remain essential safeguards when institutional failures occur, reinforcing limited government reliance and individual responsibility as cornerstones of justice.