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Susan Hellams

Case from Richmond, VA dated Oct 21, 1987

Victim Details

Susan Hellams

Female

White / Caucasian

Richmond

VA

1987-10

32

Susan

Hellams

07/12/2026

Case Description

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In the pre-dawn hours of October 3, 1987, a sense of dread settled over a home in Richmond's Woodland Heights neighborhood. Dr. Susan Hellams, a 32-year-old female neurosurgery resident, was discovered dead by her husband in their residence. He found her partially clothed body on the floor of their bedroom closet. The scene was one of extreme violence; she had been bound, beaten, and sexually assaulted. The cause of death was determined to be ligature strangulation, with two belts found wrapped ...
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Links to Additional Sources (6)

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  • 18 F.3d 229
  • How DNA helped end one of Richmond's most notorious killing sprees
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    Forum Posts (4)

    Has anyone else delved into Dr. Susan Hellams' case and how it changed the landscape of forensic inv... ...Read More
    11/21/2024
    Does anyone have thoughts on how pivotal Dr. Hellams' case was in the history of forensic science? I... ...Read More
    02/12/2024
    I couldn't stop thinking about the courage and dedication Dr. Susan Hellams had, not just as a physi... ...Read More
    03/13/2023
    Has anyone else noticed the chilling precision in the way the perpetrator entered Dr. Hellams' home?... ...Read More
    03/02/2023
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