And Then She Killed Him (7 page)
Trish happened to be at the Helmicks’ Whitewater home on June 9, 2008, the day before Alan was murdered. She usually saw Alan and Miriam when she first arrived. But on June 9, Alan and Miriam were out doing something when she got there. The door was not locked, however, as was generally the case, and Trish went to work cleaning the house.
Later she recalled, “I went into the house about ten
A.M.
It would normally take me between four and five hours to clean the house. I would start with the living room, then go to the dining room, the kitchen, the office, and then the bedroom. They also had a bathroom off to the side of the office and I would clean that. And from there, I would go downstairs to clean.
A.M.
It would normally take me between four and five hours to clean the house. I would start with the living room, then go to the dining room, the kitchen, the office, and then the bedroom. They also had a bathroom off to the side of the office and I would clean that. And from there, I would go downstairs to clean.
“When Alan was home, he would chitchat with me. He would always say something to me, and Miriam, too. I was in the master bedroom when they came home that day. Alan did not say hello to me. Miriam came rushing in and asked me if I was okay, and I said yes. And then she apologized for not being there, but they’d had some business to take care of.
“Alan was sitting at a desk near the patio, and I asked him if he was okay, because he hadn’t said ‘hi’ to me or anything. He said that he was. I asked him another question, and I didn’t really understand what he said. It didn’t appear that he wanted to talk to me at all.”
Erikson thought Alan’s conduct was very strange. He had always been talkative and friendly with her. Now he wouldn’t even look at her. Trish added, “At that point, he got up, walked past the back of Miriam’s chair, came down the hallway, where I was, and started to go toward the living room. Miriam was sitting at her desk at the time. He went past Miriam, and she had an awful look on her face.
“Alan accidentally knocked down a board that they used to block off the downstairs, so that the dogs wouldn’t go through there. Miriam said something to him, and at first I don’t think he even heard her. So she said it again. He started to pick up the board, but I told him don’t bother, because I was going downstairs, anyway.
“Their actions with each other were very strange from the moment they came in the door. Later I saw Miriam and she was going to fill out the check that was for me. Usually, it was Alan who gave me the check, and if he didn’t, he would just leave me an unsigned check and I would fill it out and leave the information for him. The last time I saw Alan alive, he was heading for the bedroom.”
Investigator Lissah Norcross, of MCSO, began looking into phone records and data about any calls coming in for Alan Helmick that might have been threatening or considered as stalking. When Norcross gave her findings to Hebenstreit, he noted in a report:
Investigator Norcross did not discover any information leading to a person or persons with a motive to kill Alan Helmick. She also did not find any information to support that Alan was being stalked, harassed, or threatened by anyone.
Investigator Norcross did not discover any information leading to a person or persons with a motive to kill Alan Helmick. She also did not find any information to support that Alan was being stalked, harassed, or threatened by anyone.
So then the investigators began looking into phone calls left on the Helmicks’ answering machine on the morning of June 10, 2008. The first message on the machine came in at 9:03
A.M.
In the message, Miriam said, “Hi, Alan. Love you,” and then she began chatting about going to Walmart and City Market. Miriam asked if Alan wanted her to pick up salad and also if he was going to meet her for lunch. Miriam added that she didn’t want Mexican food that day, and asked if he could meet her at a Chinese restaurant in Grand Junction.
A.M.
In the message, Miriam said, “Hi, Alan. Love you,” and then she began chatting about going to Walmart and City Market. Miriam asked if Alan wanted her to pick up salad and also if he was going to meet her for lunch. Miriam added that she didn’t want Mexican food that day, and asked if he could meet her at a Chinese restaurant in Grand Junction.
Obviously, it was a very innocuous-sounding call from Miriam dealing with shopping and lunch. The second phone call from Miriam came in at 9:57
A.M.
and sounded much the same way. “Hi, Alan. Haven’t heard from you yet, but I have a question.” Miriam asked if they could exchange a bit for a horse after they had lunch at the Chinese restaurant.
A.M.
and sounded much the same way. “Hi, Alan. Haven’t heard from you yet, but I have a question.” Miriam asked if they could exchange a bit for a horse after they had lunch at the Chinese restaurant.
The tone of the messages began changing with the next phone call. Miriam said at 10:27
A.M.
: “Hey, Alan! You need to turn your phone on. Question for you—I went to pick up your prescription and they said that you hadn’t been by yet. So, are we still gonna be able to meet for lunch? If not, well, it’s not like you not to call me, so give me a holler. Thanks. Bye.”
A.M.
: “Hey, Alan! You need to turn your phone on. Question for you—I went to pick up your prescription and they said that you hadn’t been by yet. So, are we still gonna be able to meet for lunch? If not, well, it’s not like you not to call me, so give me a holler. Thanks. Bye.”
