True Crime Garage: Surrounded by Evil /// Part 2 /// 914

Original Air Date: March 18, 2026
Hosted by: Nic and The Captain

Episode Overview

In this gripping second part of the "Surrounded by Evil" series, Nic and The Captain dive deep into the chilling case of Leah Martin's disappearance and murder in Graham, Texas. Through sharp storytelling and thoughtful analysis, the hosts break down the path from missing person to murder investigation, how seemingly unrelated clues (including a cold-case triple homicide) tie in, and the intricate web involving suspects Ross Helms, Billy Minkley Jr., and shop owner E.C. Blair. With detailed evidence, confessions, and a shocking trial outcome, the episode exposes the layers of evil beneath the surface of a small-town crime.

Key Topics and Discussion Points

1. Revisiting the Day of Leah Martin’s Disappearance

[03:54–06:39]

• Focus on Auto Shop Employees: Police zero in on Ross Helms, the shop handyman, whose SUV resembles the one seen in surveillance footage near Leah’s workplace.
• Helms’ Alibi Falls Apart:
  • Claims to have left work at 5:30pm and visited friend Michael Brown.
  • Michael Brown denies seeing him that night.
  • Helms fails a polygraph.
• Quote:
  • Captain: “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” [05:42]
  • Nic: “Ross Hellums fails a lie detector test... the record states that he failed the polygraph.” [05:48]

2. Evidence Builds Against Helms and Minkley

[06:39–09:44]

• Phone Records: Frequent calls between Helms and coworker Billy Minkley on the night Leah disappeared.
• Family Ties and Threats:
  • Armonique Jefferson (Helm’s relative) reveals Helms paid her $20 to threaten Leah by phone the night she vanished.
  • She also sees Minkley at Helms’ house that night.
• Discovery of Leah’s Body:
  • Leah’s aunt, Renee Martin, investigates Helms’ property, spots signs of a fresh dig, and smells decomposition.
  • Police recover Leah’s body, bound and concealed, buried on Helms’ property.
  • Quote: Renee Martin - “She had a rock stuck in her mouth... to keep her from biting the plastic bag that had been put on her head.” [09:24]

3. Shifting the Case from Missing Person to Homicide

[09:44–10:33]

• The discovery converts the case from a possible missing person/voluntary disappearance to a clear-cut homicide.
• The suspects’ circle narrows, with physical evidence and witness statements converging on Helms and Minkley.

4. Uncovering More Evidence and Arrests

[13:10–15:25]

• Paper Trail:
  • A friend of Helms turns in a shotgun Helms tried to discard after Leah’s disappearance.
  • Helms claimed it belonged to Minkley.
• Autopsy and Legal Process:
  • Police arrest Helms and Minkley on gun charges (to buy time while preparing homicide charges).

5. Linking to a Cold Case Triple Homicide

[16:18–23:56]

• The 2014 Fort Worth Triple Homicide:
  • Victims: Ronnie Jackson, Elizabeth Sessoms, David Adams. All shot.
  • Investigation shows no forced entry, suggesting the killer was trusted by the victims.
  • Community reflects on drugs, addiction, and street dynamics as underlying factors.
  • Victims described as kind but struggling, with tragic backgrounds.
  • Quote: Captain: “It's one of the saddest things to see... their life seems to be controlled by this, this dark drug entity.” [23:30]

6. The Shotgun Connection

[27:04–29:58]

• Interrogation and Confession:
  • Police present Minkley with evidence linking him to the triple homicide by matching the shotgun to the murder weapon.
  • Minkley breaks down, confesses to both the homicide and details related to Leah’s murder.
  • Quote: Lt. Smith: “The Fort Worth triple homicide made us realize that Billy Minkley is a person that could have no problem killing Leah.” [28:44]

7. Motive and the Mastermind Allegation

[32:38–35:23]

• Role of E.C. Blair (Auto Shop Owner):
  • Allegedly at the center, motivated by relationship complications with Leah (grandfather of her child).
  • Minkley claims Blair requested something “bad” be done to Leah.
  • Leah reportedly lured to the shop under pretense of picking up items.
• The Murder:
  • Leah is attacked from behind while distracted, struck with a metal bar.
  • A plastic bag is used to control blood; when Leah shows signs of life, she is struck again.
  • Her body is concealed and buried by Helms and Minkley.
  • Quote: Minkley: “I went back there and I dug the nicest hole I could.” [35:23] (from interrogation video)

8. Arrests and Charges

[35:23–39:14]

• All Three Men Charged:
  • Minkley and Helms: Murder and tampering with a corpse. Both plead guilty.
  • Blair: Charged with murder, tried as the alleged mastermind.
  • Public press release details coordinated law enforcement effort and charges.

