Helzer brothers

Case overview

Helzer brothers were sentenced to death in California for the killings of five people committed as part of an extortion plot. Justin Helzer later committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell while on death row.

Timeline

• Summer of 2000 — The Helzer brothers and a female accomplice killed five people as part of an extortion scheme.
• July 30, 2000 — Helzer brothers visited the Stinemans after another named former client was not home; they extorted $100,000 and killed Annette Stineman and Ivan Stineman.
• August 2, 2000 — Selina Bishop had her last date with Taylor Helzer.
• August 3, 2000 — Kaye Shaman reported seeing a 1984 Honda Accord arrive; Taylor and a woman with long brown hair got out and Taylor kissed her before leading her inside the home.
• August 4, 2000 — Taylor drove to Bishop's studio apartment; James Gamble and Jennifer Villarin were killed.
• August 4, 2000 — The Stinemans' daughter reported her parents missing after her calls went unanswered; Marin County Sheriff's Department received a missing persons report for Bishop after she failed to show up for her shift.
• August 6, 2000 — Stinemans' Chevrolet Lumina minivan was found in an industrial neighborhood in Oakland.
• Monday (early next morning) — Deputies drove to the house on Saddlewood Court with a search warrant; the trio were arrested on drug possession charges.
• Monday (later that day) — The first duffel bags floated to the surface of the Mokelumne River.
• About a few weeks later — Taylor tried to sell the story of the murder spree for $400,000 to several magazines.
• December 2001 — A two-week preliminary hearing in Contra Costa County Superior Court involved prosecutors laying out physical evidence including receipts, shackles, ski masks, and written “plans of action”; all three were charged with 18 felonies including murder, extortion, and kidnapping.
• March 2004 — Taylor Helzer entered a surprise guilty plea.
• June 16 (year not specified) — A jury convicted Justin Helzer of 11 counts including murder, extortion and kidnapping for his role in the killings.
• August 4, 2004 — Justin Helzer was sentenced to death for three murders and life in prison for his role in the other two.
• December 15, 2004 — A jury handed down five death sentences for Taylor Helzer.
• March 11, 2005 — Glenn Taylor Helzer and Justin Helzer were sentenced to death in separate hearings following the recommendations of the juries that voted for the death penalty.
• 2010 — Justin Helzer attempted to take his own life by stabbing himself in the eye with pens and pencils.
• April 14, 2013 — Justin Helzer committed suicide by hanging himself in his single cell.

People involved

• Justin Helzer (41) — Death row inmate; convicted of 11 counts including murder, extortion and kidnapping; sentenced to death and later hanged himself in his cell. He was described as 41 at the time of death row suicide reporting.
• Glenn Taylor Helzer (34; later described as 30/33 in other parts of the narrative) — Sentenced to death; pleaded guilty to all charges against him; described as a prophet and the ringleader; sentenced to five death sentences.
• Selina Bishop (22) — Extortion scheme target; killed after opening accounts and depositing money; later found among victims dismembered and stuffed into black duffel bags.
• Jennifer Villarin (45) — Bishop's mother; killed by shooting.
• James Gamble (54) — Villarin's companion; killed by shooting alongside Villarin.
• Ivan Stineman (85) — Extortion target; killed.
• Annette Stineman (78) — Ivan Stineman's wife; killed by slashing her throat.
• Dawn Godman — Female accomplice/roommate; testified against the brothers; pleaded guilty to five counts of murder; avoided the death penalty; received a sentence of 38 years to life; serving a 37-year sentence in later reporting.
• Donna Futch — Selena Bishop's aunt; spoke to the Contra Costa Times after sentencing.
• Judy Nemec — Stineman's daughter; spoke about what the last faces her parents saw.
• Harold Jewett — Contra Costa County Chief Assistant District Attorney; spoke about Justin Helzer's torment and who the origin was attributed to.
• Paul Smith — county coroner who commented on the remains being dismembered and commingled.
• Mary Ann O'Malley — judge who sentenced Glenn Taylor Helzer and Justin Helzer in separate hearings.
• Contra Costa County Crime Lab (DNA analysis) — Used DNA analysis to identify victims.
• George Cahoun — Morgan Stanley Dean Witter manager who described a phone call from Annette Stineman.
• Kaye Shaman — neighbor who testified about seeing Taylor's vehicle and later pointing out neighbors in court.
• Hazem Belal — quoted discussing the stain.
• Matt King — bartender/individual who received statements from Bishop.
• Judy Nemec, Donna Futch, Olga Land — family members who spoke outside court.

