Michael Landon Helgoth of Boulder died Thursday, Feb. 14, 1997, at home. He was 26.

He was born July 9, 1970, in Boulder, the son of Rus sell G. Helgoth and Coni R. Nye Helgoth.

He worked for Valmont Auto Parts for 11 years, where he was a mechanic and performed other duties.

Mr. Helgoth graduated from Boulder High School in 1989 and joined the U.S. Army, serving 13 months.

He belonged to Nova Club, received several awards for drafting and enjoyed anything associated with automobiles and the automotive industry.

Survivors include his father of Boulder; his mother of Alliance, Neb.; paternal grandparents, Harold and Catherine Helgoth of Boulder; his maternal grandfather, Jack Nye of Alliance; his guardians, Doug and Rita Helgoth of Boulder; a brother, Robert Weber of Boulder, Mont.; and two sisters, Christine Helgoth and Kimberly Helgoth, both of Boulder.

Visitation for family and friends will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Crist Mortuary, 34th Street and the Diagonal Highway, Boulder. The family will be present from 6 to 8 p.m.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the mortuary chapel. The Rev. Care Pat Frink of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church will officiate. Services will conclude at the chapel.

Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Boulder County Unit Office, 1590 Broadway, Boulder 80302.

SEA OF WRECKED CARS COULD BECOME PARK
Tuesday, July 23, 1996
Section: MAIN
Edition: FIRST
Page: 1A
By LISA MARSHALL Camera Staff Writer

If the Boulder City Council decides to buy up to 101 acres along Valmont Road for a large community park, children will someday kick a soccer ball in what is now a sea of wrecked cars. Families will picnic in what once was a thriving poultry farm.

But finding a farm fresh egg or a part for an old Chevy in Boulder could be tricky.

"There are a lot of people who are going to be sad to see us go," said Dick Helgoth, 59, whose family has run Valmont Auto Parts - the last auto yard in town - for nearly four decades. Helgoth said Boulder County land regulations and neighborhood covenants that prohibit people from working on their cars at home have taken the profit out of running a junk yard. Despite the family's rich history on the land, they are eager to sell.
"It's a different business than it was back when Dad started it," he said. "Back then, if you carried Ford or Chevy parts, you had it all."

The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended the city buy as much land as possible on the Valmont Corridor site for $13.5 million. The City Council will give final consideration to the site Aug. 6.

The city is negotiating details of cleaning up the area, but landowners have agreed to deliver the sites "'clean," said Wally Cameron, who handles real estate purchases for the city. He would not release the prices of individual parcels within the site.

The Helgoths expect it will take about five months to sell off the usable parts from some 2,000 cars, hire a wrecking company to crush the remaining auto skeletons and plow away debris, allowing for leftover petroleum to evaporate.

"Then we'll take it easy for a couple of years. We haven't had much time to vacation," said Doug Helgoth, 49, who has run the business with his brother, Dick, since 1961.

Next door, K.C. Schneider is preparing to tell tenants, who have stored large mechanical equipment in his outdoor storage area for five years, they'll have find another storage place.

"It's probably one of the last inexpensive storage areas around and a lot of the people that run their little businesses don't have any place to go," said Schneider, who grew up riding horses and picnicking on the 24-acre property that used to be a farm.

Even a few family dogs are buried out there, he said.

"It may not look like it now, but it's going to be a great park site," said Schneider, struck by the beauty of the Flatirons behind the field of rusty cars and trailers on his lot. "Everyone is taking a little less money to see it as a park because they are obviously people who have owned property here for decades and care about Boulder. I can't wait to take my kids on a picnic out there."

While thrilled with the prospect of seeing a park there, Schneider said he views the land deal as the end of an era, a reflection of Boulder's move toward being an economically exclusive community.

"Every town needs a junkyard," he said.

Across the street, where the Boulder Valley Poultry farm has doled out eggs for local groceries and individuals since 1960, Mildred Vaughan is less enthusiastic about selling her family's 22.5 acres to the city.