The next message from Miriam had an even more concerned tone. It came at 11:15
A.M.
: “Hey, Alan. This isn’t funny anymore. I’ve been sitting here in front of the Chinese Dragon, or the Chinese place, for fifteen minutes. And you’re never late. So, would you call me? I’m gonna go ahead and go home ’cause I think maybe you’re caught up somewhere. Just thought I’d let you know so that you don’t come over here looking for me. I will see you when you get home. Love you. Bye.”
A.M.
: “Hey, Alan. This isn’t funny anymore. I’ve been sitting here in front of the Chinese Dragon, or the Chinese place, for fifteen minutes. And you’re never late. So, would you call me? I’m gonna go ahead and go home ’cause I think maybe you’re caught up somewhere. Just thought I’d let you know so that you don’t come over here looking for me. I will see you when you get home. Love you. Bye.”
That was the last phone message from Miriam to Alan that morning. Of course, when she returned home, she found that Alan had been shot to death.
While MCSO detectives were conducting their investigation, Miriam Helmick sat down with Channel 11 news reporter Kieran Wilson, of Grand Junction. Wilson asked Miriam about her mentioning of a burglary on the 911 call. Miriam responded, “They took a lot of things, so I won’t really know what’s missing until they (the investigators) tell me what they have.”
Wilson wanted to know if Miriam had been scared that the person who had shot Alan would come back. Miriam replied, “I don’t know. Yes and no. I don’t want to leave because I’m closer to him there. But I still keep things buttoned up pretty tight.” Then she added, “I want the sheriff ’s office to find out who did it and what they possibly did it for.”
MCSO investigators were certainly doing that. Investigator Chuck Warner was directed to conduct a background investigation of Miriam Giles Helmick. Using Accurint, which was a computer Internet program, Warner discovered that Miriam had lived in Jacksonville, Florida. While living there, Miriam had been married to Jack C. Giles, who had committed suicide on March 15, 2002. Before that, their daughter, Amy Giles, age twenty-three, had died on August 29, 2000. Amy had died of an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Warner found that Miriam had two liens and judgments against her. The first was a federal tax lien of more than $20,000 from the year 2007. The second was a civil lien in the state of Georgia for $9,731.
Warner pulled up other data on Miriam and noted that she had lived in homes around Jacksonville, Florida, during the 1990s until 2004. In 2003 and 2004, a number of court actions had taken place concerning Miriam. Conseco Finance Company sued her, and in the judgment Miriam had to turn over a boat, a boat motor and trailer to them. American Express filed a suit against Miriam and Jack Giles for $68,189. Miriam seemed to have sold her home on Landmark Circle to help defray these costs. Then Miriam moved in with her father and stepmother in the Jacksonville area after the death of her husband.
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On June 11, 2008, Investigator Lissah Norcross interviewed Portia Vigil, thirty-seven, Alan Helmick’s daughter who lived in Delta, Colorado. Portia told Investigator Norcross that she didn’t know of anyone who might want to harm her father. She said he had always been fair and even-handed in his business practices. Most people who met her father liked him.
Portia added that Alan’s first wife, and her mother, Sharon Helmick, died unexpectedly about four years previously. This had been from a sudden heart attack. It had been a very difficult situation for everyone in the family, including her sister, Wendy, who lived near Denver, Colorado, sister, Kristy, who lived in Seattle, Washington, and her brother, Alan Jr., who also lived out of state, in Alaska.
Portia related that her father, Alan, had run Helmick Mortgage in the area since 1986. She stated that he had always been an honest but stern businessman, and that everyone in Delta knew him. Portia also said that, in 2002, her father had gotten out of the mortgage business and moved into land development through his business Crista Lee. Portia mentioned that he owned land in Delta, Garnet Mesa, Fruita, and Clifton. Portia also related that she now ran the Helmick Mortgage business in Delta.
Portia didn’t know if her father had a specific attorney or if he had a will, but she had talked with him about getting a will after her mother had died. Portia related that her father had always been the type to be very active in his finances and to keep on top of his business transactions.
Portia told Investigator Norcross that after her mother’s death, her father said he was going to take ballroom dancing lessons because it was something his deceased wife had always wanted to do. Miriam was working at a dance studio and she became Alan Helmick’s dance instructor. The couple had been living together first in Delta, and then got married in June 2006 and bought a home in Whitewater, where they had lived up until the point of Alan’s murder.
Portia said that Miriam was very different from her mother, and it was hard for her and her siblings to get to know the woman. Then Portia added that before his marriage to Miriam, she could always call her father, leave a message, and he would get back to her in a short period of time. Portia stated that during that period, she spoke with her father on the phone at least twice a week.
