The Marriage Grift Pt. 1: Romance as Strategy | Serial Killers & Murderous Minds

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Scams, Money, & Murder
Episode: The Marriage Grift Pt. 1: Romance as Strategy | Serial Killers & Murderous Minds
Hosts: Vanessa Richardson & Dr. Tristan Engels
Date: May 7, 2026

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Overview of the Episode's Theme

This thrilling first installment of a two-part deep dive investigates Helmut Schmidt, a notorious early 20th-century conman and serial killer dubbed "the American Bluebeard." Schmidt lured women through marriage ads, seduced and manipulated them, stole their fortunes, and, in many cases, orchestrated their disappearances or murders. The episode analyzes Schmidt’s psychological tactics, escalating violence, and adaptive strategies, filtered through engaging narration and expert forensic commentary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Helmut Schmidt’s Origins and Early Life

[04:59] Vanessa:

• Born out of wedlock in Germany, Helmut was raised with some privilege, but little is known about his childhood—“and that’s exactly how he liked it.”
• He bore significant facial scars and spun tales of dueling, likely embellishing his exploits to compensate for self-perceived ordinariness.

[06:27] Dr. Tristan Engels:

• Schmidt’s self-mythologizing reveals insecurity and a need to overwrite the shame of his illegitimate birth:

  “Projecting strength and masculinity was likely his way of regulating his shame or self doubt.” ([06:31])

• Exaggeration became less about fun and more a coping mechanism for his chosen identity.

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2. Dominance, Coercion, and Early Relationships

[08:55] Vanessa:

• Schmidt marries Anita, with whom he has a daughter, but his “love” is defined by authority and intimidation, not affection.
• He starts an affair with Margarita, and in public, calls her “his sister,” humiliating Anita and flaunting his control.

[10:12] Dr. Engels:

• This is “classic coercive control,” alternating lavishness and abuse to nurture trauma bonds and make leaving unthinkable.
• Humiliation is a weapon—“When someone knows their partner can’t afford to lose that stability, humiliation becomes a tool.”

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3. From Germany to America: Escalation & Deception

[12:17] Vanessa:

• Facing draft and impending fraud charges in Germany, Schmidt flees alone to New York, with Anita and Margarita to follow.
• Once in the U.S., he isolates his household further, moving them to Lakewood, NJ, and maintains his ruse of Margarita being his sister.

[14:30] Dr. Engels:

• Helmut adapts his tactics: as overt control wanes (amidst contamination by relocation), he turns to guilt-tripping Anita, exploiting her empathy.

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4. First Vanishings and Laying the Trap

[15:59] Vanessa:

• Anita disappears after going to pawn jewelry; Helmut exhibits no concern and declares she’s returned to Germany.
• This marked the beginning of his pattern of discarding partners once they became inconvenient.

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5. The Marriage Ad Ruse: Financial & Emotional Exploitation

[18:21] Vanessa:

• Helmut begins posting marriage ads, baiting women with promises of security and companionship for access to their savings.
• He dupes Anna Hawke, stealing her savings after marrying her under a false name and vanishing within days.

[21:21] Dr. Engels:

• Helmut’s use of aliases ("Max Schmidt," "John Swit," "Emil Braun") shows sophisticated psychological compartmentalization:

  “Each alias allowed him to step into a role with its own rules... Betrayal in one identity didn’t have to register as betrayal in another.” ([21:44])

• Changing identities dulls guilt and sharpens exploitation.

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6. Love Bombing, Control, and Escalating Abuse

[23:37] Vanessa:

• With Adele, he switches tactics: first, dazzling with gifts and tales of his dueling (“the scars on his face”), then rapidly turning to abuse once he has access to her funds.
• Adele is isolated, belittled, and even psychologically tortured. Helmut plants a gun for her to find, possibly urging her toward suicide.

[29:09] Dr. Engels:

• Helmut orchestrates violence for plausible deniability—an attempted “suicide” and a staged car accident.

  “By attacking her self worth, he weakened her ability to resist or leave. Laughing at her distress is particularly concerning...” ([26:32])

• This “heel turn” shows emotional detachment and sadism.

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7. Abandonment over Murder: When Tactics Shift

[32:40] Vanessa:

• When continued violence would become suspicious, Helmut abandons Adele rather than risk exposure, highlighting his adaptability and lack of attachment.

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8. The Disposable Wife: Irma's Fate

[34:11] Vanessa:

• Helmut marries Irma, who has little money, then isolates and redefines her as a mere “housekeeper” to neighbors to further erase her.
• He murders her, buries her under the garage, and constructs a cover story about her theft and escape.

[35:25] Dr. Engels:

• Irma’s murder lacks financial motive—her value was as a cover and domestic labor, “removed” when no longer useful.

  “That is severe callousness and objectification. He’s refining behavior based on what has or hasn’t worked before...” ([36:32])

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9. Helen Teats & The Adaptable Predator

[39:06] Vanessa:

• With Helen Teats, who owns valuable German war bonds, Helmut refrains from violence to keep her as a financial asset.
• This demonstrates adaptability; to get maximum profit, he delays discard or violence.

[41:06] Dr. Engels:

• Helmut exhibits strong psychopathy traits:
  • Interpersonal: charm, deceit, lack of empathy.
  • Lifestyle: parasitic, criminal versatility, impulsive when plans are threatened.

  “A parasite doesn’t destroy the host unless it benefits them. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing with Helmut.” ([41:54])

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10. Augusta Steinbach: Final Devolution

[44:11] Vanessa:

• Helmut woos Augusta under the alias “Herman Neugebauer.” After manipulating her into isolation, he stands her up as a test of compliance, then recasts himself as savior.
• He eventually murders her, leaving clues that draw suspicion from others (notably the Hetheringtons, who piece together his cover story).

