Crime Solvers Central
CSC
263 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Helen Wilson death by force case profile photo

Helen Matlack Wilson

Case from Camden, NJ dated Sep 06, 1949

Victim Details

Helen Matlack Wilson

Female

White / Caucasian

Camden

NJ

1949-09-06

37

Helen

Matlack Wilson

07/06/2026

Case Description

Any updates on this case? Let us know!
Helen Matlack Wilson, a 37-year-old white woman, spent the morning of September 6, 1949, going about ordinary errands with her family, unaware that her name would soon be bound forever to one of America’s earliest modern mass shootings. She had been born in February 1912 and, by the late 1930s and 1940s, her life was rooted in southern New Jersey, where she married Garland Groves Wilson and raised their young son, John. That Tuesday she rode through Camden with her mother, Emma Matlack, the th ...
MEMBER ACCESS

Continue reading the complete case summary

Unlock the full case narrative for Helen Matlack Wilson, all available source links, additional videos, and member discussions.

Unlock Full Case Access — $3.97/month
Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in

Links to Additional Sources (7)

See any mistakes? Let us know!
  • Criminal Minds Wiki: Howard Unruh
  • Smithsonian Magazine: The Story of the First Mass Murder in U.S. History
    • MEMBER ACCESS

    Unlock 5 additional sources

    View the complete collection of available reporting and reference links for this case.

    View All Case Sources — $3.97/month
    Cancel anytime.
    Already a member? Log in

    Latest News

    View All

    Forum Posts (2)

    I'm really struck by the stories of bravery that emerged from that horrific day in Camden. One thing... ...Read More
    11/03/2024
    Does anyone else find it haunting how this tragedy unfolded at such an innocuous setting? Helen Matl... ...Read More
    10/10/2023
    MEMBER ACCESS

    Join the discussion for Helen Matlack Wilson

    Read full forum posts and contribute to this case discussion.

    Unlock forum access — $3.97/month
    Already a member? Log in

    Other Cases from Camden, New-jersey

    Minnie Cohen death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Minnie Cohen

    Death: Sep 06, 1949
    In the late summer of 1949, the city of Camden, New Jersey, was irrevocably marked by a tragedy that a ...Read More
    Dawn McCrary death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Dawn McCrary

    Death: Dec 21, 1997
    Dawn McCrary was a 24-year-old Black / African American woman from Camden, New Jersey, whose life en e ...Read More
    Helga Zegrino death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Helga Zegrino

    Death: Sep 06, 1949
    In the quiet city of Camden, New Jersey, a devastating and unforeseen tragedy unfolded, forever alte t ...Read More
    Aleshia Schmincke Hill death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Aleshia Schmincke Hill

    Death: Apr 04, 2016
    On April 4, 2016, 25-year-old Aleshia Schmincke Hill was found murdered in her Camden, New Jersey ho h ...Read More
    Sheila Baskins death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Sheila Baskins

    Death: Oct 04, 2020
    On a Sunday morning in Camden, New Jersey, 74-year-old Sheila Baskins was getting ready to go grocer e ...Read More
    Lateemah Leavy death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Lateemah Leavy

    Death: Jul 05, 2020
    In the summer of 2020, the life of 37-year-old Lateemah Leavy was tragically cut short in her Camden e ...Read More
    Paopei Goodman death by force case in Camden, NJ

    Paopei Goodman

    Death: Jul 10, 2022
    In the late hours of a Sunday evening in Camden, New Jersey, the life of 21-year-old Paopei Goodman n ...Read More