Vaughan, 78, is afraid she'll lose her connection with the people of Boulder if she can't sell them eggs anymore. "They are really down in the dumps about not being able to get their farm fresh eggs," she said.

But Vaughan said she will bite an offer to clean up and sell "only if the price is right."

I think that Helgoth's "friends" ought to be thoroughly checked out for the "suicide" as well as the Ramsey case. I would be working seriously on the possibility that the Helgoth case is nothing more than a con that failed.

It reeks of a set-up to me. I also had a hard time believing him when he said Helgoth was watching him in Ninja clothes and Kenady does nothing about it? He just found it "strange". It seems Kenady has tried really hard to interject himself into a world famous murder case. Maybe he murdered Helgoth for the money not knowing the cops had the killer's dna that EXCLUDE Helgoth.

If Helgoth was really involved he would have dumped those boots and stun guns. How come, since he can't be the killer, was there no other prints found in the basement? Why just one print...the killer's print would have to be there, not just Helgoth's.

I think Helgoth was weird and a pervert but I don't even think he knew the Ramsey's existed before her murder.

Article from Kenady's arrest:

Suspect facing burglary charges

By Christopher Anderson
Camera Staff Writer
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Lafayette man charged with burglary and theft of a Boulder County home told sheriff's deputies he was investigating the unsolved 1996 JonBenét Ramsey homicide.

The suspect in the case is John Edward Kenady, 47, the same person who this summer handed over a pair of Hi-Tec boots to private investigators working for John and Patsy Ramsey.

Boulder police are testing the boots at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, but do not think they are related to the case.

The source of a partial Hi-Tec bootprint inside the couple's home is one of many unanswered questions in the investigation into the Dec. 1996 homicide of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey.

And while the boots Kenady gave investigators belonged to a former resident of the house he allegedly broke into, Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said Monday the boots are not among the items Kenady is accused of stealing.

Kenady was arrested in Longmont Oct. 10 in connection with breaking into a home in the 4900 block of Valmont Road in July.

He told sheriff's deputies that Boulder Police Detectives Cmdr. Joe Pelle gave him permission to enter the home in the name of investigating the Ramsey case. Pelle said he never gave Kenady permission to break into the home. Kenady also said he feared evidence would be lost because the house was supposed to be demolished.

Police suspect Kenady of kicking in a rear door to the home and taking with him three "drafting quality drawings," a $54,000 check and legal papers including a deed of trust.

Diamond jewelry, several watches and money in one bedroom were untouched, according to police reports.

The home is owned by the family of a deceased man the Ramseys' investigators have said may have been involved with the beating and strangulation death of their daughter.

The deceased man shot himself in the chest Feb. 14, 1997, the day after Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter held a national press conference in which he said the field of suspects had narrowed and vowed to bring the little girl's killer to justice.

The man also may have owned a stun gun, which the Ramseys' suspect may have been used in their daughter's death, according to public records.

The Ramseys remain under police suspicion in their daughter's death, but have repeatedly said they did not kill their daughter and that police should be looking for an intruder. They have moved from their 755 15th St. home and now reside in Atlanta.

Kenady, who was friends with the deceased man, said he suspected him of having some involvement in the killing, but did not say why, according to police reports.

The documents stolen from the home were found in Kenady's possession. The drawings belonged to the deceased man.

Officers at the Boulder Police Department and the Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Kenady may be mentally impaired from a car accident.

Kenady's attorney, Karin Dostal, said her client is mentally competent.

She said she would not comment on the case other than to say, "There are certain things that will come out later."

Kenady was charged Oct. 13 and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Nov. 8, which will likely to be rescheduled.

Ollie Gray, an investigator for the Ramseys, said a family member gave Kenady the boots. Kenady gave Gray the boots through an attorney. Gray turned them over to police in August and answered police questions about them during an interview with the Ramseys in Atlanta at the end of August.

