Wife Claims Innocence in Husband’s Murder, 15 Years After Conviction

WHITEWATER, Colo. — Miriam Helmick, serving a life sentence for the 2008 murder of her husband, Alan Helmick, is speaking out for the first time since her conviction, maintaining her innocence in a new interview with ABC News‘ “20/20.” The episode airs Friday, Jan. 31, at 9 p.m. ET on ABC and will be available for streaming on Hulu the following day.

Helmick, a former dance instructor, met Alan, a Colorado businessman, on the dance floor. Their relationship blossomed into marriage, but their life together ended tragically on June 10, 2008, when Alan was found shot to death in their Whitewater home. Miriam, who was running errands that morning, returned to find her husband in a pool of blood. The house appeared ransacked, and investigators found a bullet casing near his body.

“It won’t be over for anybody until it’s over for me, and I do have hopes,” Helmick told ABC News’ John Quiñones. “I know that I didn’t kill him.”

Despite her claims, prosecutors painted a damning picture during her trial. They alleged that Miriam forged checks from Alan’s accounts, stealing approximately $40,000, and suggested financial motives for the murder. She was also convicted of attempted murder for a car fire incident six weeks before Alan’s death, which she now claims he may have orchestrated for insurance money.

Investigators found no gunshot residue or blood on Miriam, and her alibi was supported by receipts and cellphone tower data. However, a key piece of evidence turned the case against her: a threatening card left on her doorstep weeks after Alan’s death. Surveillance footage revealed Miriam had purchased the card herself, which she admitted was an attempt to spur police into action.

“Maybe it was a really bad decision,” Helmick said, “but at the same time, I thought they would come out and actually look to see who this person was.”

In December 2009, a jury found Helmick guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and forgery. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 78 years. Mesa County Prosecutor Rich Tuttle said, “I think there’s no way that Miriam Helmick should ever be free in society again.”

From prison, Helmick continues to fight for her freedom, filing multiple appeals, all of which have been rejected. She remains determined to clear her name. “I don’t care about anybody else’s opinion,” she said. “What I want more than anything is to prove that.”

Alan’s friends and family, meanwhile, prefer to remember him as a kind and fun-loving man. “He was the kind of guy you could meet and have a drink with and have a good laugh,” said his friend Bob Cucchetti.

The new “20/20” episode delves into the case, exploring the twists and turns of the investigation and Helmick’s ongoing claims of innocence.