Miriam Helmick was a woman who murdered her second husband to cover up her forgeries.
Biography[]
Miriam is suspected of murdering her first husband, Jack Giles, in 2003. He supposedly killed himself with a gun. The crime scene raised suspicions. Jack Giles was left handed, while the gun was found in his right hand.
Alan and Miriam Helmick were married in June 2006.
By 2008, Miriam could tread the boards, but she couldn't balance the books. Her dance studio and farm were in financial crisis. She didn't tell her husband. To cover the debt, Miriam took some of her husband's money. She had been stealing money from him by forging his name on checks, about $150,000 worth.
Alan Helmick was constantly sick for months. He was in bed a lot and was dizzy. Eventually, they came into debt. Alan's bank accounts had been depleted.
Her first attempt to kill Alan was in April 2008. She put a rag in the gas tank and lit it up, attempting to cause the car to explode with him in it. It failed when Alan noticed the smoke.
On June 10, 2008, Alan was getting suspicious about the money. He was looking out the window, with his back toward Miriam, when she shot him in the back of the head. She attempted to made it look like a robbery gone wrong. She ten went shopping to forge an alibi. She texted her deceased husband and left a voicemail on his phone.
When she got home, she called the police. The police got suspicious when it was found out that nothing had been stolen. Miriam lied to police that she was being stalked and feared the person who killed Alan would kill her. She wrote a letter that said, "Alan was first. You're next! Run, run, run!" The police learned that Miriam had bought the card at the store on the day of the murder.
In December 2009, Miriam Helmick was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison plus 108 years for 14 counts of fraud.