[47:52] Dr. Engels:

• The tactic of standing up Augusta is calculated humiliation and trust-testing:

  “If she is willing to stay with him after being humiliated like this, it tells an abuser that they can be controlled... He replaced all suspicion with gratitude by rescuing her from the harm that he caused her.” ([47:56])

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11. Exposure Looms: Unwinding the Web

[54:23] Dr. Engels:

• Helmut tries to stymie the investigation by sending Helen to confront the Hetheringtons. Using her as his mouthpiece tightens her complicity while keeping himself insulated.
• Repetition of the deception emboldens him, believing “being seen didn’t automatically mean being caught.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On his pattern of compartmentalization and deceit:

  “Each alias allowed him to step into a role with its own rules. That’s, again, compartmentalization... That separation can reduce feelings of guilt. It definitely dulls empathy, if he has any to begin with…” (Dr. Engels, 21:44)

• On replacing one method of control with another:

  “Guilt tripping works by hijacking empathy. So by framing Margarita as helpless... Helmut appeals to a part of Anita that she identifies with... That flip alone can silence protest without overt cruelty, even though it is still coercive.” (Dr. Engels, 14:40)

• On emotional torture and sadistic abuse:

  “Laughing at her distress is particularly concerning because it shows emotional detachment and a lack of empathy. Her pain wasn’t a consequence to him. It was reinforcing.” (Dr. Engels, 26:46)

• On psychopathy and adaptability:

  “A parasite doesn’t destroy the host unless it benefits them... With Helen, there’s a change—she’s an asset. So instead, he has to adapt by becoming careful, controlled, and patient.” (Dr. Engels, 41:54)

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Timestamps for Importants Segments

• Helmut's early life and psychology: [04:59–08:55]
• Patterns of control and humiliation: [08:55–12:17]
• Relocating to America, beginning the scams: [12:17–15:59]
• Marriage ads, false identities, and first con victims: [18:21–23:37]
• Love bombing and psychological abuse of Adele: [23:37–30:55]
• Switching tactics: abandonment instead of murder: [32:40–34:11]
• Irma’s murder and disposal as “housekeeper”: [34:11–39:06]
• Helen Teats and money as the motive for restraint: [39:06–44:11]
• Augusta Steinbach and increasing boldness: [44:11–54:23]
• Hetheringtons’ investigation and unraveling deception: [54:23–End]

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Conclusion

Part one concludes with concern and suspicion mounting around Helmut’s latest victim, as friends and neighbors begin to dig deeper into the mysterious disappearances tied to “Herman Neugebauer” and his house at 9 Oakdale Blvd. The expert breakdown by Dr. Engels underscores Schmidt’s chilling adaptability, the psychological roots of his violence, and the extreme financial and emotional manipulation he employed. Listeners are left eager for part two and the final unraveling of Schmidt’s murderous schemes.

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For Listeners New to the Episode

• This episode is a masterclass in dissecting coercive control, manipulation, and criminal transformation.
• Through rich narrative and psychological insight, it traces Helmut Schmidt’s evolution from conman to killer—demonstrating how shifting motives, changing methods, and escalating violence are key traits of predatory minds.
• Quotes and analysis make clear that violence is rarely random—it's strategic, calculated, and often masked by charm and deceit.

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Next Episode:
Stay tuned for the conclusion to Helmut Schmidt’s reign of deception and murder, as law enforcement closes in and the truth begins to emerge.

Transcript

[Vanessa Richardson]

Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is Crime House. Everyone tells the occasional lie, maybe to get out of a sticky situation, to save face, or to make themselves look better. Usually, white lies are harmless as long as the person telling them knows where to draw the line. But the lies Helmut Schmidt told were anything but harmless. In the early 20th century, Helmut used newspaper ads to lure women into marrying him. Sometimes it was a ruse to take their money. Other times he did it just for kicks. But most of the time, what the women thought was a match made in heaven turned out to be a fatal attraction. The human mind is powerful. It shapes how we think, feel, feel, love and hate. But sometimes it drives people to commit the unthinkable. This is Serial Killers and Murderous Minds, a Crime House original. I'm Vanessa Richardson.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

And I'm forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels. Every Monday and Thursday, we uncover the darkest minds in history, analyzing what makes a killer.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Crime House is made possible by you. Follow serial killers and murderous minds and subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts for ad free early access to each two part series. Before we get started, you should know that this episode contains discussion of domestic abuse, suicide and murder. Listener discretion is advised. Today we begin our deep dive on Helmut Schmidt, a serial killer who lured, trapped and killed so many brides, he earned the nickname the American Bluebeard after the folktale about a man who murders his wives.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

As Vanessa goes through the story, I'll be talking about things like how some killers use control and manipulation tactics as a game. How changing MoS can serve as thrill seeking behavior, and how being driven by the thrill can cause killers to slip up.

[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

Helmut Schmidt built his entire life on lies. Very little is known about his early years, and that's exactly how he liked it. Based on what we do know, Helmuth Emil Max Schmidt was born in Rostock, Germany on July 4, 1876. He was the illegitimate son of an aristocrat named Julius Schmidt and and even though Helmut didn't grow up in a traditional household, he had a relatively privileged upbringing. When he got older, he reportedly attended Heidelberg University. After graduating, Helmut worked as a watchmaker and jeweler and eventually opened his own jewelry shop in Berlin. He was successful and seemed to lead a quiet, unassuming life, but wherever he went, Helmut stood out because he had a collection of scars across his face, six on the left side of his chin and two on his forehead. They were extremely noticeable, especially since Helmut's appearance was pretty unremarkable. Otherwise, he was average height and a little on the thin side. That might have been part of the reason Helmut liked to brag that he got his scars by fighting in duels. Maybe he wanted to seem tough. However, non fatal duels were a popular sporting event among college men in Germany at the time, but they were known as menzurs or student duels. So it's possible he exaggerated just how much danger he'd really faced.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

