Helzer brothers sentenced to death for quintuple murderer (Elvin Bishop's daughter, 4 others)

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 3/11/05 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

MARTINEZ, Calif. (AP) - Two brothers were sentenced to death Friday for killing the daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop and four other people during a grisly extortion and murder spree during the summer of 2000.

Judge Mary Ann O'Malley sentenced Glenn Taylor Helzer, 34, and Justin Helzer, 33, in separate hearings, following the recommendations of the two juries that had earlier voted for the death penalty for both brothers.

The Helzer brothers and their roommate, Dawn Godman, killed five people, including 22-year-old Selina Bishop, during a plot to extort $100,000. Glenn Helzer, a former stockbroker, wanted to use the money to start a self-help group he believed would thwart Satan by spreading peace and love.

Glenn Helzer, accused of masterminding the murders, pleaded guilty to all charges against him last year and was recommended to receive the death penalty in December.

"I clearly see now that my actions were horrific. I was under the impression that I was doing a good thing," he said at Friday's sentencing.

In August, a separate jury convicted and recommended the death penalty for Justin Helzer.

"I hope to see the day when our collective spiritual lives ... and love and joy and peace are the only eternal constants," Justin Helzer said.

Bishop's mother, Jennifer Villarin, 45, of Novato, and Villarin's companion, James Gamble, 54, of Layton, were shot to death in Villarin's home because Glenn Helzer feared they would report them for the extortion.

Also killed were the targets of the extortion plot, Ivan Stineman, 85, and his wife, Annette, 78, both of Concord.

"It sickens me to know that the last faces (my parents) saw were evil," said Judy Nemec, the Stineman's daughter.

Justin Helzer received three death sentences for killing Bishop and the Stinemans and life without the possibility of parole for killing Gamble and Villarin. Taylor Helzer received five death sentences.

"We needed this. Now we can go home and try to rebuild our lives," Selena Bishop's aunt, Donna Futch, told the Contra Costa Times after the hearing. "We were just hanging on holding our breath in limbo waiting for justice."

The 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. The trio originally bought dogs they thought would eat the bodies.

Godman agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for a sentence of 38 years to life. She is expected to be sentenced later this month.

[libertyman]

I'm amazed that California still has the death penalty...I wonder how much longer THAT will last.

[hatfieldmccoy]

Oh Pleeeez it's the "wait for death decades if it ever happens at all penalty". I like the Texas approach... they get with the program and take the trash out to the curb when it's time.

[libertyman]

Don't get me wrong: I support the death penalty. As a matter of fact, I don't think it is being used ENOUGH! But considering how outrageouly Left California is on the political map, I'm surprised that it still has a death penalty.

[NormsRevenge]

We should be having a couple executions this year..

Tookie Williams and Kevin Cooper are at the top of the list..

They should expedite Richard Allen Davis and Scott Peterson and the NightStalker

[libertyman]

That's all, huh?

BTW, how much weight do the anti-death penalty folks carry in CA, & could they be gaining momentum? What does Arnold think about it?

[NormsRevenge]

is anti-death gaining, I don't think so.. polls are still very much in support of its use.

aRnold is supportive of the death penalty.. he may get to send kevin off soon, 2nd time actually ,

we might have a 2-fer , as Tookie has pretty much run his appeals out as well.

[libertyman]

Those 3 points are good to hear, then. Thanx for the info.

[NormsRevenge]

You're most welcome.

There is a fly in the ointment tho, unfortunately.

A recent fed court ruling may allow all death row inmates to claim they were mentally retarded (have a IQ below a 60W light bulb) and thus have one more way to delay/escape execution.. and add years to the already long delays as 'experts' and judges haggle over who is impaired and who isn't... only 30 of the 600 plus on A's death row have applied so far, but who knows?

[NormsRevenge]

on CA's

[Daaave]

"The trio on July 30, 2000, declared war on Satan before kidnapping Annette Stineman, 78, and Ivan Stineman, 85 -- a Concord couple who once employed Glenn Helzer as their stockbroker -- to extort $100,000 from them. Justin Helzer beat Ivan Stineman to death while his brother cut Annette Stineman's throat, Godman said."

"The third victim, Selina Bishop, the 22-year-old daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop, was befriended by Glenn Helzer to do one simple act -- cash the Stinemans' checks. Justin Helzer bludgeoned her with a hammer, though she may have died after his brother hit her with the hammer and cut her throat, Godman said."

"The three victims were eviscerated and dismembered with a saw, then stuffed into gym bags and dumped into the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta."

"Finally, Glenn Helzer fatally shot Bishop's mother, Jennifer Villarin, 45, and Villarin's boyfriend, 54-year-old James Gamble, at their home in Marin County because Villarin had seen his face and he feared she might be able to identify him."

Guilty verdict in murders of 5

Children of Thunder

[Daaave]

ELVIN BISHOP

"Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Elvin Bishop has been singing and recording his rollicking brand of electrified down-home blues for almost 40 years. Bishop's history-making tenure as a founding member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band in the 1960s, his chart-topping hits in the 1970s, and his emergence on Alligator Records in the late 1980s and into the 1990s place him at the forefront of electric blues guitarists."

"He charted with Travelin’ Shoes before scoring big with Fooled Around And Fell In Love (the song, with vocals supplied by pre-Jefferson Starship singer Mickey Thomas, reached number three on the pop charts)."

Elvin Bishop

[Wilhelm Tell]

If the far-left gets its way, these murderers would serve a year in a half-way house where they would be given "counseling," and then they would be signed up for welfare and be registered to vote!

[radiohead]

scoring big with Fooled Around And Fell In Love

Sorry to hear this about Bishop's daughter. 'Fooled Around and Fell in Love' was our song.