Richard B. Crafts was born on December 20, 1937. He grew up in a middle-class family in Connecticut. Richard's father worked as a businessman, and his mother was a homemaker. He had a typical childhood, enjoying activities like fishing and playing sports with friends.

Richard attended local schools and was known to be a good student. After finishing high school, he pursued higher education. He gained a private pilot license, which eventually led him to a career as an airline pilot. He worked for Eastern Airlines, where he was respected for his skills.

In 1975, Richard married Helle Lorck Nielsen, a Danish flight attendant. They moved to Newtown, Connecticut, and had three children together. Richard's job allowed him to travel frequently. Helle continued to work as a flight attendant while raising their children.

Helle Crafts was last seen on November 18, 1986. After working a long flight, friends dropped her off at her home in Newtown, Connecticut. A snowstorm hit that night, and she was reported missing the next day. Richard Crafts, her husband, claimed that he was taking her and their children to his sister's home, but Helle was not with him.

Over the next few weeks, Richard provided various explanations to Helle's friends about her absence. He suggested she was visiting her mother in Denmark or traveling with a friend. Concerned for her safety, her friends remembered Helle's warning that if something happened to her, it should not be assumed it was an accident.

A private investigator, Keith Mayo, who had been hired by Helle, reported her missing to the police on December 1. Local police did not initially take the report seriously, believing she would return. Mayo suspected Richard Crafts was involved and took his evidence to the county prosecutor.

On December 26, police searched the Crafts' home while Richard was away. They found pieces of carpet with stains and a blood smear on a mattress. Richard's credit card records revealed unusual purchases, including a freezer and a rental woodchipper. A chainsaw was later recovered from Lake Zoar, covered in hair and blood matching Helle's DNA.

A snowplow driver, Joseph Hine, noted seeing a rental truck with a woodchipper near Lake Zoar on the night Helle went missing. After the house search, he reported this detail to the police. Further investigation at the lake's edge uncovered human tissue, bone fragments, and hair that linked back to Helle Crafts.

Forensic experts matched a tooth crown found in the lake to Helle's dental records, which allowed authorities to issue a death certificate on January 13, 1987. Richard was arrested shortly after.

His murder trial began in May 1988 and ended in a mistrial due to jury issues. A second trial concluded on November 21, 1989, with a guilty verdict. Richard Crafts was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

He was released early on January 30, 2020, due to good behavior and other factors. Richard’s case was notable as it marked the first murder conviction in Connecticut without the victim's body.