Date: Fri 17-Jan-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

Crafts-appeal-court

Full Text:

Crafts Appeal Denied

A New Haven Superior Court judge on Tuesday dismissed Richard Crafts' 1994

appeal to his 1989 conviction in the wood chipper murder case.

Crafts, 58, formerly of Newtown, was seeking a new trial in an effort to

overturn his conviction for killing his wife, Helle, in 1986.

Crafts is serving a 50-year prison sentence.

In his appeal, Crafts claimed his public defender in a 1993 appeal didn't

properly represent him. The state Supreme Court had denied the 1993 appeal.

A jury ruled in 1989 that Crafts murdered his wife then put her body parts

through a wood chipper to destroy the evidence of her death.