Bob Crane Murder Case

Bob Crane, star of TV's "Hogan's Heros" was murdered in his Scottsdale apartment while appearing in "Beginner's Luck" at the Windmill Dinner Theater.
Bob Crane, star of TV’s “Hogan’s Heros” was murdered in his Scottsdale apartment while appearing in “Beginner’s Luck” at the Windmill Dinner Theater.

Read more about Bob Crane’s murder.

JUNE 1978. “Beginner’s Luck” Windmill Dinner Theater, Scottsdale. Cast: Bob Crane.

This play, out of the more than 100 done at the Windmill, will be the most remembered. TV star Bob Crane was appearing in it when he was bludgeoned to death in an apartment complex just down the street from our house. Scottsdale police are convinced they found the guilty party; they just couldn’t convict him. I was entertainment editor for the Scottsdale Progress at the time and the last person to interview Mr. Crane. Shortly after I filed the story, I left for my parents’ home in Kentucky. While there, I got a call from the Scottsdale police asking to interview me. Sad turnaround of events. The play, by the way, wasn’t much, but he was good in it.

Bob Crane was all smiles in this photograph taken shortly before his death.
Bob Crane was all smiles in this photograph taken shortly before his death.
Little did anyone know. Arizona Republic, June 24, 1973.
Little did anyone know.
The Windmill Dinner Theatre program for "Beginner's Luck."
The Windmill Dinner Theatre program for “Beginner’s Luck.”
An autographed playbill from "Beginner's Luck"
An autographed playbill from “Beginner’s Luck”