In the quiet community of Sneedville, Tennessee, the life of 37-year-old Natasha Riley was tragically cut short on April 8, 2016. She was discovered shot to death inside a residence on Vardy Blackwater Road, the victim of a double homicide. Alongside her was 57-year-old Ricky Helmick, Sr., who had also been fatally shot. The grim discovery launched an investigation led by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
As investigators delved into the case,
they soon identified a primary suspect: Ricky Helmick, Jr., the son of the male victim. Information developed during the investigation pointed to Helmick, Jr. as the individual responsible for the deaths of his father and Natasha Riley. The motive appeared to be connected to the theft of his father's truck. The investigation also revealed that during the incident, Helmick, Jr. had confined another relative.
Following the investigation, the Hancock County Grand Jury returned indictments against Ricky Helmick, Jr., who was 30 years old at the time. He was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated kidnapping, and one count of theft over $1,000. Helmick, Jr. was already incarcerated in the Hamblen County Jail on other matters when he was served with the new charges. A bond was set at $750,000. Court records later confirmed these charges and detailed that the aggravated kidnapping charge stemmed from him facilitating his flight after committing a felony.
