American fugitive Bart Allen Helmus dies after shooting himself moments before arrest by Thai police

[TumblinDice]

Thats very thoughtful of Helmus to do himself away with & save Thai society from spending further money on his incarceration & pending death sentence. Too bad he was such a bad shot at fatally shooting his lovely wife first.

[CG1 Blue]

50 minutes ago, metempsychotic said:

Yeah, reading can be hard.

 

Glad you felt comfortable commenting anyways

Yes I did, thanks 

[BestB]

5 minutes ago, TumblinDice said:

Thats very thoughtful of Helmus to do himself away with & save Thai society from spending further money on his incarceration & pending death sentence. Too bad he was such a bad shot at fatally shooting his lovely wife first.

Where on earth did you get he fatally shot his wife?

 

Do some people just not read at all or unable to read?

[tlandtday]

We can joke all we want about the keystone cops, boys in brown or whatever but in many ways they are effective if determined to get something done minus payoffs etc.  I believe they have ears to the ground with informants and contact with the general public when finding fugitives.  Kudos to them for getting these guys.

[mogandave]

I’m glad no one was hurt.

[Damrongsak]

Where/when did Bart go wrong?  Assuming it's the same Bart, he had family and perhaps not too shabby.  Sad stuff. I believe this is his Mom.

 

Joyce Diane Helmus, 64, of Rineyville, Kentucky, died Monday, November 19, 2012, at Hardin Memorial Hospital.

She was a native of Earle, Arkansas.

Mrs. Helmus served in the U.S. Army for eight years and worked more than 30 years as a civilian at the Army's Human Resources Command in Alexandria. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild, she portrayed a soldier in the 1981 movie "Stripes."

Survivors include her husband, Mark Helmus; a daughter, Shelley L. Hermann of Deleware; son, Bart Allen Helmus of Virginia; ... etc.

 

https://www.fauquiernow.com/fauquier_news/obituary/joyce-diane-helmus

[simon43]

The fact that so many seem to be defending this man (Bart) is a little worrying to me.....

[Damrongsak]

7 minutes ago, simon43 said:

The fact that so many seem to be defending this man (Bart) is a little worrying to me.....

I'm not defending him.  He should have been snuffed long ago.  Just wondered how he got to where he did, which is out of control.  I lived around the same stomping grounds as he did for awhile, I think.  Maybe just a bad-to-the-bone kid.  Happens all too often.

[Langkawee]

9 hours ago, BestB said:

most likely 25 to life, and can not pay off police once matter is in court,

I guess you just arrived yesterday. You can still pay off the judge for a pardon Thais tell me. The Australian Viet Vet who shot the American dead in Chiang Mai bar was out within 12 months. 

[Langkawee]

6 hours ago, Traveling Jack said:

re cg1 . Hello. I don't applaud his behaviour. But it was an alleged drug dealer stabbing an employee from a well known mafia organisation. But my point is the thais in their corrupt xenophobic ways will happily set up white foreigner and make a huge story about it. Whilst on the other hand cover up the same crimes if involving connected thais. I have not attended expat sunday brekkies for years, so I am unfamiliar with the standing of those. But I do belive expats should wise up, be organised somewhere, and stop biting amongst themselves. Because we are getting to be the sitting ducks of thailand. The elite and establishment of thailand are treating on by law worse or equal than the poor people of thailand. This guy and the thai girl never had a chance to a fair trial or a humane sentencing.

How many 1000s of  foreigners have been falsy accused and sentenced to horrendous sentences the last 20 years in thailand. Do you remember the dutch guy a few years ago who owned a coffee shop in Holland? It could be any of us next time, and nobody will give a hoot, because that's what expats have chosen to be. Inndifferent.  dont think its wise in the long run. my 2 cent

 

 

Better to be Chinese than farang that's for sure. Has anyone ever studied and researched this phenomenon of how divisive the farang expat community in Thailand is to their detriment. Chinese and Japanese citizens are very well looked after because they show solidarity when their citizens are scammed, jailed, unjustly accused of crimes or murdered. They are well aware of the reality of such accusations. My only guess is Thais know farang are pathetic bufallo and any crime against them is easy. They know that's not possible with Chinese or Japanese tourists or expats. So farang must get used to being victims and long jail sentences for crimes never committed and their entire wealth disappearing. In such a corrupt country with open contempt for farang it is mind boggling how readily Thai Visa members accuse farang in Thailand of crimes they never did. Astounding really. Low IQ I can only assume of many expats in Thailand. or is it the pressing need to be delusional, to wear rose tinted glasses, to pretend everything is above board in Thailand and everything is squeaky clean 555? A most unusual phenomenon. 

Edited November 6, 2019 by Langkawee

[Damrongsak]

14 minutes ago, Langkawee said:

Better to be Chinese than farang that's for sure. Has anyone ever studied and researched this phenomenon of how divisive the farang expat community in Thailand is to their detriment. Chinese and Japanese citizens are very well looked after because they show solidarity when their citizens are scammed or murdered. My only guess is Thais no farang are pathetic bufallo and any crime against them is easy. They know that's not possible with Chinese or Japanese tourists or expats. So farang must get used to being victims and long jail sentences. In such a corrupt country with open contempt for farang it is mind boggling how readily Thai Visa members accuse farang in Thailand of crimes they never did. Astounding really. Low IQ I can only assume of many expats in Thailand. 

You make some good points... divisive, lack of solidarity ...  Perhaps because farangs are a multitude of countries and cultures?  Most lack a home country with a billion people or even 100 million. Just one of those things. 

