Ep 23. Who Killed the Candy Heiress? The Helen Brach Story
- August 4, 1999
Who Killed the Candy Heiress? The Helen Brach Story is an episode of the true crime series American Justice, which originally aired in 1999. The episode centers around the mysterious disappearance of Helen Brach, an heiress to the Brach's Candy fortune, in 1977.
The episode begins by introducing the wealthy and eccentric Helen Brach, who ran a successful horse breeding business in addition to her candy empire. In 1977, Helen disappeared while on a trip to visit a horse farm in Kentucky. Her car was found abandoned, but there was no sign of Helen.
The investigation into Helen's disappearance quickly revealed that there may be more to the story than a simple missing person case. It was discovered that Helen had been involved with shady characters in the horse racing world, including a notorious horse trainer named Richard Bailey. Bailey had a history of criminal activity, including charges of fraud and horse doping.
Despite intense efforts by law enforcement and private investigators, no trace of Helen was ever found. However, the case took a dramatic turn in 1982 when Richard Bailey was indicted on charges of conspiring to murder Helen. The evidence against Bailey included testimony from a witness who claimed to have seen him with Helen in the days before her disappearance, as well as wiretaps of phone conversations where Bailey discussed his plans to harm her.
The trial of Richard Bailey was a media sensation and was covered extensively by American Justice. However, the case against Bailey was ultimately weakened by the fact that Helen's body was never found. Bailey was sentenced to 30 years in prison for conspiring to murder Helen, but he was never charged with her actual death.
Who Killed the Candy Heiress? The Helen Brach Story is a gripping and tragic tale of greed, corruption, and violence in the world of high-stakes horse racing. The episode features interviews with investigators, journalists, and legal experts, who provide insights into the complex web of deception surrounding this infamous case. Despite the lack of a definitive conclusion, this episode of American Justice is sure to leave viewers captivated and haunted by the mysterious disappearance of Helen Brach.