This might be challenging to really explore when we don't have accurate background information on Helmut. But even still, if what we do have is from his own reports, that is also clinically revealing. Even if he was an unreliable historian, at a minimum, it's possible that Helmut was using his scars and stories regarding where they came from to compensate for insecurity. So if he felt ordinary, powerless, or dismissed in life, then projecting strength and masculinity was likely his way of regulating his shame or self doubt. But I am very curious where he truly did get them from. Was it the dueling, or was it a traumatic accident or something more sinister like abuse in his own home, for example? That missing piece would be really useful in understanding him a little bit more.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Do you think it's possible that having quote, unquote, illegitimate parentage would have made him feel like he needed to talk himself up to people more?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Oh, yeah, that's definitely possible, especially if we consider the historical and cultural context and the associated stigmas. One common way people do that is by exaggerating achievements or fabricating their history or creating symbols of strength to overwrite their shame from that. So inflating himself can be an attempt to control how others define him before they can reduce him even further. So in that sense, exaggeration can become less about deception for fun and more about an effort to outrun an identity that he didn't get to choose for himself, which may have been how this started out for him. To begin with, Helmut didn't just tell

[Vanessa Richardson]

tall tales to win people over. What he may have lacked in physical attractiveness, he made up for in magnetism. He was so successful with women that he even believed he could control them by using a hypnotic gaze.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

I want to pause here because that hypnotic gaze claim might sound delusional or psychotic at first, but that's not always the case. Believing you're charming or influential isn't the same as losing touch with reality necessarily. This seems more like grandiosity and self mythologizing, which is now an established pattern of his. He wasn't detached from reality. He was crafting an image. This kind of exaggerated belief was formed with intention. It was global. It started off with the dueling and making up stories about his scars, and now onto this. It doesn't seem fixed like we would expect in psychosis, at least not yet.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Well, just before the turn of the 20th century, when Helmut was in his mid-20s, he used this tactic on a Woman named Anita, who found him charming and irresistible. Helmut and Anita eventually got married. And in the year 1900, they had a daughter they named Gertrude. It seemed like Helmut loved family life, but only because for him, being the man of the house meant being able to boss his wife and daughter around. Helmut didn't provide for his family out of true love, but because he liked being able to threaten to take it all away. The Schmidts put down roots in Hamburg, Germany, where Helmut bought an impressive house. Over the years, he lavished his wife and daughter with fine clothing and jewelry. And he also forced them into obedience with many military style discipline. If they ever did anything that went against his wishes, he'd become enraged. As Gertrude got older, sheen Anita knew they could never stand up to him. Not even when Helmut started spending more time with his bookkeeper, 26 year old Margarita Bersch. On top of that, whenever they were out in public, Helmut started referring to Margarita as his sister. Anita knew something was up, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't want her husband to put her out in the streets.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Helmut has positioned himself as the sole provider, financially isolating Anita. He's then vacillating between giving her lavish gifts and abuse, which is classic coercive control, and how trauma bonds form. He's leveraging resources. He's making dependence the price of safety and obedience, the price of staying housed and being rewarded. And that dynamic creates space for open boundary violations. And referring to his bookkeeper as his sister in public feels like a dominance display for both Anita and Margarita. He's signaling that he can do what he wants with compliance and without consequence because he controls the resources. And when someone knows their partner can't afford to lose that stability, humiliation becomes a tool. This is a humiliation tactic. It's a tragic pattern we see to this day in relationships where there is intimate partner violence.

[Vanessa Richardson]

This seems like a big question, but in general, where does infidelity usually stem from? Is it fair to say that for Helmut, it's more about power than anything? And also, what does it say about him that he started an affair with his own employee?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

That's an excellent question. Infidelity is rarely just about sex, but it also doesn't stem from one specific cause. It can come from insecurity, dissatisfaction in the marriage or partnership, emotional disconnection, thrill or novelty seeking. But I think in helming Helmut's case, it's about power. And having an affair with his employee strengthens that power even more. That dynamic is imbalanced from the start. In Hellmuth's favor. His employees livelihood depends on him much in the same way his wife and child's livelihoods depend on him, making consent blurry and control vastly easier for him. He could have chosen anyone else, but the fact that he chose another woman who's dependent on him indicates, at least to me, that his infidelity is truly about dominance, control, entitlement, and the thrill of violating boundaries without consequence.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Helmut didn't have control over everything, though. By 1913, when he was 37, he heard through some well connected friends that war was on the horizon. Being healthy and young, Helmut would likely be drafted into what would eventually be known as World War I. But he had no desire to go off and fight. Instead, he made plans to flee to the United States. He packed a trunk full of jewelry from his shop and bought tickets for himself, Anita and Gertrude for a ship bound for New York. But there may have been other reasons Helmut wanted to get out of Dodge, because around the same time, German authorities filed an arrest warrant for Helmut on fraud charges. However, he skipped town before they could bring him into custody. Helmut made his way west in the fall of 1913. However, he boarded the ship alone because Anita and Gertrude planned to follow him a week later. That wasn't all. Helmut had also bought a ticket for Margarita and told Anita to bring her with them. Anita wasn't happy about this, but she didn't want to think about how Helmut would react if she arrived without her, so she agreed. When Helmut made it to New York on November 6, 1913, he gave the name Max Schmidt. Max was his middle name, but this was one of the first of many times he would use a false identity. He got an apartment in the East Village, where Anita, Gertrude, and Margarita soon joined him. After a few months in the city, Helmut purchased a farm in Lakewood, New Jersey and moved everyone there. He said it was because he wanted more fresh air, but in reality, Helmut likely wanted more isolation because he had sinister plans brewing and he wanted to avoid scrutin. When the family moved to Lakewood, Helmut told Gertrude, who was now 13, to tell everyone that Margarita was his sister, just like he'd done back in Germany. This only made Anita more resentful of their situation, but Helmut said Margarita had no money and nowhere else to go. Even though Anita was unhappy, Helmut's guilt trip worked and she stopped arguing.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Helmut shift tactics here. Instead of relying solely on domineering control, he moves into guilt tripping. Earlier, his power came from money, housing, and intimidation. But during periods of transition, like moving countries or financial shifts, control can Slip slightly, especially with Anita's resentment growing. And guilt tripping works by hijacking empathy. So by framing Margarita as helpless, with no money and nowhere to go, Helmut appeals to a part of Anita that she identifies with. Anita herself likely feels trapped and powerless already, still hoping for rescue of her own. Even so, that makes the manipulation especially effective on her. And it's cruel. It has elements of gaslighting too, because he's forcing her to question her own reality and her own judgment at the same time. Helmut recasts himself as reasonable, and he positions Anita as the morally responsible one for Margarita's suffering. That flip alone can silence protest without overt cruelty, even though it is still coercive. So instead of fear, he's using moral obligation and pressure. This kind of shift often happens when an abuser senses resistance and guilt is particularly effective when the victim is isolated and dependent, which Anita already is, but now even more so after being completely uprooted and moved to another country.

