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Glenn Tayler Helzer and Justin Alan Helzer were both born in the early 1970s. These two, along with another person, Dawn Godman, were the main figures of the "Children of Thunder." -
Glenn attends a Mormon mission in Brazil in the early 90s. However, the views he gained there were much different from traditional Mormon views. He wanted to defeat Satan because he believed that he was making the Mormon church go in the wrong direction.
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Because of his drug usage (and his unorthodox views), Glenn is removed from the LDS Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
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At a murder mystery diner hosted by a Mormon Church, Glenn, his brother Justin, and another woman, Dawn Godman, heard about Glenn's plans in killing people from the Mormon Church. Because of Glenn's status as a self-proclaimed prophet, they believed his words and formed the group known as the "Children of Thunder."
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Glenn creates a self-help group, "Transform America," and in order to fund it, and his later plans, he decides to sell drugs and have his girlfriend and Dawn pose for Playboy magazine. Also for his church, he made a list of rules known as the "Twelve Principles of Magic" for his followers.
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The first victims of the Children of Thunder were an elderly couple, Ivan and Annette Stineman, who were former clients of Transform America. The group forced them to write checks for $100k before being brutally murdered.
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A few days later, in order to cash in the checks that the Stinemans wrote, Glenn Helzer had his girlfriend, Selina Bishop do it for them. In order for her to not potentially expose them later in the future, Glenn killed her with her own hands.
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In order to remove suspicions, Glenn decides to kill Selina's mom, Jennifer Villarin, as well as another man, James Gamble who was a witness to the scene. They were both shot in the head by Glenn, who used Justin's gun. The group all fled in Dawn's car.
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Through the investigation that the police were already doing with the prior murders, they were able to connect the killings to the group and arrest them at their house.
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Happening throughout September 2000, each member had different punishments. First, Dawn Godman received a 38-year sentence. As for Justin Helzer, he actually pleaded not guilty because of claims of him having a mental disorder. As for Glenn, he pleaded guilty and was put on death row.
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In June of 2004, Justin Helzer was convicted of 5 counts of first-degree murder and was also put on death row along with his brother.
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After an attempted suicide in his jail cell a few years prior, Glenn Helzer decides to commit suicide by hanging himself in his jail cell.