Long Beach : Man Held in Actor’s Death to Be Tried in Molestations

The man charged in the killing of “Hogan’s Heroes” television star Bob Crane in 1978 was ordered to stand trial on three counts of child molestation. John Henry Carpenter, 64, is accused of molesting a girlfriend’s 10-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old playmate of the child. He is to appear July 14 in Superior Court to enter a plea.

The charges stem from incidents that allegedly occurred in late 1988 at his girlfriend’s home in Long Beach. Police Detective Randi Castillo testified at a preliminary hearing Tuesday that the girlfriend’s daughter initially didn’t report the alleged incident because of threats from her mother. The girl’s friend claimed in 1988 that she was molested, but an investigation at that time found insufficient evidence to charge Carpenter. If convicted, Carpenter would face a maximum of 12 years in state prison.

Municipal Judge John Lane refused Carpenter’s request to lower bail from $90,000 to $10,000 in the case. He is being held in California without bail on the murder charge.

Carpenter is accused of crushing the actor’s skull with a camera tripod in a Scottsdale, Ariz., apartment on Jan. 29, 1978. He was arrested in June.