[Vanessa Richardson]

For the next few months, the Schmidt household seemed to exist without any major incidents. But that was all about to change. Money had been tight ever since they'd come to the US and one day in March 1914, while Gertrude was getting ready for school, Anita told her she was heading into the city that day to pawn some jewelry. However, when Gertrude returned home from school later on, Anita wasn't there. Hours passed as Gertrude waited for her mother to walk through the door. Then hours became days. Gertrude grew increasingly distressed, especially because Helmut wasn't doing anything about it. He didn't go into the city to try and look for his wife. He didn't even alert the authorities about her disappearance. Instead, he eventually told Gertrude that her mother had gone back to Germany and that he didn't have the money to track her down. If Gertrude wanted to question Helmut, she was too afraid. After that, Anita was never seen or heard from again. As her fate remained a mystery, Helmut continued on with his double life. He was about to find new ways to lure, lure and ensnare women. And soon he started playing a deadly game.

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[Dr. Tristan Engels]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

I wish Nikki loved me more than

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

anyone in the entire world.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

I love you so, so, so, so much.

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It's blood soaked nightmare fuel Brooks blood

[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

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[Vanessa Richardson]

In the spring of 1914, 37 year old Helmut Schmidt was living in New Jersey with his wife Anita, his daughter Gertrude, and his mistress Margarita, when Anita suddenly disappeared. Helmut didn't look for Anita and authorities never questioned him about her disappearance. Anita had disappeared right after she told Gertrude she was going to pawn some jewelry. She believed they needed the money. In reality, Helmut wanted to keep the jewels and expensive trinkets he'd brought from Germany for other purposes. After Anita's disappearance, Helmut moved on quickly. Even though Margarita, who he'd been cheating on Anita with, lived with him on the farm, he was ready to look for a new wife. Helmut started placing marriage ads in the New York Review and the New York Herald on November 8, 1914. He ran one that said, educated in good circumstances. Owns seven room house, large garden. Seeks suitable lady or widow for marriage only well meaning offers with full description of circumstances. By full description of circumstances, Helmut meant finances. He wanted someone who could help support the household. A 43 year old woman named Anna Hawke answered his ad and they started exchanging letters. Helmut told Anna his name was John Swit and he was a machinist with some good job opportunities in Detroit. He said he was looking for someone to move there with him. Anna was interested and she told helmut she had one $1,400 in savings. That's about $45,000 in today's money. Helmut liked the sound of that. He courted Anna for three weeks, writing her flirtatious letters and sending her luxurious gifts, including some of the jewelry he'd brought from Germany. Anna was enchanted. And on December 14, 1914, just a few weeks after they first started writing, Anna and Helmut got married in New York. Helmut used his fake name, which meant Anna's last name was now Swit. This made it all the more difficult for Anna to track him down when he suddenly disappeared just three days later. He had never given her his real address, and since he'd used a fake name, Anna had no way to get in touch with her new husband. And not only was he gone, but all her savings were too. Anna knew that she'd been Swindled. But she didn't know that her groom had also been courting another woman all along. Adele Ulrich was a single 41 year old woman working as a bookkeeper for a brewery. When she answered Helmut's ad in the New York Review, like he had with Anna, Helmut wrote Adele charming, flirty letters. The only difference was that Adele knew her suitor by the name. Name Emil Braun.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Clearly, the use of different names while doing this was partly for cover so that he wouldn't be identified because he's a burgeoning con man, much like the Tinder swindler whose wife disappeared mysteriously and surely wants this new con to be successful as long as possible. But this is also a psychological strategy. Compartmentalization allows someone to split their life into separate identities, each with its own rules, responsibilities, and moral limits. This is not new for Helmut. He started doing this the moment he came to the United States, when he went by Max Schmidt. And then now we see John Swit and Emil Braun. This is now a pattern, and I'm trained in pattern recognition. Each alias allowed him to step into a role with its own rules. That's, again, compartmentalization. By splitting himself this way, he didn't have to integrate his behavior across circumstances or relationships. Betrayal in one identity didn't have to register as betrayal in another. It's like he's starting over, starting fresh. That separation can reduce feelings of guilt. It definitely dulls empathy, if he has any to begin with, and makes exploitation feel justified or even clever rather than harmful. It also gave him control. Each woman interacted with a curated version of him, isolated from the other curated versions of him. No overlap means no challenging was likely going to happen to him.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Does this suggest a level of detachment? I mean, I feel like it does. Or do you think Helmut was just having fun toying with these women?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

