In the late hours of a Sunday evening in Norfolk, Virginia, 37-year-old Helena Beth Stiglets, a female, was fatally shot while sitting in her car outside of the Wawa convenience store where she worked as a night supervisor. The incident, which occurred on May 26, 2019, began as a robbery and carjacking in the parking lot on East Little Creek Road. Emergency services responded to a call about the shooting just after 11 p.m. and found Stiglets with a life-threatening gunshot wound.
She was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation into Helena's death led Norfolk police to quickly identify and arrest two suspects the following day. Andre Brinkley, 20, and Shonquial Hamlin, 21, were taken into custody and faced a slew of charges, including second-degree murder, robbery, carjacking, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and conspiracy to commit a felony. Investigators determined that Brinkley was the one who shot Stiglets multiple times, with one bullet striking her chest and causing fatal damage to her lungs. Hamlin was believed to have been an accomplice in the robbery.
In the wake of the arrests, the case moved through the legal system. A grand jury indicted both Brinkley and Hamlin. Brinkley's charges were later upgraded to include first-degree murder. In an interview from jail, Hamlin claimed he did not know a robbery or murder would occur and expressed regret, stating he knew Helena as a nice lady from the Wawa. Brinkley, on the other hand, was connected to a series of other crimes committed on the same day as the murder.
Ultimately, Andre Brinkley Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other related charges on June 14, 2022. On October 7, 2022, a Norfolk Circuit Court judge sentenced him to 29 active years in prison for his role in the crime spree that ended Helena Stiglets's life. The revolver found in Brinkley's pocket at the time of his arrest was matched to the bullet recovered during Stiglets's autopsy, solidifying the case against him. Shonquial Hamlin was also indicted on charges of second-degree murder, robbery, and carjacking. Helena's wife, Suzanne Stiglets, became a vocal advocate for justice for her late wife, expressing the profound loss felt by her, their three children, and the many customers who cherished Helena's warm presence at Wawa.