Contact Christopher Anderson at (303) 473-1355 or andersonc@thedailycamera.com.

October 25, 2000

Who shoots themselves in the chest when trying to kill himself and why the pillow?

KENADY, JOHN E vs. SAN LAZARO PARK PROPERTIES LLC

01/28/1997 DWP Dismissed with Prejudice

This case was dismissed about 10 days before the Ramsey's announcement of the $100,000 reward. A week after that Helgoth was dead, and JK started calling BPD.

--------------------------------------
Here's one from 1995 for a judgement that would have netted him about $11,000:

KENADY, JOHN E VS EBBERT, WILLIAM H

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Here's sexual assault on a child:

1 Main Charge 018003.00405.0 SEX ASSAULT ON A CHILD
Offense Date: From: 06/11/1979 To: 06/11/1979 Time: -- BAC: 0

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Here's an interesting one. Note the judgement in 1992, payment in 1997. Apparently JK couldn't satisfy the judgement for five years, then could satisfy it in 1997. Apparently he ran into some cash in 1997.

ANGELL, JOSEPH M, et al vs. KENADY, JOHN

Judgments
ID Date Type Status Judge - Bar # Judge Name
1 04/29/1992 Judgment Entered Full Satisfaction 1268 MARSHA BAER YEAGER

Judg. Transaction Amount Date
PRINCIPAL $870.00 12/10/1997
ATTORNEY FEES $2,000.00 12/10/1997
PARTIAL SATISFACTION $1,870.00 12/10/1997
FULL SATISFACTION $0.00 12/10/1997

I'm glad to see a show that presents an intruder theory, but it doesn't appear to be well investigated. Kenady doesn't seem to know very much.

I just dont see Kenady as having much incentive to lie...

He's already demonstrated that the reward is quite an incentive. If you merely glance at JK's record, you can see that in addition to other criminal charges, he has a history of things like repeatedly neglecting to buy auto insurance and failing to register his vehicle. People with records like his simply don't call the police unless there is something the police can do for them, nor do they involve the police in something that could possibly end in their being killed for ratting someone out. (Remember, Kenady is claiming a voilent accomplice exists.) Something had already gotten him past what I view as normal avoidance of the police on his part and his presumed fear of a violent accomplice. I say it's the reward and that it was a big incentive.

...and I don't see this as some conspiracy to frame poor dead Helgoth for something.

Technically one perpetrator wouldn't be a conspiracy.

I do think that the guy has very low income and therefore couldn't keep his car insured even if he wanted to. I would admit that you are probably correct in assuming he is not without a sure and certain knowledge that if those boots had tested as definitely having left that print, he would be on 'easy street' for the first time in his life.

I just don't think he is creative enough to come up with things that are inventions concerning Helgoth's behavior. Do I think he reacted a bit differently than he described to peering out the window and seeing a pair of eyes wearing Ninja garb? Yes. Is he smart enough to keep his mouth shut about the details? Yes. In general, I just don't think he has to lie about much of what happened.

The conspiracy that is supposed to exist includes Tracey and all those other so-called Ramsey Spin Team types.

Tracey et al. needn't be included. I can't help but wonder if their desire for evidence that points anywhere other than the Ramseys has caused them to buy a bill of goods from a long-time con man.

Was Tracey overzealous? Perhaps.
Is Kenady abit too anxious to sell his story? Perhaps.

Does it still show that there are viable leads that the BPD did not follow. Definitely.

Mary thought it was Santa even though his dna tested and it's not his. Ollie and these other investigators have obviously spent too much time on Helgoth and come up way short. I don't know who Lou's favorite suspect is. The alley guy? Good suspect, but it's not him.

It's got to be a family friend or a neighbor. Test FW and his friends that were there that night. Retest Barnhill and his son. The Gardener, if it hasn't been done and, Glenn Meyers. IT'S GOT to be one of them.