I think it's likely both. I mean, it certainly starts with detachment, and that started early. He started curating a Persona about himself to fend against feelings of shame. Like we talked about when you highlighted with, you know, the dueling and trying to come up with stories that amplified him in a positive way regarding his scars that allowed him to feel powerful. And because people bought it, it also likely gave him a thrill. And not only did that detachment grow, but so did that enjoyment because his deception was working. So then there comes the thrill and the fun with toying with people.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Well, Helmut not only used different names, but he also used different tactics to win people over once he realized what they liked. As you said, it was like a curated Experience a curated version of Helmut. Instead of sending Adele lavish gifts, he enthralled her with stories about the duels he got into back in Germany and bragged about the scars on his face. By November 20, 1914, about two weeks after posting that ad that Adele responded to, Helmut and Gertrude went to meet her in New York. The three of them had a nice time chatting, but more importantly for Helmut, Adele shared that she had about $3,500 in savings. That's about $110,000 today. After that, Helmut started love bombing Adele with expensive gifts. Now that she was interested in him as a man, he wanted to prove he was a worthy provider, too. In one week, Helmut sent Adele three diamond rings, A silver mesh bag, Silver spoons, and even fresh eggs and chickens. But what really won Adele over was the way Helmut talked about wanting a loving mother for Gertrude. He'd told her that his wife had passed away from an illness and that their home was missing. A woman's touch. Adele had no idea that there was in fact a woman living with Helmut and Gertrude. Margarita and Helmut would make sure she never found out the truth. In mid December, Adele visited Helmut and Gertrude on their farm in New Jersey. Margarita was a also there that day, and Helmut introduced her as his sister. Throughout her visit, Adele had a nagging feeling that Margarita was trying to tell her something. But Helmut didn't let the two women speak to each other, and a few days later, Margarita was completely out of the picture. Helmut told Gertrude that Margarita had gone on a trip to New York, where she got into an accident and died tragically. However, he told Adele that she had run off to Denmark to get married. Adele had no reason to question him, and on December 30, 1914, she and Helmut were married. Adele was excited to begin her new life as a wife and stepmother. However, from the moment she stepped over the threshold, everything changed between her and Helmut. Once Helmut got access to to Adele's finances, he started emotionally abusing her. Not only did he openly cheat on her with multiple women in the neighborhood, but he started berating her appearance, Calling her ugly and saying she looked much older than she claimed to be. His comments often made her burst into tears. And even though she'd run out of the room so he wouldn't see her cry, Adele could hear Helmut laughing at her as she ran out of the room.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

This suggests that all of Helmut's earlier kindness and effort into winning over Adele was obviously entirely performative. Once he achieved his goal and secured access to her finances, the relationship no longer served the same purpose. So his mask dropped. This is instrumental. He wasn't bonding with Adele as a person. He was attaching to what she could provide him. When the need for charm ended, control took its place. The emotional abuse, the insults you described, the infidelity, the humiliation, which we know as a tool of his, served another function too. By attacking her self worth, he weakened her ability to resist or leave. Laughing at her distress is particularly concerning because it shows emotional detachment and a lack of empathy. Her pain wasn't a consequence to him. It was reinforcing. Again, part of his enjoyment was this process.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Helmut's heel turn seemed to be part of his bigger plan. The more he wore Adele down emotionally, the more money he drained from her account. Without any pushback between all the emotional and now financial abuse, Adele became noticeably depressed and suicidal. Which Helmut saw as an opportunity to carry out the final, grim part of his plan. Helmut bought a gun and left it on Adele's dresser. Later that night, his cruel comments sent her running into the bedroom, where she discovered the weapon. Adele picked it up and considered whether she should use it to take her own life. Deep in thought and despair, she glanced up at her reflection in the mirror. And to her shock and horror, she saw Helmut standing outside, grinning at her. Adele quickly put the gun down and drew the curtains. After that, Adele carried on safely for the next few weeks. But now that Helmut had had taken all of her money, he was still plotting how to get rid of her for good. And on January 30, 1915, he tried again. Helmut and Adele had been married for a month at that point. That day, he took her, Gertrude and a couple of neighbors on a drive through some winding country roads. Adele was in the passenger seat next to him, and everyone else was in the back. It was a peaceful day until all of a sudden, Helmut swerved the car, sending Adele to the floor and knocking her unconscious. When she woke up, she was sure that he'd done it on purpose. And she was probably right.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Let's talk about the reasoning behind Helmut's methods. In both instances, I'm talking the gun and the car. Because it's clear his intent in both cases was to kill Adele and get some enjoyment out of that. There's definitely sadistic qualities here. Both methods offer plausible deniability. A suicide, even if it was coerced, would later be framed as hysteria, likely given the era's views of women's mental health. But also that would never be pinned on him. The car accident or the car incident could be explained as an accident. A Mistake or even blamed on poor road conditions. Either scenario could be written off as a tragedy rather than a murder. And second, the presence of a potential witness, in this case his daughter Gertrude, Likely didn't register as a threat to him. For people with strong entitlement and even optimism bias, a witness who is loyal to them often feel like shields, not risks. And these methods allowed him to maintain control without direct confrontation. Adele had no proof who was going to listen to her. Especially back then and even now. A lot of times women aren't listened to or believed engineering harm this way. Let him stay emotionally detached while still orchestrating violence. This car incident represents escalation. When indirectly coercing her into suicide failed, he moved to a much more direct but still deniable method. That shift really tells us this wasn't impulsive. It was calculated, strategic, and again, instrumental. And he's had two women in his life disappear without a trace. So he's likely very emboldened by that success by now.

[Vanessa Richardson]

What do you make of Helmut's blend of methodical behavior, like using multiple identities and planting a gun in Adele's room? And that terrifying image of him grinning at her through the window? That was horrifying. And the chaotic behavior, like trying to orchestrate that car accident. Is it possible he has no real motive for his actions and is just a stone cold psychopath?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

So even psychopaths have motives for what they do. They're never without motives. It's the nature of their motive that we look at, and it's not always obvious, but it's there. With Helmut, I think what we're seeing are multiple motives at once, which is actually common in people with antisocial or psychopathic traits. Planning and impulsivity can coexist. The long cons, like parasitic lifestyles, multiple identities, calculated marriages, exploitation, financial manipulation, these all serve as instrumental goals like. Like money control or escape. The more chaotic acts, like in this case the car incident, tend to emerge when those calculated plans are threatened, were not effective, or if they're under stress or there's some kind of time sensitive deadline. That's when their frustration, entitlement and impatience take over. In this case, when it comes to killing Adele, I think that Helmut is motivated by financial exploitation, Power and dominance, risk management, entitlement, thrill seeking or stimulation, statistic gratification, which is secondary, not primary. And identity reinforcement or self validation. He's got a lot of motives here. Helmut is a very complex, very, very ill man.

