Episode 685: Glen Helzer and the Children of Thunder (Part 1)

Morbid

Morbid Network | Wondery

True Crime, Comedy, Exhibit C

4.5 • 95.3K Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2025

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Ivan and Annette Stineman disappeared from their home in Concord, California in the summer of 2000, it immediately raised red alarmed with those closest to the elderly couple. Those alarms proved to be justified when, a week later, the remains of the Stinemans and three others were discovered in duffel bags in Sacramento River Delta.

The day after the remains were found in river, investigators arrested Taylor and Justin Helzer, and Justin’s girlfriend, Dawn Godman, for the murders of Ivan and Annette Stineman. A short time later, they would also be charged with the murders of Taylor’s girlfriend, Selina Bishop, her mother, Jenny Villarin, and Villarin’s boyfriend, Jim Gamble.

At first, investigators believed the murders were part of a plot to extort the Stinemans for a large amount of money, but the deeper they dug into the lives and backgrounds of the killers, a different and far more bizarre motive began to emerge.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Aguila, Justino. 2000. "Boyfriend probed in homicides." San Francisco Examiner, August 7: 3.

Bulwa, Demian. 2004. "Killer lays out grisly details of murder spree." San Francisco Chronicle, May 28.

Kim, Ryan. 2000. "Double slaying rattles Marin town." San Francisco Examiner, August 4: 16.

Lee, Henry K. 2013. "Justin Helzer hangs himself in prison." San Francisco Chronicle, April 16.

People of the State of California v. Helzer. 2024. S132256 (Supreme Court of California, January 22).

Read, Simon. 2004. "Jury finds Helzer guilty of murder." East Bay Times, June 17.

San Francisco Examiner. 2000. "Delta body parts identified ." San Francisco Examiner, August 9.

—. 2000. "Elvin Bishop's daughter missing." San Francisco Examiner, August 5: 3.

Scott, Robert. 2005. Unholy Sacrifice. New York, NY: Pinnacle Books.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, weirdos, before we dive into today's twisted tale, let me tell you about a place where the darkness never ends. Wondery Plus. It's like stepping into a haunted mansion where the floorboards creek with ad-free episodes and early access to new episodes lurks around every corner. So come join us, if you dare. Morbid is available one week early and ad free only on Wondery Plus. You can join
0:23.5	Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or an Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You're listening to a Morbid Network
0:30.7	podcast. How do I tell them? How do I tell them? How do I pay the bills? How do I pay the bills?
0:40.3	I know what goes through your head when you're living with cancer. The questions, the fears, the need to know.
0:48.3	How do I know? Because I'm living with cancer too. That's why I joined the McMillan online community.
0:57.1	And we can help people like you, whatever you need to ask.
1:01.4	To join us, search McMillan online community.
1:05.0	My name is T.J. Raphael.
1:07.3	I'm the host of Liberty Lost, a new podcast about who gets to be a mother and the control of young women hidden behind the veil of faith.
1:16.9	Binge all episodes of Liberty Lost ad free right now on Wondery Plus.
1:22.7	Hey, weirdos, I am Ash.
1:24.6	And I'm Alina, and this is Moabed.
1:45.4	Music I am Ash. And I'm Alena. And this is Mawbed. Um, I'm Mawbed. Um, I'm not great with the state of the world. Yeah, it's pretty bullshit out there. Um, I'm not great with the state of the world.
1:47.4	Yeah, it's pretty bullshit out there.
1:51.3	Um, one thing we just want to make pretty clear is, uh, fuck ice.
1:51.7	Yeah.
1:55.9	Um, so if you work at that right off the top of it. You have to be a fucking demon.
1:58.1	Yeah, it's, it's pretty awful.
1:59.5	And I hope if you're in Los Angeles, you're safe and you're
2:03.3	okay. And we know that you're not rioting. You're protesting. As is your constitutional right. So,
2:10.2	you know, keep at it. Be safe. Hold American flags. Hold American flags for the optics. Yep.
2:15.4	You know, I saw somebody on TikTok say that, and I thought that was pretty smart.
	...

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