Bob Crane...

best known as the title character from classic TV comedy, Hogan's Heroes was murdered on June 29 1978 at the age of 50.

In 1970, Crane left his wife of 20 years to marry Patricia Olsen, who played Hilda (pictured left), on the set of the show.

Richard Dawson, who played Newkirk, introduced Crane to John Carpenter, an enthusiast in emerging video technology. Crane and Carpenter developed a friendship that extended to filming themselves taking part in group sex with women picked up by Crane.

On a late night in 1978, Crane allegedly called Carpenter to tell him that their friendship was over. The following day, Crane was discovered bludgeoned to death with a weapon that was never found (but was believed to be a camera tripod). Carpenter was trialled, acquitted, and died in 1998 proclaiming that he knew nothing!

Addendum: the outstanding character actor, John Banner who played Sergeant Schultz, was a Jewish Austrian and survivor of a concentration camp. No, I'm not kidding