Slightly less than an hour in duration, this documentary interviews law enforcement authorities and family members relevant to the twice-investigated, real-life murder of Hollywood star Bob Crane, bludgeoned to death in his rented apartment in June of 1978, in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to interviews, the program includes graphic, real-life crime scene photos. Video reenactments also help viewers understand what happened, as does a floor plan of the apartment.
The main suspect was, and remains, video buff John Carpenter, Crane's sleazy partner who got Crane interested in filming his sex escapades with random women. Indeed, photos of the apartment show a ton of video equipment. The presumed murder weapon was a heavy camera tripod.
Police botched the original investigation, and Carpenter was not put on trial. Years later a new investigation produced new evidence, which then did result in a courtroom trial, a small part of which is shown in this program. And through the years, various theories have popped up that include other people as suspects. As of now, Crane's murder remains officially "unsolved".
Background music is subdued and conveys an appropriately ominous tone.
"Murder In Scottsdale" will appeal to anyone interested either in Bob Crane's story or in unsolved, true-life crimes in general. I watched the show twice, and found it fascinating.