| Translate This News In |
|---|
Authorities say a Virginia man accused of murder has been questioned in connection with two-decades-old cold-case killings.
Charles Helem, 52, is presently spending life in a Virginia supermax state prison after being convicted of first-degree murder in the 2002 death of a Chantilly lady who was discovered strangled in her townhome.
Authorities revealed Wednesday that he has been charged with two separate deaths in Virginia and Maryland after purportedly admitting to both crimes.
During a news conference, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis stated, “We now know much more about the dangers the killer poses to the whole national capital region.”
Edge Sober-murder Adler’s was one of Fairfax County’s notable cold cases. On September 9, 1987, the 37-year-old was discovered dead in a field in Herndon, horribly beaten.
According to police, Helem reportedly confessed to the murder during an interview with Fairfax County investigators in October.
During the Wednesday conference, Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said, “Detectives were able to confirm this confession with specifics known only to the killer.”
A grand jury indicted Helem for murder in the killing of Sober-Adler on Tuesday. Descano stated that his agency will now seek “vigorous” prosecution against Helem.
Helem has also been charged in Maryland’s Prince George’s County in connection with an unsolved homicide in Mount Rainier. On August 15, 2002, Jennifer Landry, 19, was discovered dead in a forested location. An autopsy revealed that she died as a result of hypoxia and cutting wounds to her neck. It took investigators nearly three years to positively identify her body.
Helem allegedly wrote letters to law enforcement in 2010 and 2017 claiming to have information on the Landry murder, but he refused to talk with detectives until last year, according to authorities.
According to investigators, Helem originally supplied information on the unsolved Fairfax County homicide while speaking with Prince George’s County detectives.
It’s unknown whether Helem has an attorney. His case is not yet included in court records for Fairfax County or Prince George’s County.
According to Davis and Aziz, officials are looking into whether Helem is linked to other unsolved crimes.
