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The upcoming episode of 20/20 on ABC is all set to shed light on the brutal murder of Alan Helmick, who became a victim of his wife's cunning scheme. The case dates back to 2008 but remains a shocking reminder of what can and does happen when one chooses the wrong people to trust.
In 20/20's latest episode, which is set to premiere on January 31, 2025, at 9.00 PM EST, on ABC, this case will be discussed in detail. The logline for this episode, as released by ABC in a press release, reads:
"Alan Helmick was a successful businessman who met his second wife, Miriam, while attending a dance class that she taught. The couple went on to live a seemingly happy life on a sprawling horse ranch, and Alan helped Miriam open her own dance studio to pursue her passion for teaching. This union was shattered when Miriam called 911 to report her husband had been murdered in their home."
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Despite seemingly being in the midst of a perfect life, Alan Helmick was shot to death in his home when his wife, Miriyam Helmick, was away to run some errands. The crime scene seemed to replicate a robbery gone wrong.
But as authorities dug deeper, they discovered that there was much more to this case than a robbery gone wrong.
Who was Alan Helmick and what happened to him?
Alan Helmick was a 62-year-old Delta, Colorado, native, who worked as a mortgage broker for the majority of his life. He did quite well in his field and managed to accumulate sufficient wealth.
He was married to his high school sweetheart, Sharon, and shared four children with her. Sharon passed away rather suddenly from a heart attack. This left Alan Helmick grieving and depressed.
At the suggestion of a friend, Alan took dance lessons to distract himself after his wife's death and met Miriam there, the dance instructor. The two got romantically involved and soon, Miriam Helmick became Alan's second wife.
Around 2008, Alan had blown away a lot of his money on Miriam and was forced to sell off his company. During a financial meeting, which Miriam also attended, Alan's car caught on fire. He managed to smell the smoke and escape the car. Authorities later discovered a burnt piece of rope from the gas tank at the vehicle’s trunk. This made it clear that someone was after Alan's life and Miriam was the most likely suspect. But Alan did not doubt his wife.
Just about six weeks after this, Mariam reportedly came home from running some errands to find Alan Helmick shot to death. The house was also ransacked and it looked like a robbery attempt.
Alan suffered one gunshot wound to the back of his head. A .25 caliber shell casing was found around Alan's body.
Who killed Alan Helmick?
Authorities started suspecting his wife, Miriam Helmick, from the very start. As they delved deeper, they found multiple pieces of evidence against Miriam, including an indication that she may have done the same with her previous husband for money.
After discovering that she was forging Alan's checks and had tried to take out a life insurance policy for Alan without his knowledge, the police arrested and charged her.
She was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
20/20 will cover this case in more detail.