The offence

The Helzer brothers and Dawn Godman killed five people during a plot to extort $100,000 from an elderly couple and to fund a self-help group. The trio called themselves the “Children of Thunder.” Their scheme involved extorting money from Ivan Stineman and Annette Stineman of Concord; the money was intended to be deposited into accounts connected to Selina Bishop.

Extortion and killings

• The trio extorted a total of $100,000 from Ivan Stineman and Annette Stineman by having them write two checks to Selina Bishop: one for $33,000 and one for $67,000.
• Justin Helzer beat Ivan Stineman to death.
• Glenn Taylor Helzer killed Annette Stineman by slashing her throat with a hunting knife.
• The trio killed Selina Bishop after she collected the money on their behalf and did not know about the homicidal plot.
• Taylor Helzer shot to death Bishop's mother, Jennifer Villarin, and Villarin's companion, James Gamble, because Glenn Helzer feared they would report the extortion.
• The bodies of Selina Bishop and the Stinemans were dismembered, wrapped, and stuffed into nine black duffel bags; the bags were later recovered after floating to the surface.

Dismemberment details and disposal

The Helzer brothers dismembered the bodies of Bishop and the Stinemans, wrapped the remains in plastic, stuffed them into gym bags and tossed the bags into the Mokelumne River. The bags later floated to the surface. Divers recovered nine bags, and the Sacramento County coroner took more than a week to sort through the parts and piece the victims back together. County coroner Paul Smith said: “The remains we have found have been dismembered and commingled in the bags.” He also added: “It’s pretty horrific.” Smith speculated that remains had been mixed together to make it harder to identify the victims.

Victims and counts

Five people were killed in total: Selina Bishop, Jennifer Villarin, James Gamble, Ivan Stineman, and Annette Stineman.

Investigation

Evidence and investigative leads included:

• Investigators recovered evidence linking the trio to the Stinemans disappearance.
• A surveillance camera captured a vehicle similar to Justin Helzer's truck crossing a bridge over the San Joaquin River while towing a trailer with Jet-skis; prosecutors maintained the brothers were on their way to dump duffel bags in the river.
• The Stinemans' Chevrolet Lumina minivan was found in an industrial neighborhood in Oakland; a chainsaw and a sawhorse were found inside, and police lifted fingerprints of Justin Helzer and Godman from the vehicle.
• Later that day, a professional carpet cleaner was summoned to the Helzer house to clean a stain in the living room; Justin Helzer and Godman sat in the kitchen, eating and watching him work.
• Hazem Belal examined the stain and said: “Maybe it’s Kool-Aid.” Justin replied: “Yeah, it’s Kool-Aid.” The narrative continued: “We spilled some drinks.”
• Deputies found ecstasy, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia but no gun when they searched the house on Saddlewood Court.

Quotes from investigation-related testimony

• George Cahoun said: “She sounded nervous.” and “There was a level of tension there that was obvious.”
• Paul Smith said: “The remains we have found have been dismembered and commingled in the bags.” and “It's pretty horrific.”
• Justin Helzer told the judge: “I want this life to be over.” and “I want to die.” and later: “I'm just being truthful,” and “I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude - I just want to be free. I want freedom or death.”
• Justin Helzer said during trial outburst: “I want this life to be over” and “I want to die.”