Anyone else, imo, would not have written the note or left her in the home wrapped in a blanket. It wasn't a stranger. Someone that was around her or watching her. Barnhill has her dog. How do pedophiles get close to kids? Through pets, sometimes. He knew everything that was in the note. Maybe his son did too. He lied to the police about his whereabouts on THAT day. Have they tested his dna?

This is soooooooo frustrating to not know what they've actually done and not done.

Justice for JonBenet. That poor child deserves IT.

I don't want to say that the exact same Bill of Goods has been attested to by Ollie Gray but certainly the essential elements of it have been confirmed.

There isn't one shred of evidence that directly implicates either the Ramseys or Helgoth in the homicide. Some or all of the evidence that is suggestive that Helgoth was involved came from Kenady himself.

I would like to see independent confirmation of something --- anything --- that Kenady and other acquaintences of Helgoth have had to say. Until then, there's no case.

So, we have the heart in hand, the "suicide" of "Kennedy" who was shot in the heart on Valentine's day and it makes me go hmmm??

Obviously crimes that receive a lot of media attention (and offer rewards) are going to attract unscrupulous people wanting to make money; But I wonder if con-artists weren't involved from the very beginning. If Kenady is telling the truth, Helgoth and a partner were going to make some money around Christmas time. I can't help wondering if there is still an unidentified partner somewhere. Someone associated with Helgoth and Kenady (other than Gigax.) Years ago, an online poster wrote about a friend of Helgoth's who had been living with one of Michael's ex-girlfriends. I think he said they moved away around the time of the murder. I don't know if I'm remembering the facts right, but I'd like to know more about the friend and girlfriend.

I'd also like to know what kind of "drafting papers" Kenady stole from Helgoth's house and why. I believe they may have been blueprints of the Ramsey's house and they may have implicated someone Kenady was trying to protect. Also, I think anyone working for the architect (Tom Hand) who did renovations on the Ramsey house needs to be looked at more closely....especially techs and draftsmen. (Apparently Michael was also into drafting - maybe in highschool?) There's something suspicious about the drafting papers being stolen, in my opinion. They may have been blueprints of houses that were used for the purpose of home invasion and theft. I believe the Ramsey house may have been among the blueprints and was originally meant to be robbed. It's only my opinion, but I think the Helgoth connection needs to be more thoroughly investigated.

An interesting sidenote: Drafting is done on computers. AutoCad is the software that allows engineers and architects to do all their design work by computers. AutoCad was probably the single product most responsible, in terms of making John the business success he was. By his own account it was the "horse they rode for ten years." I'm curious to know if John had 'enemies' from back in the AutoCad days. - Someone who wouldn't have been able to ride this technology to the full extent or success that John did.

Edited to add: Anyone who regularly uses AutoCad (such as an engineer or architect/draftsman) might perceive himself (or his industry/occupation) as the reason John Ramsey is a success. AutoCad technology helped a lot of people in this field,,,,,,,I wonder if it hurt anyone.

It most surely did!

When a drawing could be reproduced at the touch of a button, no draftsman had to be hired to repeatedly re-draw or make minor corrections to blueprints. Its just the sort of situation wherein a guy in high school who took Mechanical Drawing (back in the days when girls would have taken Home Economics) and excelled in it but went nowhere might indeed bear a grudge.

Consider how many pin-boys at the local bowling alley were put out of work by automatic bowling equipment? Now very few young men considered 'pin boy' as a career. Yet a draftsman would have been still churned out by the high schools and vocational techs (and perhaps by the reform schools) well after the need for them had passed.

Unfortunately, I don't see why any out of work draftsman would focus on Access Graphics as opposed to some other company. AG was a VAR, it bought Autocad and it bought high-end monitors and it bought alot of high-end unix boxes and put it all together as a tried and tested AutoCad package easily customized to particular customers.

Would a rawhide worker who wound a really tight buggy whip actually become all that angry at Ford Motor Company for having introduced the Model T that put so many buggy whip craftsmen out of work?