- Born
- Died
- Birth nameJames Kenneth Crone
- James Kenneth Crone was born on 16 August, 1941 on the city of Tyler, Texas. For four years he served the United States Air Force before joining the Texas Department of Public Safety to a work as a state trooper. On his second year on the function a most unusual event changed his life when on 2 May, 1969, he was kidnapped by Ila Fae Dent and Robert "Bobby" Dent, a young couple who wanted to retrieve their son who was about to be sent to foster parents. A big pursuit from the authorities ensued for the next couple of hours and it ended when Robert Dent was killed by an FBI agent.
In 1974, the story was turned into a motion picture directed by a then-unknown Steven Spielberg, in what would become his first theatrical release. The movie was The Sugarland Express (1974), starring Goldie Hawn and William Atherton as the kidnappers, and the helpless trooper role was played by Michael Sacks. The real Crone had a small role as a deputy and also worked as an advisor for the film presenting to Spielberg the accuracy of events.
A few months later after the kidnapping, Crone married Carolyn Faye Fontenot and they had two children. They remained married for more than 30 years. His later career after the Public Safety, included jobs as a insurance and car salesman; chief of security of a Petroleum reserve and as a dispatcher for a industrial company. Crone died on 10 February, 2011.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Rodrigo Amaro
- SpouseCarolyn Faye Fontenot(September 20, 1969 - August 19, 2004) (divorced, 2 children)
- He is most famous for his kidnapping while working as a state trooper on May 2, 1969. The movie "Sugarland Express," directed by Steven Spielberg, was based on his kidnapping. Crone was an adviser on the film and played a small role in the filming of the movie as a deputy sheriff.
- He was born Aug. 16, 1941, to the late J.B. and Iva Mallory Crone in Tyler. Kenneth graduated in 1958 from John Tyler High School, and then entered the United States Air Force where he served for four years. In 1967, he joined the Texas Department of Public Safety, graduating in class C-67 and was stationed in Winnie as a highway patrolman. While working as a highway patrolman, he attended Sam Houston State University where he received his degree in criminal justice. He left the Department of Public Safety in 1978 to spend more time with his family. He ventured into car and insurance sales before becoming chief of security of Big Hill Strategic Petroleum Reserve when it opened in 1983. He was employed with Donovan's Industrial Services as a dispatcher.
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