'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ABC's 20/20 is all set to cover the brutal murder of Alan Helmick at the hands of his wife, Miriam Helmick, in the upcoming episode that is set to air this Friday. The case dates back to 2008 but remains a prolific reminder of shocking instances that happen within families. This case also saw some heartbreaking developments, which would seem intriguing to true crime fans all around.
20/20 latest episode, which premieres at 9.00 PM EST on ABC on January 31, 2025, is set to delve deep into this case with interviews from Miriam Helmick, her son Chris Giles, and Alan’s friend, Aline Lee, among many others.
Though Alan Helmick's murder was staged like a robbery, it did not take long for the authorities to decipher that there was far more than what met the eye.
With investigation, the police realized that Miriam Helmick was behind the murder and arrested and charged her. She ended up receiving life in prison without the possibility of parole alongside other punishments. She remains incarcerated as of today.
Trending
What did Miriam Helmick do?
Miriam Helmick and Alan Helmick's relationship and subsequent marriage seemed extremely logical. Both of them were reeling from the loss of their former partners and connected over a dance class where Miriam was the teacher. The problem, however, was that Miriam was harboring an ambition that did not align at all with Alan Helmick.
On June 10, 2008, Miriam came home at around noon after allegedly running some errands and found her husband lying on the kitchen floor. Her house was also in disarray and it was soon deciphered that Alan Helmick died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Miriam was initially cleared even though the police found out that the murder was not a robbery attempt gone wrong contrary to how the perpetrator made it look.
As police delved deeper, Miriam Helmick repeatedly tried to guide the police towards Alan Jr., her stepson. However, when the police discovered he wasn't even in town during the time of his father's death, they turned their attention to Miriam.
After the murder, Miriam claimed to have received a note that threatened her. Police investigated this note and discovered that it was Miriam who had sent it to herself. She went on to claim that she did it so that investigators would take the case more seriously. But nothing seemed to sit right with Miriam and her explanations.
Moreover, there had been another attempt at Alan's life six weeks before when his car mysteriously caught on fire. Miriam was the only one with him that day and the police deciphered that someone purposefully tried to set the car on fire. They suspected Miriam then as well, but Alan did not believe his wife could do that.
More and more evidence soon started surfacing. Miriam had allegedly tried to take out a hefty life insurance policy on Alan without informing him. They also found a pattern with Alan's death as Miriam's former husband had also died from a gunshot wound and had a life insurance policy that gave her the benefit.
Moreover, authorities discovered that Miriam had forged checks to steal Alan’s money, which further solidified their belief that Miriam had indeed murdered her husband for financial gain.
Where is Miriam Helmick now?
Miriam Helmick was arrested and charged with the murder of her husband when the investigators compiled the evidence against her. Prosecutors alleged that Miriam had killed her husband because he was about to find out that she was forging checks to steal his money.
As per reports, she was also allegedly planning to steal Alan's first wife's identity.
She was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Besides that, she also received an additional 48 years for the attempted murder and 60 years for forgery.
Miriam Helmick currently remains incarcerated at Denver Women’s Correctional Facility in Colorado.
The upcoming episode of 20/20 on ABC will cover this case in further detail.