[Vanessa Richardson]

While Adele had finally seen enough of Helmut's true colors, she knew she wasn't wasn't safe as long as she was married to him. So after the car crash, he refused to take her to the hospital. Instead, he called a doctor to the house. The doctor prescribed painkillers, but Helmut wouldn't let Adele have any. So she suffered in agony for days. When the doctor returned for a follow up visit, Adele tried to slip him a note with her brother's address in New York. In the note, Adele asked the doctor to notify her brother if she died. However, Helmut caught her and took the note before the doctor could see it. At the same time, Helmut seemed to realize that if he tried to stage another accident, it would look way too suspicious. Based on Adele's mental state, he figured she wouldn't cause him any trouble if he simply abandoned her. So once she was healed, he dropped her off at her brother's place in New York and never returned. Adele never saw or spoke to the man she knew as Emil Braun ever again. Meanwhile, another woman in New York was getting to know him for the first time. Hellmut had continued to place marriage ads. And he'd been corresponding with a 28 year old housekeeper named Irma Palatinus. Irma was nowhere near as wealthy as Helmut's past victims, but she was young and pretty and he was attracted to her. After a few months of courtship, they got married in April 1915. Afterward, Helmut told Irma and Gertrude they were moving to Detroit. They packed their bags and started a new life in a house on Glenwood Avenue, which Helmut bought with money he'd taken from Adele. Moving to a new city was just the first phase of Helmut's plan to isolate Irma. First, he started telling their new neighbors that she was his housekeeper, not his wife, and wouldn't let her socialize with anyone. Then he forbade her from keeping in touch with her family back in New York. By December of that year, Irma was completely alone, aside from Helmut and Gertrude. But they were barely around since Gertrude was at school and Helmut had started working long hours at a Ford factory. On top of that, he'd started spending all his free time out at local pubs. Irma knew she'd made a big mistake by marrying him. However, she never had a chance to do anything about it. Because on December 20, 1915, Helmut attacked Irma out of nowhere. He strangled her with a clothesline until she stopped breathing. Then he wrapped her body in a tarp and buried her under the garage.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Before we talk about Helmut's behavior here with Irma, I want to backtrack a bit. I think there are a few Reasons, he tells his neighbors that Irma as his housekeeper. One, obviously, it makes him appear as if he's more affluent, which feeds his grandiosity, but it also lowers suspicion. Two, it makes him feel power over her and allows him to remain emotionally detached, which is part of his pathological compartmentalization. And then lastly, no one will ask questions when the housekeeper goes missing and he tells them that she's fired or moved away. But what's striking about this marriage is Helmut's adaptive pattern. He married Irma knowing that she did not have money. So it appears that unlike his previous marriages, this was not financially motivated, and that's what stands out. He also didn't seem to need money right now, though, because he had Adele's money. So instead, Irma was utility. She was a cover story. She provided domestic labor, at least for a temporary period of time. She was obedient, and she provided insulation from suspicion. I think this was likely his attempt also at containment after what happened with Adele. But the speed matters, because she did not come from much and he did not need to spend a lot of time wooing her. He could gain total domination almost immediately because he already had the power in this relationship. He didn't need to earn it. And the suddenness of Irma's murder suggests a lower threshold for violence. Again, this is escalation, which is common with serial offenders. He's harmed someone before, possibly even murdered them, and he likely believes he can do it again. And he's detached, so he's more focused on the outcome. Sweet Irma was to be removed once she outlived her usefulness to him. That is severe callousness and objectification. He's refining behavior based on what has or hasn't worked before, which is typical pattern for serial offenders. This was planned from the start, as if he married her just for this moment. And it's very chilling.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Helmut may have been unleashing more of his inner violence, but on the outside, he played it cool. He told his neighbors that his housekeeper stole $700 of his hard earned money before running off to South America. No one seemed to question Helmut. And now that he'd gotten away with such a sudden murder, which he'd apparently done just for the thrill, he was hooked on that feeling. Helmut immediately started thinking of his next attack. But before that happened, he met a woman who brought out yet another sinister side to him.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

By the end of 1915, 39 year old Helmut Schmidt had left behind a trail of romances that all ended suspiciously. His first wife, Anita, who was also his daughter Gertrude's mother, had disappeared without a trace. So did his former mistress, Margarita. Then Helmut abandoned his second and third wives, Anna and Adele, after stealing all their money. Finally, Helmut killed his fourth wife, Irma, shortly after they moved to Detroit, and he was nowhere close to being done. About three months before Irma died, Helmut had used his marriage ad ruse to start courting a new woman named Helen Teats. She was a 32 year old dressmaker living in New York City, running a successful business with her sister Mina. Helmut used the name Adolf Ulrich for their interactions. Pretty soon she told them that she'd saved $6,250, which is just under $200,000 today. Some of it was in cash, but a lot of it was also in the form of German war bonds, both of which were fine with Helmut. As he'd done in the past, Helmut bombarded Helen with expensive gifts, including a watch, pins, earrings and a brooch. And on December 22, 1915, about two days after Helmut killed Irma, Helen left behind her life in New York and went to Detroit to marry him. Once Helmut got his hands on Helen's money, he moved her and his daughter Gertrude into a new home on 9 Oakdale Boulevard in the neighborhood of Royal Oak. And then he carried on with a normal domestic life. Unlike with Irma, Adele, and possibly Anita, Helmut didn't try to hurt Helen. He wanted to keep her around, possibly because he wanted to be able to cash in on the war bonds later on.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

