Laila Singh: A Serial Killer Ménage à Trois - India, 2022

In the state of Kerala in South-West India, all three members of a menage-a-trois (two men, one woman) have been arrested for two separate sadistic ritual sacrifice human sacrifice murders (Bali) of women, Padmam (52) and Rosly (49). Additional murders by the group are suspected. The killings took place at the Singhs’ home in Pathanamthitta.

 

The instigator of the crimes is Shafi Muhammad, (alias Rashid, 52), a menial laborer and convicted rapist who had served time for raping and mutilating the genitals of his 75-year-old victim.

 

Shafi befriended the couple, Bhagaval (68) and Laila Singh (59), who became his accomplices in 2019 through a Facebook ad for “godman Rashid” (a godman is, in essence, an Indian witch doctor) who offered means to financial wealth. In their correspondence Shafi expressed an interest in Haiku poetry, a strong interest of Bhagaval’s. Murder cases involving a godman instigating human sacrifice, often of a child, a seen regularly in the Indian press.

 

Shafi’s godman magic involved in engaging in sexual intercourse with Laila while he husband watched.

 

Laila Singh is accused of murdering and beheading the second victim Roselyn Varghese (“Rosly”) on June 6, 2022. The couple had lured her by offering to pay her Rs 10 lakh (US$12,000) to act in a porn film. The trio gagged her after tying her hands and legs to a cot. The police report states that Bhagaval Singh the tortured and killed her, slicing her throat to let the blood drain out.

 

Bhagaval Singh is accused by police of chopping off Rosly’s breasts “for consumption.” The genitals were mutilated in the same fashion as the victim Shafi had served time for raping. Police regarded the mutilations as a sign of ritual human sacrifice.

 

The woman named Padma was brought to the Singh couple’s house on September 26, 2022, at about 4:00 pm after having been offered Rs 15,000 (US$182) for sex. When she requested her payment, the trio garroted her with a plastic rope until she passed out. Later Shafi finished her off by slitting her throat to let the blood flow out and then inserted his knife into her genitals. The gang then proceeded to dismember the corpse – slicing her into 56 morsels. The genitals were mutilated in the same manner as Rosaly’s. Padma’s remains were buried in multiple pits near the Singhs’ home.

 

For his godman services Shafi earned at least Rs 3 lakh (US$3,640) in cash from the Singh couple, it is said. His wife of 25 years is quoted as stating: “We have been married for 24 years and I’m not convinced he is capable of such a gruesome crime.”

 

Police had gotten their first clue to the disappearance of Padma from examining CCTV footage. Police began an investigation following a missing complaint filed by Padma's son at Kadavanthra police station in Ernakulam district on Sept 26. Kochi police commissioner C. Nagaraju told NDTV that there was "some inkling that they consumed human flesh but we are yet to get evidence of it". He said that the accused had confessed to the crime.

 

[Robert St. Estephe, Oct. 16, 2022]

 

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CHRONOLOGY

Perpetrators: Bhagaval Singh (68), Laila Singh (59), Shafi Muhammad, (alias Rashid, 52).

Jun. 6, 2022 – Roselyn Varghese, Rosly (49) murdered. Laila Singh is accused of murdering and beheading Rosly.

Sep. 26, 2022 – Padma (52) murdered. Shafi is accused of killing Padma, a lottery seller from Dharampuri in Tamil Nadu. Elamkulam, Kochi.

Oct. 11, 2022 – Laila Singh (59), arrested.

 

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SOURCES

Barbie Latza Nadeau, ”‘Throuple’ Accused of Torturing, Killing, and Eating Women to Get Off.” Yahoo News,  Oct. 13, 2022.

Bobins Abraham, “Kerala Human Sacrifice Main Accused Is A Sexual Pervert, Was Arrested For Raping A 75-Year-Old,” IT, Oct 12, 2022.

“Kerala 'human sacrifice' case: 61 packets of body parts found, masteremind a sadist,” The Times of India, Oct. 13, 2022.

“Kerala Human Sacrifice: Mohammed Shafi inserted knife in the private parts, chopped off the breasts of the victims; was out on bail in a rape case,” pIndia, Oct. 13, 2022. 

 

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MORE Female Serial Killers of Asia

 

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For more cases see: Cannibal Murderesses

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More: Serial Killer Couples 

 

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For more cases of this type, see: Occult Female Serial Killers

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“Kwazulu-Natal Female Serial Killer” – South Africa, 1999

A case of a female serial killer, active 1985-99, is listed in The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers, under the label “undisclosed” (1948-).” It describes a 14-year span of muti ritual killings.

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The Newton listing:

Undisclosed (1948– )

SEX: F

RACE: B

TYPE: T;
MOTIVE: GC;

Alleged DATE(S): 1985–99;

VENUE: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa;

VICTIMS: 20+

Alleged MO: Children abducted and killed in muti magic rituals; suspect arrested in Sept. 1999 with two children missing since 1996; later led police to several graves; identified as black-magic “healer”

DISPOSITION: Unknown.

[Michael Newton, The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (Facts on File Crime Library), Checkmark Books; 2 edition, Feb. 1, 2006.]

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EXCERPT: The Human Rights League investigated the muti-murders in [2008] in a study titled the Trafficking Body Parts in Mozambique and South Africa. One of the interview samples included in the report was of a case in Bloemspruit where a woman who wanted to become pregnant went to a “sangoma” (witch doctor) who provided her with a magical belt to wear. Dangling from the belt were children’s fingers and penises.