Portia reported that everything had started changing when her father married Miriam. And over the past six months, he had become harder and harder to reach by phone. Portia began getting only voice mail; and even when she called him back, he did not return the call. In frustration Portia started calling Miriam’s cell phone number, asking that her father call her back. Even then, he did so only infrequently.
Portia told Investigator Norcross that her father had been very sick between January 2008 and the end of April 2008. He was so sick, in fact, that there were many days he couldn’t get out of bed. Alan said he felt dizzy, his legs hurt, and he was always tired. Portia didn’t know what was making her father so sick, but there were a few times he had to check into the hospital in Grand Junction. It got so bad that her father told her at one point that he had bedsores, and Miriam was only giving him Gatorade to drink.
Portia told Norcross that she found this scenario very suspicious, because her father had always been a healthy man before meeting Miriam. Portia became so concerned about her father that she started showing up at his home unannounced. Around May 1, she did see that her father was feeling better. He seemed to be his old self, happier and more vibrant.
And then Portia switched subjects. She told Investigator Norcross that when Miriam moved in with her father, they started owning horses. Portia thought this was strange, because up until that point, her father had never shown any interest in animals at all. Going further into this horse-owning business, Portia said that she knew her father had fired a horse trainer named Stephanie because he thought she had lied to him about how many hours she had worked during one period. Alan and Miriam then hired another woman, whose name she thought was Julie, as the horse trainer, but Portia didn’t know Julie’s last name.
Another thing struck Portia as strange. When Investigator Norcross told Portia that Miriam had phoned Alan several times on the morning he was killed, Portia said that things were not usually like that. Portia related that her father and Miriam almost always went to town together. And it was not like Miriam to be phoning her father and leaving him messages about where she was and what she was doing. Miriam did not go out on her own very often.
Portia also said that recently she had been receiving odd phone calls about her father’s finances. That was completely out of character for him. On June 4, 2008, she received a call from American National Bank. They were calling her about a loan that her father had with the bank; and even after numerous phone calls to him, he had never called them back. Alan Watkins, the man at the bank, knew that her father had been sick for a prolonged period of time, and Watkins wanted to make sure her father was okay. Then Watkins told Portia that he needed to talk to her father about his account right away.
Portia tried calling her father about this situation, but once again got no answer, just a recorded message. Around that same time, Portia received a phone call from a woman named Savanna at the State Farm Insurance Agency in Delta. Savanna told Portia they were closing Alan’s policy due to a lack of payment. This was completely out of character for her father, Portia said.
Portia told Norcross that between June 4 and June 9, she had called her father three times per day, with no response. Miriam did call Portia back on June 5 and said to her that on May 29, 2008, while on the way to Lake Powell, Alan had told her to call the bank and lie to them. The lie was supposed to be that Alan was in Denver receiving electrolyte treatment, and to ask the bank to let Miriam cash a check for him. Then Miriam added that this was information she would not even tell her best friends. Portia thought this comment was very odd, since she and Miriam were not close, and the so-called information Miriam had just provided did not make sense. Portia related that she did not believe her father would ever ask anyone to lie. In fact, Portia adamantly stated, “To my knowledge, he does not lie, and, to the contrary, dislikes people who do lie in business.”
Portia told Norcross that Miriam had made arrangements for Portia’s nine-year-old daughter to have riding lessons at the Helmicks’ Whitewater home every Tuesday at noon. Portia’s daughter had her first lesson on June 3, 2008, and all went well. Alan and Miriam had picked up the girl the night before, and the girl spent Monday night there in Whitewater. The next day, Portia’s daughter had her riding lesson at noon, as scheduled, and then she was driven back to Portia’s home after the riding lesson.
But on June 9, 2008, Portia had tried calling her father to ask if he was picking up her daughter for the next lesson, which was scheduled for June 10. Portia could not get through to him, so she left a message on his cell phone. Portia next called Miriam’s cell phone and also left a message on it. Miriam later called Portia back and said that the new horse trainer was having a problem with a horse named Billy, which her daughter rode. Miriam then added that she wanted to cancel the ride slated for June 10 and reschedule it for Friday, June 13.
Norcross made a note about this horse trainer, Julie, but actually found out later that the horse trainer was named Sue Boulware. Portia added that when she got Miriam’s message, she was very upset, but she said it was okay to do the new plan for June 13. Portia also said that she wanted to speak with her father right then. Miriam replied that Alan had gone to an appointment in the town of Montrose at 2:00
P.M.
and planned to stop off at Portia’s home on the way back. Portia now told Norcross that this was also strange, since her father almost never popped in unannounced.
P.M.
and planned to stop off at Portia’s home on the way back. Portia now told Norcross that this was also strange, since her father almost never popped in unannounced.
