John Henry Carpenter facts for kids

John Henry Carpenter (born April 24, 1928 – died September 4, 1998) was an American salesman who worked with video equipment. He became widely known as a friend of actor Bob Crane and was later suspected in Crane's death in 1978. John Carpenter was found not guilty of any wrongdoing.

About John Carpenter

John Carpenter had a background that included both Native American and Spanish heritage. He was born on the Morongo Band of Mission Indians reservation. When he was a teenager, he often worked as a migrant worker, earning money by picking apricots.

Carpenter served in the U.S. Army. After leaving the Army, he started a job selling video technology. He became an expert in this field. He even became the head of the video part of a new Japanese electronics company called Sonycom, which later became known as Sony. John Carpenter had a son named John Michael Carpenter from his first marriage. He also had three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Friendship with Bob Crane

During the time the TV show Hogan's Heroes was popular, actor Richard Dawson introduced Bob Crane to John Carpenter. Carpenter was a sales manager for Sony Electronics. He often helped famous people with their video and audio equipment. The two men became good friends. Crane even introduced Carpenter as his manager.

Investigation and Acquittal

In 1994, an investigation into Bob Crane's death was re-opened. John Carpenter was questioned and later found not guilty. Because he was suspected, he lost his job as National Service Manager at the electronics company Kenwood USA.

John Carpenter always said he was innocent. He later shared that he felt a huge sense of relief after his name was cleared. One person who was part of the group making the decision later said that they believed there was not enough proof to show Carpenter was guilty. They felt that "you cannot prove someone guilty on speculation."

Carpenter's acquittal was helped by his defense attorney, Dan Roth. This outcome helped Roth become one of the most sought-after defense attorneys in Arizona.

Portrayal in Film

In the 2002 biopic movie Auto Focus, John Carpenter was played by the actor Willem Dafoe.