(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the final part of a series regarding allegations of police and judicial corruption that Gary Helman said plagued him, all because of a custody dispute that began in Whitley County in 2003.)

Gary Helman spent at least the last 5 years living in fear and hiding at his mother Atta’s house at 9174 Doswell Blvd., Cromwell. Throughout our interview, held the last afternoon of his life, Helman and his mom constantly watched out the front window, commenting on white cars that passed by. “It’s like we’re in prison. I want outta here,” Atta said.

At one point, Helman said, “They’re in the park, Mom.”

The family felt they were constantly watched by police because Helman felt the judicial system was broken and law enforcement were unjust to him in his fight to be a parent to his daughters following his 2003 divorce.

Helman said he filed at least three tort claims and federal lawsuits against Whitley County judges and prosecutor Matthew Rentschler, Indiana State Police and officers of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department over the years. He claimed that at least one of those cases went in his favor, but he never collected the $35 million he said he won. No record of his claim, however, can be found.

What is on file is a 2008 filing by Helman against Whitley County Judge Michael Rush seeking post conviction relief, allegedly for the first civil lawsuit. In August of 2009, according to court records, Helman “appeared in person and in custody and requests case be dismissed.” The case was dismissed.

In April 2011, Helman filed another civil suit against the Indiana Attorney General and the Indiana State Police superintendent. In June 2011, the case was ordered dismissed by the Indiana Supreme Court.

Helman claimed another tort suit was filed on Nov. 25, 2013, but no record of that can be found.

What court records do exist include criminal cases against Helman that began on Sept. 6, 2007, with an invasion of privacy Class A misdemeanor. A jury found him guilty on June 4, 2008, but the day prior to the findings, Helman filed a federal claim that his civil rights had been violated. As noted in Part 1 of this series, the United States Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s ruling that Helman had no case.

Additional criminal filings against Helman included two more invasion of privacy charges in 2008. Another jury also found him guilty on those charges and he was sentenced to nearly two years in the Whitley County Jail.

On April 6, 2009, an A misdemeanor charge of pointing a firearm against Helman was filed, but the charge was dismissed on April 21.

On Nov. 10, 2010, Helman filed another civil case in Kosciusko County claiming deprivation of rights under the Color of Law. As of today, that case is pending.

In January 2011, Helman was charged with a Class D felony for nonsupport of a dependent. By July, the state filed a motion to dismissed the charge.

In March 2012, yet another Class A misdemeanor Invasion of Privacy charge was lodged against Helman. By October, Helman was wanted on a warrant for the charge with a surety bond of $15,000 set. In response, Helman filed a federal suit claiming deprivation of rights under the Color of Law. In short, Helman claimed the charge was false, but was drummed up because he had filed other claims against those in authority.

The warrant for Gary Helman issued in 2012 remained in place until today, Sept. 2, 2014, when it was recalled upon the events of last week.

But that was not the only warrant for Helman that was active on Aug. 25, 2014. There were two additional Class A misdemeanor warrants for Failure to Appear and, Helman was also wanted on three Class D felony charges. Those included battery resulting in bodily injury and resisting law enforcement stemming from a Sept. 27, 2013, event and failure to appear for his initial hearing on the charges.

On Nov. 16, 2012, Helman filed an additional suit, a Conspiracy Under the Color of Law by the Kosciusko County Prosecutor, to “cover up murder, also to deny due process of law.” Helman believed his father, Virgil Helman, died because an officer of the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department prevented him from being treated after he was struck by a drunk driver on Oct. 22, 1997.

The prosecutor at the time of Virgil Helman’s death was David Kolbe. Just a month following the fatal accident, Kolbe requested and was granted a grand jury to investigate Helman’s death. That resulted in the indictment of Edward L. Chivington, 45, of North Webster, who was charged with two Class C felonies including Operating a Vehicle With a Blood Alcohol Level of .1 percent or greater causing death and for Driving While Intoxicated Causing Death. Chivington’s BAC after his arrest was .188 percent, nearly twice the legal limit.

On Sept. 1, 1999, a jury found Chivington not guilty of the crimes.

Because Helman was out on bonds from initial arrests and failing to appear for court-ordered hearings, on July 18, 2014, Kosciusko County Superior I Judge Duane Huffer order “the issuance of warrant and Order to Produce” to Barnett Bail Bonds, which held Helman’s bonds.

Gary Helman claimed there were no warrants out for his arrest, but if he really believed that, why did he refuse to leave his mother’s house or even open the door for police who came for him as late as June 2?

Was it possible that every judge he ever appeared before, every police officer he ever encountered and every one of the justices of the highest courts were all corrupt? The answer is likely no, but the only thing we will ever know for sure is that Helman believed in his fears so much, that he paid the ultimate price in trying to avoid authority.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to the continued investigation into the shooting death of Gary Helman that occurred on Aug. 25, 2014, the recovery agents/bounty hunters and bonding agency Barnett Bail Bonds cannot yet provide interviews. When the investigation is complete, we will follow up with their story. The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of the investigation.

Additionally, our request for the police video pertaining to the April 9, 2009, shooting by Indiana State Police that Gary Helman spoke of, has not yet been responded to.)

See related:
Gary Helman: In His Own Words

Gary Helman: His Story Part II

Gary Helman: His Story Part III