Record-Journal
10-20-2007, 01:48 AM
NEW HAVEN -- A jury found Jennifer Helmedach guilty on all counts in the 2004 murder of Meriden resident Faye Bennett after just over an hour Friday, the third day of deliberations in the case.
Bennett was 20 years old at the time of the murder, and was six months pregnant when she was stabbed and strangled in a Mosher Street apartment in Meriden in September 2004.
Bell was convicted of murder last year and is serving an 85-year-sentence.
The jury, which did not begin deliberations until 2 p.m. Friday, determined Helmedach was guilty of felony murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit third-degree robbery.
Despite believing the verdict was fair and appropriate, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Gary Nicholson admitted it was not an easy case.
“It’s a tragic thing, with serious effects on both families,” he said.
“This case, in particular, was difficult because it involved someone the victim thought was a good friend. To have a good friend bring you to a place where you’re going to be brutally murdered is just horrible.”
Helmedach is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14.
Helmedach’s mother, who declined to comment, was in tears waiting for the jury to come into the courtroom, but it was Helmedach who cried openly, then put her face in her hands when the verdict was delivered.
Defense attorney Richard Reeve asked that all jurors be polled, so each individual juror had to stand and affirm the guilty finding on each charge. Reeve sat with his arm around Helmedach’s shoulder during the process.
Reeve said he expects Helmedach to file an appeal, but had no further comment.
Police said Helmedach and David Bell were staying in an apartment on Mosher Street with a friend when Helmedach, who grew up in Middlefield, invited Bennett to go shopping.
She and Bennett stopped at the apartment with Helmedach’s 1-year-old daughter, Ayanna.
Bell stabbed and suffocated Bennett, stole $430 from her, and left the scene with Helmedach and Ayanna in Bennett’s car.
Helmedach did not do anything to help Bennett during the assault, but drove Bennett’s car when they left.
The pair dropped Ayanna off at Bell’s stepsister’s home in New Jersey before fleeing to New York, where they were later arrested.
Reeve made two requests of Judge Bruce W. Thompson prior to the verdict.
He asked the judge to clarify the definition of “duress” for the jury. Legally, a person cannot use the defense of acting under duress if they “intentionally or recklessly place themselves in a situation where duress is likely to occur.”
Throughout the trial, Reeve contended Helmedach was suffering from a form of battered women’s syndrome in that she was unable to break off her relationship with Bell, despite abuse.
But Nicholson said Reeve already had an opportunity to ask for the clarification, and didn’t believe it was suitable to try to limit the jury to considering duress or its exception for the night of the murder only.
Reeve also asked the judge to clarify to jurors that it is the state’s responsibility to prove his client met the exception to the duress defense, and this the judge agreed to do.
Finally, Reeve moved for a mistrial on the basis that jurors had not been properly instructed on the definition of duress and the burden of proof at the beginning of their deliberations. When Judge Thompson denied the mistrial, Reeve took the responsibility.
“I was ineffective in not raising this sooner,” he said.
Thompson brought the jury back in and reminded them of the burden of proof, but just 20 minutes later, the jury foreman knocked on the door with a verdict.
Angel Bennett-Cyr, Faye Bennett’s sister, said earlier this week that she wanted Helmedach to have some punishment for her involvement in the murder.
“I want her to have to serve at least 20 years,” she said. “My sister got 20 years of life on this earth, so Jennifer should have to spend at least 20 years behind bars.”
Bennett was 20 years old at the time of the murder, and was six months pregnant when she was stabbed and strangled in a Mosher Street apartment in Meriden in September 2004.
Bell was convicted of murder last year and is serving an 85-year-sentence.
The jury, which did not begin deliberations until 2 p.m. Friday, determined Helmedach was guilty of felony murder, first-degree robbery and conspiracy to commit third-degree robbery.
Despite believing the verdict was fair and appropriate, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Gary Nicholson admitted it was not an easy case.
“It’s a tragic thing, with serious effects on both families,” he said.
“This case, in particular, was difficult because it involved someone the victim thought was a good friend. To have a good friend bring you to a place where you’re going to be brutally murdered is just horrible.”
Helmedach is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14.
Helmedach’s mother, who declined to comment, was in tears waiting for the jury to come into the courtroom, but it was Helmedach who cried openly, then put her face in her hands when the verdict was delivered.
Defense attorney Richard Reeve asked that all jurors be polled, so each individual juror had to stand and affirm the guilty finding on each charge. Reeve sat with his arm around Helmedach’s shoulder during the process.
Reeve said he expects Helmedach to file an appeal, but had no further comment.
Police said Helmedach and David Bell were staying in an apartment on Mosher Street with a friend when Helmedach, who grew up in Middlefield, invited Bennett to go shopping.
She and Bennett stopped at the apartment with Helmedach’s 1-year-old daughter, Ayanna.
Bell stabbed and suffocated Bennett, stole $430 from her, and left the scene with Helmedach and Ayanna in Bennett’s car.
Helmedach did not do anything to help Bennett during the assault, but drove Bennett’s car when they left.
The pair dropped Ayanna off at Bell’s stepsister’s home in New Jersey before fleeing to New York, where they were later arrested.
Reeve made two requests of Judge Bruce W. Thompson prior to the verdict.
He asked the judge to clarify the definition of “duress” for the jury. Legally, a person cannot use the defense of acting under duress if they “intentionally or recklessly place themselves in a situation where duress is likely to occur.”
Throughout the trial, Reeve contended Helmedach was suffering from a form of battered women’s syndrome in that she was unable to break off her relationship with Bell, despite abuse.
But Nicholson said Reeve already had an opportunity to ask for the clarification, and didn’t believe it was suitable to try to limit the jury to considering duress or its exception for the night of the murder only.
Reeve also asked the judge to clarify to jurors that it is the state’s responsibility to prove his client met the exception to the duress defense, and this the judge agreed to do.
Finally, Reeve moved for a mistrial on the basis that jurors had not been properly instructed on the definition of duress and the burden of proof at the beginning of their deliberations. When Judge Thompson denied the mistrial, Reeve took the responsibility.
“I was ineffective in not raising this sooner,” he said.
Thompson brought the jury back in and reminded them of the burden of proof, but just 20 minutes later, the jury foreman knocked on the door with a verdict.
Angel Bennett-Cyr, Faye Bennett’s sister, said earlier this week that she wanted Helmedach to have some punishment for her involvement in the murder.
“I want her to have to serve at least 20 years,” she said. “My sister got 20 years of life on this earth, so Jennifer should have to spend at least 20 years behind bars.”