Opinion
Virginia convicted murderer now charged with 2 cold case slayings after confessions: authorities
A Virginia man already convicted of homicide has additionally been charged in reference to two chilly case homicides relationship again to 1987 after he allegedly confessed to the crimes, authorities stated Wednesday.
Charles Helem, 52, is at the moment serving a life sentence at a Virginia state jail within the loss of life of Patricia Bentley, a 37-year-old mom who was discovered strangled in her residence in Chantilly, Virginia, in 2002.
Helem is now charged within the 2002 loss of life of Jennifer Landry in Mount Rainier, Maryland, and the 1987 killing of Eige Sober-Adler in Herndon, Virginia, police stated.
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Charles Helem, 52, a convicted killer, has been charged with homicide within the cold-case killings of two girls in Virginia and Maryland
(Prince George’s County Police Division)
“We now know much more concerning the risks the killer introduced to the whole nationwide capital area,” Fairfax County police Chief Kevin Davis stated throughout a information briefing.
On Aug. 15, 2002, Landry was discovered lifeless in a wooded space in Mount Rainier, about 5 miles northwest of Washington D.C. An post-mortem decided Landry died of asphyxia and slicing wounds to the neck, based on the Prince George’s County Police Division.
In 2010 and 2017, Helem despatched letters to legislation enforcement claiming to have data on the Landry homicide, however refused to talk to investigators, police stated.
Final September, he agreed to talk with detectives and verbally confessed to killing Landry, Prince George’s County Police Chief Malik Aziz stated in the course of the briefing.
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Helem additionally confessed to killing Sober-Adler, who was discovered lifeless in a discipline behind a Days Inn in Herndon on Sept. 9, 1987, police stated.
On Tuesday, Helem was indicted in Fairfax County for her homicide. He has been individually charged in Landry’s killing, stories stated.
“In the present day my coronary heart is with the Adler household. This indictment is not going to convey her again. And whereas her mother and father usually are not right here to expertise today, it’s my hope that those that knew and beloved her could have some semblance of closure,” stated Fairfax County Commonwealth Lawyer Steve Descano, based on Washington D.C’s WJLA-TV.
Police stated they’re seeing whether or not Helem could also be related to different unsolved crimes.