Arrest

Helzer brothers and Dawn Godman were arrested after deputies drove to the house on Saddlewood Court with a search warrant. The trio were arrested on drug possession charges.

Taylor Helzer escaped when investigators were not looking:

• He bolted from the back of the house, leaping over backyard fences.
• He forced his way into a neighbor's house.
• The resident, Mary Mizzocchi, complied when Taylor demanded a weapon and threatened to kill her if she called the cops; she gave him a steak knife and a pair of sewing scissors.
• He cut off his ponytail, changed into her husband's clothes, and ran into the backyard.
• When deputies caught up with him a few blocks away and forced him into the squad car, he dove through the back window and they had to chase him down again.
• Investigators later found handcuffs and leg irons in Justin Helzer's pickup.

Trial

Charges and proceedings

At a preliminary hearing in December 2001 in Contra Costa County Superior Court, prosecutors charged all three roommates with 18 felonies including murder, extortion, and kidnapping. Physical evidence included receipts for a hand-held power saw, shackles bought at a sex shop, and ski masks from a sporting goods store, as well as several “plans of action” written by Taylor Helzer that detailed the extortion scheme.

Alibi and witness testimony

Debra McClanahan, a self-described witch and former Mormon, testified that she provided an alibi for the trio on the night the Stinemans were abducted from their home. She had met Godman at a church dance in December 1997 and had taught the younger woman to cast Wiccan spells. On the night of July 30, she bought four tickets to the film X-Men at Taylor Helzer's bidding and initially told investigators that the four of them had gone for dinner and a movie. After realizing what the trio had committed, she told police the truth. She gave investigators a safe she'd stored in her apartment containing a 9-mm handgun, as well as drugs and personal property of the Stinemans. She lied out of “loyalty, fear, love, disbelief, denial” as she told the court in the Contra Costa Times.

Dawn Godman struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for pleading guilty to five counts of murder and testifying against the Helzer brothers. The deal allowed her to avoid the death penalty and receive a sentence of 38 years to life.

Insanity plea and psychiatric evaluation for Justin Helzer

On June 16, a jury convicted Justin Helzer of 11 counts, including murder, extortion and kidnapping for his role in the killings. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His defense lawyer tried to portray him as the mentally ill follower of a domineering old brother. A psychiatrist who interviewed Justin in jail told the court that Justin sincerely believed his brother Taylor was a prophet of God and that Justin “was not able to comprehend that the homicides he committed were morally wrong.”

Court outburst

Just before the penalty phase of his case began, Justin had an outburst in the courtroom:

“I want this life to be over,”
“I want to die.”

His mother started weeping loudly and Judge Mary Ann O'Malley tried to talk over the outburst as the jurors were escorted from the room. Justin responded:

“I'm just being truthful,”
“I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be rude - I just want to be free. I want freedom or death.”

Sentencing

Justin Helzer

On August 4, 2004, Justin Helzer was sentenced to death for three of the murders he committed and life in prison for his role in the other two. At sentencing, the jurors cried openly as the court clerk read the sentence, and the family members of the victims shouted an emphatic “Yes!” each time the clerk read the death verdict.

Justin Helzer also received three death sentences in the 2005 proceedings for the murders. He later received life without the possibility of parole for killing Gamble and Villarin.

Glenn Taylor Helzer

Judge Mary Ann O'Malley sentenced Glenn Taylor Helzer to death. On December 15, 2004, another jury handed down five death sentences for Taylor Helzer. The narrative also described that he was the ringleader of the group and described himself as the ‘No 1,’ and he had been sentenced to five death sentences.

Appeals

No appeal details were provided in the record.

Outcome

Justin Helzer committed suicide by hanging himself in his single cell on April 14, 2013 while he was on death row. Corrections Lt. Sam Robinson stated that Helzer used a sheet tied to his cell bars to hang himself. Helzer was found dead during a security check at around 10.17pm.