“She was made to drink a concoction she believed contained human blood and fat and she was given a piece of flesh which she believed to be a human organ, perhaps a heart. She sliced small pieces from the flesh each night and fried them on a stove.”

[“African “muti murders” – organs harvested from live (or dead) victims and sold for good luck and black magic spells,” Altered Dimensions, October 11th, 2013]

The report is online:

Simon Fellows, Trafficking Body Parts in Mozambique and South Africa. Human Rights League, Mozambique, 2008.

https://www.iese.ac.mz/lib/PPI/IESE-PPI/pastas/governacao/justica/artigos_cientificos_imprensa/trafficking_body_africa.pdf

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For more cases of this type, see: Occult Female Serial Killers

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Dawn Susann Godman, Cult Spree Killer – California, 2000

Dawn Susann Godman, was the girlfriend of Justin Helzer, brother of self-proclaimed prophet of the “Children of Thunder,” Glenn Taylor Helzer.

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Wikipedia: Glenn Taylor Helzer (July 26, 1970) was a self-declared prophet, former cult leader and serial killer who founded and led the Children of Thunder. Helzer and his followers murdered five people as part of an extortion plot intended to culminate with Helzer taking over The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and hastening the return of Christ; among their victims was Selina Bishop, daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop.

~ Early life ~

Glenn Taylor Helzer was born on July 26, 1970 to Gerry and Carma Helzer, both devout Mormons. He had a younger sister, Heather, and brother Justin. Helzer graduated from Ygnacio Valley High School and served in the National Guard in Texas and as a missionary in Brazil. He worked as a stock broker for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter until August 1998, when he went on disability after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Helzer married his wife, Ann, in April 1993. They had two daughters before separating in June 1996.

~ Children of Thunder ~

Glenn Helzer and his brother Justin met Dawn Godman on Memorial Day 1999 at a murder mystery dinner hosted by a Mormon congregation in Walnut Creek, California. Godman became Justin's girlfriend and moved into a house in Concord with the Helzer brothers in April 2000.

Glenn Helzer was excommunicated from the LDS Church in 1998 due to his drug use. Around this time, he declared himself a prophet and developed a list of maxims he called “The Twelve Principles of Magic” by which he expected his followers to abide. He had plans to train Brazilian orphans to assassinate Mormon leaders so that he could take over the LDS Church and start a self-help group called Transform America, which was intended to “create a state of peace and joy.” Helzer referred to himself and his followers collectively as the Children of Thunder.

~ Murders ~

In order to finance his plans, Helzer developed a scheme to extort money from Ivan and Annette Stineman, an elderly couple who had been Helzer's clients when he was employed as a stock broker. On July 30, 2000, the Helzer brothers and Godman kidnapped the Stinemans and forced them to write checks for $100,000 before murdering them.

The trio then murdered Glenn Helzer's girlfriend, Selina Bishop, on August 2 in order to prevent her from potentially providing information that could lead to his arrest. To extort the Stinemans' money, Helzer convinced Bishop (who knew him as Jordan), to open bank accounts in her name for Helzer's use; he told her that he was inheriting a large sum of money, which he needed to hide from his ex-wife.

Helzer and Godman then went to Bishop's apartment, where Bishop's mother, Jennifer Villarin, was staying; Helzer had decided to eliminate Villarin because she had seen him and he feared she could identify him. He murdered Villarin and her friend, James Gamble (who was at the apartment that night), using a gun registered to Justin Helzer.

~ Arrest and trial ~

The five murders were connected when police recovered duffel bags from the Sacramento River Delta which contained the dismembered remains of Bishop and the Stinemans. Investigators searched the Stineman residence and found a note written by Ivan Stineman mentioning Taylor Helzer. Friends of Bishop were shown a photo of Helzer, whom they identified as Jordan. A DMV check revealed that he owned a 1998 Saturn sedan and Justin owned a white 1995 Nissan pickup, both of which matched descriptions of vehicles believed to be connected to the murders. Investigators also found that Justin had recently purchased a 9mm Beretta, the same kind of gun used to kill Villarin and Gamble. Fingerprints belonging to Justin and Godman were found in the Stinemans' van, which had been stolen and abandoned.

On August 7, 2000, police arrested Justin Helzer and Godman at their Concord home. Glenn fled to a nearby house, where he threatened a woman and demanded money, a gun and a car. He cut off his ponytail and then left through the back door; he was arrested shortly thereafter.

Godman accepted a plea deal and agreed to testify against the Helzers; she was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison for the murders and twelve years and eight months for other charges related to the murders. Glenn pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to death. Justin pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with his attorneys claiming that he suffered from a delusional disorder. Justin was found guilty and sentenced to death. Justin committed suicide by hanging on April 14, 2013 while incarcerated at San Quentin.

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CHRONOLOGY

Jul. 30, 2000 – Ivan Stineman (85), Annette Stineman (78) murdered.

Aug. 2, 2000 – Selina Bishop (3221) disappears.

Aug. 3, 2000 – Jennifer Villarin (Bishop’s mother) (45) James Gamble (54) murdered.

Aug. 7, 2000 – arrests. Dawn Godman (26), Justin Helzer (28) Glenn Taylor Helzer (30).

Aug. 4, 2004 – Justin Helzer was sentenced to death for three of the murders he committed; and life in prison for his role in the other two.

Dec. 15, 2004 – jury awarded five death sentences for Taylor Helzer.

May 2, 2005 – Godman sentenced to 38 years to life in prison

Apr. 14, 2013 – suicide of Justin Helzer.

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