The Unsolved Murder of 1970s Starlet Christa Helm

http://www.hollywoodstarletbarbarapayton.com/helm/

The late 1960s and early 70s were an exciting, if challenging, time for women of the day. Their moms were of the 1950's—housekeepers and caretakers, mostly—held against their will by the 'Right thing to do'. Divorces back then hadn't much in the line of options, either. Then there was the incoming age of drugs, peace and rock and roll, and the newfound sexual freedom that no generation of women before them had the pleasure, and pain, of experiencing. My mother was one of these women, finally finding her power in her sexuality, as opposed to the shame her adolescent experiences had taught her. Her beauty and charm were undeniable, and once she mastered the art of manipulation she found her way onto the path of her dreams. She was going to be a Movie Star!

Down to her last few dollars, waiting on a prime role and desperate to survive, she logged all of her escapades in a secret journal. The journal is rumored to have been filled with the names of her many famous lovers, as well as the details of their more private moments. Her affairs, her beauty and her strength enraged many who knew her, but those same attributes also brought her career growth and an array of people who truly loved and respected the beauty within her. In the end, those who loved and hated her would all be scrutinized under an investigation that remains open today—30 years later.

In the early morning hours of February 12, 1977, my mother was murdered. Stabbed over 30 times and bludgeoned with a blunt instrument, she bled to death under a parked car in an upscale Hollywood neighborhood. As of now, the case remains unsolved.

She was born Sandra Wohlfeil. She died Christa Helm. This is her story...