One let's talk about his changing methods again. But before we do, I want to backtrack a little. When we talk about psychopathy, I want to make it clear it's not a Diagnosis. And it's not one single trait. It's a cluster of traits, and it's a pattern. Clinically, we often break it into two broad clusters. How someone relates to people and how they live their life. The first cluster is about the emotional and interpersonal side of the person. This includes things like superficial charm, grand manipulation and deceit, and a lack of empathy or remorse. People with these traits don't form attachments the way that most of us do. Relationships to them are about utility. People are assets or obstacles. The second cluster is about lifestyle and behavior. This is where we see impulsivity, criminal versatility, irresponsibility in something called a parasitic lifestyle, which I'm sure you've heard me mention in this episode or other episodes. That means living off of other people. By design. They extract money, housing, stability, or status through manipulation rather than working for it. And the key thing to understand about this concept is this. A parasite doesn't destroy the host unless it benefits them. And that's exactly what we're seeing with Helmut. With some women, he drained them emotionally, financially, and then eliminated them when they no longer were useful to him. But with Helen, there's a change. She has German war bonds. That means she's not disposable yet. She's an asset. So instead, he has to adapt by becoming careful, controlled and patient. Emotional or physical violence would interfere with the payoff. And his emotional detachment allows him to view her purely as a financial instrument. And his parasitic lifestyle tells him to preserve the resource and preserve the host. This is important because it challenges the myth that psychopaths are always impulsive or reckless. Many aren't. When the reward is high enough, they can suppress aggression or impulse. They can play the long game, and they can perform convincingly. So again, this is optimization. And to be clear, I obviously haven't met Hellmut. Thank goodness, nor have I evaluated him. But what I can say, though, is that when you look at his behavior over time and the pattern there, a significant number of psychopathy traits are clearly present.

[Vanessa Richardson]

How often do violent offenders show changing MOs?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Quite often, actually. More often than many people may realize. It's about being adaptable. They refine their methods as they go because they're learning. It's also for risk management and achieving their goals. And it's based on their personality traits. Specifically what reinforces them and what provides them best results.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Well, even though he opted to keep Helen alive, Helmut still had that thirst for blood. So while his life with Helen carried on normally, he hunted for his next victim in the marriage Ads. Soon he got a hit. Augusta Steinbach was born in Germany and lived in France for a while before she came to the United States. She spent her entire career as a ladies maid and currently worked as a live in maid for the wife of a wealthy New York banker. She had everything she'd always wanted. Nice clothes and jewelry and an exciting life in the big city. She also had a bubbly personality and positive outlook that made her extremely popular. Despite all of this though, the only thing Augusta really wanted was a home and family of her own. At 38 years old, she was considered an old maid. At the time, she didn't have many options when it came to romantic suitors. So she turned to the marriage ads in the New York Herald and New York Review. And there one ad from a man in Michigan caught her eye. He lived in Royal Oak, Michigan and had a steady monthly income. His name was Herman Neugebauer. Of course, Herman was really Helmut Schmidt. It but Augusta didn't know that and as they wrote back and forth, she liked him more and more. He told her he worked at Ford Motor Company and owned multiple properties in the Detroit area, including the house on 9 Oakdale Boulevard where he lived with his two sisters, Gertrude and Helen. Helmut promised Augusta he could provide her with all the material things she enjoyed. In return, Augusta likely promised to provide a clean house, hot meals and a steamy sex life. That was all Helmut needed to hear. He proposed marriage and invited Augusta to come live with him in Detroit. Augusta's dreams were finally coming true. However, not everyone in her life was happy for her. She had a close friend named Agnes Domeniecki who she'd known most of her life. They'd gone to France and the US together in their spare time and as was custom for young German women at the time time Augusta and Agnes used tarot cards to try and predict their futures, especially their love lives. In February of 1917, when Augusta told Agnes her plans, Agnes read her cards and saw nothing but darkness in her future. Agnes begged Augusta not to go to Detroit, but Augusta didn't listen. She left New York with $800 in her pocket. It she and Helmut had made plans for him to pick her up at the train station in Detroit. But when she got there, he was nowhere to be found. Augusta waited for hours until facing the harsh reality, she'd been stood up. She wandered around for a while until she found a boarding house which was run by a couple named the Heatheringtons. Augusta was at the boarding house for a few days before Helmut tracked her down. There he showed up on the Hetherington's doorstep and apologized profusely to Augusta for failing to show up. He said he was ashamed of his behavior and said he wanted to properly court her. From then on, Augusta forgave him and agreed. For the next few weeks, Helmut visited Augusta regularly. However, he made sure that the Hetheringtons, who Augusta had become close to, rarely saw him. In fact, Mr. Hetherington only ever laid eyes on Helmut. Helmut once, and Mrs. Hetherington never did.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Going to the boarding house while deliberately avoiding the Hetheringtons was calculated. Obviously, Helmut needed access to Augusta without creating witnesses. It's selective exposure. He wanted control over the interaction, not accountability for it. He wanted to manipulate Augusta emotionally while keeping himself invisible to anyone who might later ask questions. It also mirrors a pattern we had already seen. Helmut consistently managed who knew what and when, like how his daughter is never his daughter, or how his past wives were housekeepers or bookkeepers. This is designed to be effective, manipulatively keeping a facade when it comes to his daughter and preempt concern or suspicion when his new wife vanished suddenly. So avoiding the Hetheringtons ensured there was no trail connecting him to Augusta. Or at least so he thought. He has a pattern of engineering, plausible deniability. It's part of his methods. But I think the bigger question is, or like perhaps, maybe some of the listeners might be wondering, why would he stand her up in the first place? What does that accomplish for him? That's not a mistake. I mean, unless there was something that got in the way of him getting there, which I highly doubt. I think this was a test. He needed her to be desperate, compliant and forgiving, because if she is willing to stay with him after being humiliated like this, it tells an abuser that they can be controlled. What he did destabilized her. It lowered her expectations and shifted the power balance before they even really started their relationship. And now he just recast himself as both the problem and the solution. And in doing so, he replaced all suspicion with gratitude by rescuing her from the harm that he caused her. This is highly abusive behavior. He's doing this because he's enjoying it. It's part of his thrill. This entire abusive cycle is something that he gets gratification from.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Helmut knew if he ever wanted to get Augusta alone, he'd have to convince her she could trust him, even if that meant putting in extra effort to hide from the Hetheringtons. Eventually, it worked, and Augusta agreed to go to Helmut's house in Royal Oak to meet his Sisters. Before meeting them, though, Augusta was already certain she wanted to move in. Helmut's house was everything she'd ever wanted. It had a wraparound porch and was filled with fine furniture, silver, a sewing machine, and even a piano. She and Gertrude, who she believed was Helmut's teenage sister, hit it off right away. However, Augusta sensed that Helmut's other sister, sister Helen, who he said was a widow, felt threatened by her. She thought maybe Helen didn't like the idea of someone else taking over as the woman of the house. But that wasn't enough to change Augusta's mind about her new bow. She wrote to Agnes back in New York to tell her she thought he was going to propose and how excited she was. Agnes had only become more unhappy about Augusta's new relationship. The two women had had been writing letters to each other while Augusta was at the boarding house, and in one of them, Augusta said Helmut, who she believed was actually named Herman, had asked her to cut ties with all her friends back in New York. He said she could only keep in touch with Agnes, but that she wasn't allowed to tell Agnes how they'd really met. Agnes thought there was something really suspicious about that. She kept trying to stop Augusta from going through through with the marriage, but it was no use. Helmut proposed, and they set a wedding date for mid March of 1917. A few days before their wedding was supposed to take place on March 11, Helmut picked up Augusta at the boarding house for the last time. They went back to Royal Oak together. He said Helen and Gertrude weren't home, but that they'd be back soon to start helping with wedding preparations. Then, and as soon as Helmut and Augusta stepped through the door, he dropped all pretenses. Helmut bashed Augusta over the head before strangling her with a rope. Once she was no longer breathing, he dragged her body to the basement, where he hoisted her through a small window that was under the front porch. He covered her body with quicklime and buried her in a shallow grave. When Gertrude and Helen came home later, Helmut acted like nothing happened. Helmut felt confident that no one would ever figure out what had happened, but he had no idea that people were already trying to find Augusta. Two weeks after Augusta moved out of the boarding house for good, a wedding present was delivered there for her. Augusta hadn't left a forwarding address. She'd only told the Hetheringtons that she was moving to Royal Oak. However, she had excitedly described the house to them in detail, and based on that description, they were eventually able to locate 9 Oakdale Boulevard. They drove there one day, knocked on the door, and Helen answered. They said they were looking for a woman named Augusta and her fiance, Herman Nerbauer. Helen said no one by those names lived there and closed the the door. The Hetheringtons were confused. The house matched Augusta's description perfectly, and Helen looked a lot like Herman's older sister, who Augusta had told them about. They thought there must have been a misunderstanding. So over the next few days, they kept going back. But Helen always answered the door, and she refused to speak with them. Finally, one evening, the Hetheringtons got a knock on their own own door. When they opened up, they were surprised to see Helen standing there. They were even more surprised when she confessed that she'd been lying to them. She said her husband Helmut had driven her there to straighten things out. According to Helen, Helmut was acquainted with Herman, and apparently Herman had lost his job at Ford. So Augusta decided not to marry him after all and went back to New York. Helen didn't offer any more details. She simply turned and walked back to the car, where Helmut was waiting for her. The Hetheringtons closed the door, but they peered out the window as Helen got into the car. That's when Mr. Hetherington noticed something strange. He'd only met Herman once, but the man in the car looked a lot like him.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

