I WANT CANDY...AND HORSES


In 1977 Helen Brach disappeared and was never seen again. The wealthy widow and candy fortune heir may have met her end because of horse trade. No trace of Helen Brach has ever been found and no one ever took punishment for her possible murder. Helen Brach was born into humble circumstances in 1911. She married and divorced her high school sweetheart. She worked at a Palm Beach nightclub and met Frank Brach, heir to the Brach's candy company (shout out to bridge mix!)

Frank sold the company in 1966 for $136 million. When Frank died in 1970 Helen netted a $160 million fortune. She gave money to animal charities, drove around in pink and lavender cars (Brach company colors) and partied with a suave con man 20 years her junior, Richard Bailey. Bailey sold Helen Brach bum racing horses for $98 million then tried to sell her more horses. Helen hired an appraiser who confirmed the horses were worthless. Helen planned to consult an attorney about Bailey's actions when she returned from a trip to the Mayo Clinic in February 1977.

On Thursday February 17th, 1977 Helen left the Mayo clinic. She stopped in the clinic shop to make a purchase and told the sales girl to hurry because "my house man is waiting." The houseman was Jack Matlick, wife abuser and arrestee for aggravated robbery. Two weeks later he reported Helen missing. He told police he picked Helen up at O'Hare Airport (no record exist of Helen being on a flight and no one recalled seeing her at the airport.) Helen stayed home all weekend, then Monday, February 21 Matlick drove Helen to O'Hare at 6:00 a.m. so she could fly to stay at her Fort Lauderdale condo. The earliest flight from Chicago to Florida left at 9:00 a.m. and again there are no witnesses or records to confirm that Helen was on a flight to Florida. Richard Bailey reported Matlick called him to say Helen would be in Florida, but Helen never contacted Bailey. The case went cold and Helen was reported legally dead in 1984.


Three theories as to what happened to Helen exist : 

1 ~ Matlick killed her : most logical of the three. The weekend Matlick purported Helen was at home before going to Florida, friends called her home but Matlick answered and said she was out every time. Painters working on the home never saw her there. The gardener reported seeing Matlick with a young girl dressed to look like Helen - complete with wig. Her friends in Florida had no idea she'd planned to travel there. Matlick forged checks and stole cash from Helen's home. The Brach family forced him to give up a $50,000 bequeathal from Helen's will in lieu of charges not being filed. Matlick died in 2011.


2 ~ Richard Bailey : possibly killed Helen to keep her from talking about his dirty horse dealings. Helen's case was reopened in 1989 and Bailey was imprisoned for racketeering and fraud charges. He denied any involvement in Helen's murder, and was never convicted for her death. Bailey was released from prison in 2011.


3 ~ A man named Joe Plemmons told police in 1977 he helped Matlick kill Helen. In 2004 he added nine people to the story. He claims Silas Jayne, Bailey's horse swindle partner conspired with a group of people - 11 total - to kill Helen. Okay so on Barry there's like just Barry and Fuchs involved in hits. 11 people is a lot of people for a hit, like, like nine too many. Police rejected Plemmons story and he died in 2016. 

Helen Brach, who profited from sweet sweet candy money, met a sour end.


SOURCES :

Helen Brach. Wikipedia.

Matt, Philip. "Unwrapping the Disappearence of Helen Brach." Criminal Element, 31 January 2020. 



PODCASTS ~ 

Turney, Sarah, host. "Helen Brach." Disappearances, 5 January 2023.




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