9. Trial and Outcome

[39:14–44:00]

• Trial Details:
  • Minkley testifies, implicating Blair as the orchestrator, but claims he carried out the murder.
  • Defense for Blair argues he was uninvolved, and Leah was just at the wrong place at the wrong time; suspects acted independently.
  • Jury cannot connect Blair “beyond a reasonable doubt” to the murder; Blair acquitted.
  • Quote: Nic: “He may have ordered the murder... but when you review the information, he's got evil in his heart and on his soul, but he don't have no blood on his hands.” [39:04]
  • Captain: “Yeah, he was acquitted and we already know that he's a piece of...” [42:45]

10. Aftermath and Sentences

[44:00–47:21]

• Ross Helms:

  • Pleads guilty — murder, tampering, weapons felonies.
  • Sentenced to 20 years (murder), 20 years (tampering), and 10 years (firearms), some concurrent.
  • Serving time at All Red Unit, Iowa Park, TX.

• Billy Ray Minkley Jr.:

  • Pleads guilty to avoid death penalty.
  • Sentenced to life without parole.
  • Serving at Telford Unit, New Boston, TX.

• E.C. Blair:

  • Acquitted, but reputation ruined, and shop closes.

• Impact on Leah's Family:

  • Leah’s daughter, Avery, left without her mother at age two.
  • Years later, Avery posts a heartfelt message on her mother's online obituary.
  • Nic: “One of them very sad that she was a mother to a little girl, Avery, who was only two years old at the time...At the age of 12 she went online to her mother’s obituary...very nice message.” [46:53]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Captain (on failing the polygraph): "Not a good sign...he fails the polygraph test. Not good." [06:04]
• Nic (describing discovery): "The sad, grim discovery...Leah’s body buried on Ross Hellam’s property." [08:29]
• Captain (on evidence): "Every little step in this investigation starts turning up the heat." [14:46]
• Lt. Smith: "The Fort Worth triple homicide made us realize that Billy Minkley is a person that could have no problem killing Leah." [28:44]
• Billy Minkley (from interrogation): "I went back there and I dug the nicest hole I could." [35:29]
• Nic (the tragedy’s weight): "Unfortunately we stepped into this thinking we were going to have to carry with our hearts one victim. We leave carrying, carrying four victims..." [46:53]

Important Timestamps

• 03:54 – Police begin focusing on Helms and surveillance clues.
• 05:48 – Helms’ alibi destroyed; fails polygraph.
• 06:39 – Phone records link Helms and Minkley.
• 08:29 – Leah’s body found on Helms’ property.
• 14:20 – Shotgun evidence surfaces.
• 16:18 – 23:56 – Triple homicide details unfold.
• 27:04 – Minkley confronted, confesses after seeing homicide evidence.
• 35:23 – Minkley and Helms charged; confession of burial methods.
• 39:04 – Blair portrayed as ultimate mastermind at trial.
• 42:45 – Blair acquitted.
• 44:00 – Sentencing details for Helms and Minkley.
• 46:53 – Reflections on the tragedy’s impact for Leah’s child and family.

Episode Tone and Presentation

• The hosts maintain the familiar True Crime Garage tone—wry, irreverent, but respectful when discussing victims.
• Banter and colloquialisms lighten the heaviness (e.g., Captain dubbing Minkley “dumbass”).
• Their methodical, “armchair detective” approach brings clarity to tangled timelines and evidence trails.

Summary Takeaways

• The episode reveals the convergence of messy relationships, criminal associates, and community secrets that culminated in a tragic multi-victim outcome.
• It illustrates how cold-case evidence and persistent investigative work (from family and police alike) can break open hidden connections between cases—and that legal justice doesn’t always match moral blame.
• Listeners are left with a sobering view of the long tail of loss—especially for Leah’s daughter—and an appreciation for the tenacity needed to untangle such evil.