 

 

[Farmerkev]

Watching news last night I'd like to know was he and his wife imprisoned in the same cell since july, if not why is she 2months pregnant?

[sanemax]

16 minutes ago, Farmerkev said:

Watching news last night I'd like to know was he and his wife imprisoned in the same cell since july, if not why is she 2months pregnant?

Yes, who banged her is the most important aspect of this story

[nightfox]

He was looking at the death penalty or life in prison according to a few news articles for the 1kg of drugs, so anyway you look at this he was dead one way or another. Cant blame him for the brazen escape and taking his own life instead rotting in a Thai prison.

[MeHere]

10 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Had his moment in the spotlight and went out in a blaze of glory

Blaze of glory? Really?
More like a blaze of cowardice
Good riddance to the scumbag

[ChipButty]

28 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Yes, who banged her is the most important aspect of this story

Maybe thats how she got the gun

[TheFishman1]

I thought the other guy had the gun thought he just had the knife anyways I think they got help from inside maybe the guard TIT

[BestB]

1 hour ago, Langkawee said:

I guess you just arrived yesterday. You can still pay off the judge for a pardon Thais tell me. The Australian Viet Vet who shot the American dead in Chiang Mai bar was out within 12 months. 

No, I arrived this morning . Thais told me Toyota is thai company , so it must be so????

[Damrongsak]

36 minutes ago, nightfox said:

He was looking at the death penalty or life in prison according to a few news articles for the 1kg of drugs, so anyway you look at this he was dead one way or another. Cant blame him for the brazen escape and taking his own life instead rotting in a Thai prison.

He made his final statement, eh?

[Raymonddiaz]

11 hours ago, otherstuff1957 said:

OK, I am confused.  In this thread,

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1132561-thai-woman-who-escaped-from-pattaya-court-arrested-as-police-offer-50000-thb-reward/#comments

 

it says that she was caught alone about 13 hours ago.  Now this thread it says that she and her husband were caught together a couple of hours after noon. 

 

Which article is correct?

They were hiding the American's death....me think..

[Raymonddiaz]

I don't buy the story that he killed himself. Someone helped him to die..

[generealty]

If the gunshot wound did not kill him the ride in the back of the pick up truck would have. Some years ago I was knocked over by a motorbike and people rushed into the road to pull me up even though I was clearly in pain and could have done even more damage with their good intentions. Then I was whisked away in the back of an emergency pick up truck and no kidding I could very easily have broken my back from that ride alone. A fully kitted out ambulance with paramedics are required most other places. So difficult to identify what injury is caused at accident site or that of the ride to hospital. 

[1duckyboy]

Remember the last scene in the movie Cool Hand Luke? Take the long way to the hospital.

[Dogmatix]

I don’t think police shot them. If they had, they would have been riddled with bullets from multiple guns. More likely Helmus pre-empted the above scenario in the nick of time by shooting wife and self. Police could have they thought he was shooting at them and opened fire anyway but maybe thought both were already dead after hearing the shots.

[varun]

20 minutes ago, Langkawee said:

And this American and Thai wife  were caught with 1.0000 kg of drugs, such a beautiful round number like a beautiful TAT statistic. Thailand the land of beautiful round numbers, lol. 

1.0000 kg = 1 kg - adding 0's after a decimal point doesn't really add anything.

[justaphase]

In too deep and no way out.

Selling meth maybe he'd of got 10 years..stabbing a policeman/guard make that 50+ years.

Oh well at least another bad guy out.

[Dogmatix]

41 minutes ago, generealty said:

If the gunshot wound did not kill him the ride in the back of the pick up truck would have. Some years ago I was knocked over by a motorbike and people rushed into the road to pull me up even though I was clearly in pain and could have done even more damage with their good intentions. Then I was whisked away in the back of an emergency pick up truck and no kidding I could very easily have broken my back from that ride alone. A fully kitted out ambulance with paramedics are required most other places. So difficult to identify what injury is caused at accident site or that of the ride to hospital. 

And the pregnant woman with a gunshot wound was gently whisked off to hospital also in the back of a pick-up truck with a masked angel of mercy With an M16 draped round his back holding her in a headlock that could have broken her neck if they hit a bump.

 

She was no angel and apparently a very nasty piece of work but why do police have to make themselves look bad by deliberately acting with brutality on camera as well as not properly securing the prisoner who could have escaped and grabbed the masked cop’s M16, if the pIck-up crashed in Thailand’s dangerous roads?
 

There should have been an ambulance there, even if just in case any cops got shot. Why not cuff the wounded prisoners and take them away in an ambulance for cameras? They could still rough them up out of sight later. Police seemed intent on showing themselves to be brutal, inefficient and disorganized with no eye for their PR image.

Edited November 7, 2019 by Dogmatix

[Isaanbiker]

12 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

I'm sure he was shot with his gun...at least, I'd certainly expect that.

 

Now, who actually pulled the trigger, I'd probably be a bit more uncertain about that!

 

And the "sharpshooters accidentally hit his wife? Makes perfect sense.

 

   They had their revenge. Problem solved. Next Farang, please. 

  

[Langkawee]

40 minutes ago, BestB said:

1.0000 kg? is that what Thais also told you or you came up made up this number all on your own????

Does my memory fail me. I thought the initial report in news was 1 kg of yabaa. Please correct me if i am wrong. I promise not to lose face 555

[Isaanbiker]

1 minute ago, Langkawee said:

Does my memory fail me. I thought the initial report in news was 1 kg of yabaa. Please correct me if i am wrong. I promise not to lose face 555

It was Ya ice, or Crystals speed. Almost one kg.