Harold Jewett said after Justin Helzer’s death:

“In no sense of the word was Justin Helzer a victim,”
“Nevertheless, the origin of the obvious torment he experienced in prison, reflected in self-mutilation and now suicide, clearly rests at the doorstep of his older brother, Taylor.”

Aftermath

• An earlier suicide attempt occurred in 2010 when Justin Helzer stabbed himself in the eye with pens and pencils, leaving him blind. He had been under intensified watch after that attempt.
• After Justin Helzer’s suicide Sunday, his brother had been paced under intensive screening to ensure that he did not attempt to take his own life as well.
• The record also referenced multiple death-row inmate deaths since 1978, stating that California reinstated capital punishment and that 58 death row inmates had died from natural causes, 22 had committed suicide, 13 had been executed in California, one was executed in Missouri, and six had died from other causes; it also stated that there were 733 inmates remaining on death row.

Other details

Names, relationships, and other background facts included

• The Helzer brothers were raised by devout Mormon parents in Martinez.
• Taylor Helzer went by his middle name, Taylor; Justin was described as an introverted member of his high school wrestling team and a youth group leader at his church.
• Taylor Helzer dated and later married a woman who became his wife in 1993; they had two daughters and separated three years later after Taylor decided he was tired of being a good husband and Mormon.
• Taylor Helzer was excommunicated from the church.
• Justin's name and roles were tied to the group’s killings and extortion plot alongside Dawn Godman.
• The narrative included that, in 2000, Taylor Helzer and his two accomplices concocted a plot to train Brazilian orphans to massacre leaders of the Mormon Church in Utah so he could become its leader and transform America.
• The narrative included that Taylor Helzer started or planned to start a group called “Impact America” and had other financing schemes described in the record, including setting up a subsidiary called Intimacy and selling drugs and prostitutes to wealthy businessmen.
• The narrative included that in early July, Taylor helped Bishop move out of her mother's house into a studio apartment, and Bishop opened four bank accounts in her name for him.

Items and methods described

• The conspirators purchased shackles at an adult bookstore.
• They used ski masks and a hand-held power saw.
• Rohypnol was described as used to sedate the Stinemans, and it was described as “date rape” drug in the narrative.
• Taylor Helzer and Justin Helzer were described as having killed using a hammer and slitting a throat with a hunting knife, and Taylor used a Beretta 9-mm to shoot Gamble and Villarin.
• The record described that the trio originally bought dogs they thought would eat the bodies.

Locations mentioned

• Martinez (Helzer upbringing and described hometown)
• Bakersfield, California (AP sentencing location)
• San Quentin Prison (Justin Helzer suicide location)
• Concord (victim locations, including Ivan and Annette Stineman)
• Novato (Jennifer Villarin)
• Layton (James Gamble)
• Berkeley (Bison Brewing Company where Bishop and Taylor met)
• Woodacre and San Geronimo (Bishop’s addresses/work vicinity)
• Mokelumne River (duffel bags disposal location)
• Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (recovery described)
• Saddlewood Court (house searched)
• Oakland (minivan found; also described as tied to the San Francisco Bay)
• Marin County (Sheriff’s Department, missing report; described area context)

Verbatim quotations related to extortion and killings in the trial testimony sections

Godman testified about her own reaction:

“I couldn't really believe that this was really happening,”
“The only thing I could do was pray that [the couple] would die, so it would just be done with.”

Taylor thanked the Stinemans:

“being willing to sacrifice their lives for a greater cause,”

Taylor told Bishop as he killed her:

“Spirit says you get to know this isn't a dream,”

Taylor offered a revelation while planning:

“Spirit's telling me it's time you get to know everything,”

Godman testified about Taylor’s alleged guidance:

“He made you feel like you were the most important person in the world,”

Harold Jewett attributed origin of torment:

Olga Land, Villarin’s sister, told reporters:

“[Taylor Helzer] is the second coming of Manson, not Christ,”