So Helmut likely risked this exposure because he thought it was would be minimal if Helen did the talking. And he stayed in the car because the benefit would be narrative control. He also didn't think he'd been seen. Either way, that's the entitlement speaking. Helmut had gotten away with deception repeatedly. Each success likely reinforced the belief that he could talk his way out of suspicion, even if someone thought they'd recognized him. So to someone like Helmut, being seen didn't automatically mean being caught. It's also escalation under pressure. This is the first time that anyone has come to Helmut's home looking for one of the women he has killed, and that threatens his sense of control. Someone like Helmut is more likely to try and manage the risk directly and trust their own charm and manipulation to do that.

[Vanessa Richardson]

What do you make of the fact that he had Helen do all the talking? You think this was a way for him to control her, too? Or was he just trying to keep his distance from the Hetherington?

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

So I think it's both. I mean, we know how abusive and manipulative he was, and having Helen do the talking allowed him to use her as an instrument while keeping himself insulated at the same time. Helen likely understood the consequences of saying no. That's how coercive dynamics work. Once someone lies for another person, especially knowingly, they become a bit more entangled. She's now part of the deception. That doesn't erase her agency, but it does help explain how fear, dependency, and pressure can affect someone someone's choices and keep them compliant. In dynamics like this, it's a very complex issue.

[Vanessa Richardson]

Even though Mr. Hetherington couldn't be sure that it was Augusta's fiance in the car, he had a pit in his stomach. The couple couldn't help but wonder if something nefarious was going on. Meanwhile, Helmut drove back to Royal Oak, confident that he'd tied up all the loose ends of Augusta's murder. He had no idea that by trying to throw the Hetheringtons off his scent, he'd actually handed them a major clue. And soon a group of concerned citizens and law enforcement would stop at nothing to figure out what was really going on inside. 9 Oakdale Boulevard. Thanks so much for listening. We'll be back next time for the conclusion of our deep dive on Helmut Schmidt.

[Dr. Tristan Engels]

Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is a Crime House original Powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on all social media. And don't forget to rate, review and follow Serial Killers and Murderous Minds wherever you get your podcasts, your feedback truly makes a difference.

[Vanessa Richardson]

And to enhance your listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode of Serial Killers and Murderous Minds ad free along with early access to each thrilling two part series. Serial Killers and Murderous Minds is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson and forensic psychologist Dr. Tristan Engels and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Serial Killers and Murderous Minds team. Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Laurie Marinelli, Natalie Pertzofsky, Sarah Camp, Sarah Batchelor, Dana, Robert Rossi, Sarah Tardif and Keri Murphy. Thank you for listening.

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[Vanessa Richardson]

thanks for listening to today's episode. Not sure what to listen to next? Check out America's Most Infamous Crimes, hosted by Katie Ring. From serial killers to unsolved mysteries and gambling game changing investigations, each week Katie takes on a notorious criminal case in American history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes now Wherever you listen to podcasts.