Alan Helmick did not stop off at Portia’s house on June 9, and Portia phoned Miriam once again. Miriam said this time that she had told Alan to phone Portia. That phone call never came, nor did Alan stop by Portia’s home by five o’clock, as Miriam indicated he would do. Concerned about this, Portia phoned her husband, Josh Vigil, since she knew Josh had plans to spend the night at the Helmick residence after his workday with Halliburton. Once Josh got there, he said that this whole scenario was strange. He phoned Portia from the Helmick residence in Whitewater and said that from where he stood he could see both Miriam and Alan out by the barn.
Miriam phoned Portia later that same night and told her that Alan had stopped by the Elks Lodge in Delta to pay his dues on his way home. Then, according to Miriam, Alan had arrived home “really drunk,” so she put him to bed. Portia said that this was unlikely. She had never known her father to drink to excess and drive.
Portia did not question Miriam at the time, but she did phone Josh once again. Josh said that Alan did not appear to be drunk when he saw him by the barn. Portia did not pursue this matter because all the kids were planning to visit Alan on Thursday, June 12, and have their riding lesson the next day. Portia related that she would talk in person with her father on that occasion. Of course, by then, he was already dead.
Portia tried calling her father on the morning of June 10, but as usual, the call went immediately to voice mail. Portia next phoned Miriam’s cell phone and spoke directly with her, telling Miriam that she needed to speak with her father right away. There was some important business he needed to attend to. Miriam responded that she was at Walmart and Alan was not with her. Then Miriam said that Alan was picking up a car and they were supposed to meet and have lunch at a Mexican restaurant later that day. Portia told Norcross that was the last time she spoke with Miriam before she heard about the murder of her father.
Portia Vigil learned about a murder in Whitewater and got online on a computer to see what it was all about. There was mention of a robbery out at her father’s house and that a male had been found deceased inside the home. Portia immediately phoned her husband, Josh, who answered and said that he was just pulling into the Helmicks’ driveway. Portia phoned her father-in-law, her sisters, and then her husband once again.
Portia told Investigator Norcross that Miriam had two small dogs, and she was certain they would have barked if there had been an intruder in the house. To a question about cell phones, Portia said that her father’s phone was pink and Miriam’s phone was black. Portia had even joked to her father that it wasn’t very masculine to have a pink cell phone. Her father had joked back that he was comfortable with his masculinity and didn’t worry about having a pink mobile phone.
During the interview, Portia said that Bob Isom was her father’s closest friend. Isom had stopped by her home upon hearing the news about Alan. Bob told Portia that he had spoken to Alan on the previous afternoon about a golf game they had scheduled for the morning of June 10. Bob said that Alan canceled the golf game because Portia’s daughter was coming over to the Whitewater residence for her riding lessons. Portia told Bob that Miriam had canceled the riding lesson. This made no sense to Bob, since Alan had canceled the golf game so he could attend his granddaughter’s riding lesson.
Regarding the Helmick home in Whitewater, Portia said to Norcross that she didn’t think the home had ever been locked. It was in a supposedly safe area, and people just didn’t lock their doors out there. But Miriam had told Portia that two months previously she had found some house keys that had been missing. And Miriam added that they were going to start locking the doors because the area was becoming unsafe. Portia said the area was not unsafe; and despite Miriam’s statement, the doors at the home had remained unlocked during the time period of April, May, and early June 2008.
Portia also told Norcross that her father and Miriam had gone to Portia’s daughter’s dance recital on May 10. It was there that Portia heard about her father’s vehicle being on fire in Delta. The strangest part of all this was that Miriam told Portia at the dance recital that the police in Delta suspected Miriam of being involved in the car fire. Then Miriam added that this was ridiculous and that she and Alan had a prenuptial agreement. If anything happened to him, Miriam was not going to benefit from an insurance policy on his life. According to Miriam, everything that Alan owned, and all assets before he and Miriam got married, were to be split among his children after his death. For her to kill him would have left her destitute.
Miriam related to Portia that she had told Delta investigators she had no policy taken out on Alan’s life, and she added, “I’m better off with him alive than dead.” And Portia knew that even though her father had a $275,000 life insurance policy, the benefactors were his business partners and not Miriam.
Delving more deeply into the vehicle fire in Delta, Investigator Norcross learned from Portia that she and her father had a cell phone conversation about it right after the incident, which had occurred on April 30, 2008. Portia related that the Delta police had called her, because they could not get in contact with her father after the car fire. Portia called Miriam and said she needed to speak to her father immediately. Miriam responded by saying that Alan was busy and would get back to her. But Portia wouldn’t be put off. She told Miriam that the Delta police had just called her about her father, and she wanted to speak with him now, not later. At that point, Miriam handed the phone over to Alan.
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