The Chilling Case of Helen Bailey : A Widow’s Search for Love Ends in Tragedy

please I can I help hello there my partner has been missing since Monday and not contacted anyone said she was going away hasn't gone ended up where she said she was going so I we just decided we should report it what's your partner's name Helen Bailey and what's her date of birth oh cie go found me there 22nd well just let me double check one second oh God her eye color her eye color oh my God how' you forget these things I don't know at the moment sorry it's just gone out my head that's no

problem sorry God that's terrible she left a note she said she said in the note something like I need space and time alone I'm going to broadstairs please don't contact me in any way and was that a note B of a shock were you expecting it at all no I wasn't well yes it was a shock she has talked about it but it was still a shock yeah yes told about one his space because things just haven't been going well for her recently or for last she's definitely not at home no no but last I

i' literally checked everywhere we have quite a large house but I literally checked everywhere on April 15th 2016 Ian from Royston UK called emergency services to report The Disappearance of his fiance 51-year-old Helen Bailey the woman taking the call asked if there had been an argument that might have caused Helen's disappearance Ian explained that Helen had left him a note saying she was leaving because she felt overwhelmed stressed and tired and needed some time to clear her mind she was supposed to be gone for just a few days but no one had heard from her

since April 11th which worried both Ian and her family however the police did not initially treat the case as a priority they saw it as an adult woman simply leaving of her own accord having left a note saying she needed time alone but as days passed and Helen didn't return investigators were forced to take the case more seriously Helen was born on August 22nd 1964 in Pont land UK to parents George and eileene she had a close relationship with her brother John who was her beloved sibling and Confidant she also had a strong bond with

her mother they were like best friends and Helen confided in her about almost everything Helen's family was warm and loving always supporting one another Helen didn't have fond memories of her school years which we know from her diary that she began writing as a teenager she had few friends because she was a bit of a loner and struggled to form close friendships her diary became her Outlet where she wrote frequently and in great detail even dreaming of One Day writing a book although she knew a diary wasn't the same as a book it gave her

hope that she might one day achieve that goal Helen went on to study physiology in London and later worked in a hospital but she soon realized she wanted to pursue something else writing remained a passion in the back of her mind she took a job as a secretary at a company involved in producing animated shows where she met John her future husband they quickly fell in love and after seven happy years together got married Helen was Overjoyed having found her soulmate JN was a successful businessman who encouraged Helen to pursue her writing dreams thanks to

his support Helen went on to write 20 popular books for children and teenagers which brought her considerable success in 2010 she even won an award for being the best teen writer a recognition she was incredibly proud of tragically the couple's happiness came to an end in February 2011 Helen and John were on holiday in Barbados celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary on February 27th JN decided to take a swim despite Helen warning him against it because of the dangers as Helen relaxed on the beach with a book and a drink she suddenly heard her husband screaming

for help Jon had gotten caught in a dangerous current and was drowning although several men tried to save him it was too late John lost his life Helen who had just lost the love of her life returned to the UK devastated the grief overwhelmed her and she lost her motivation to write and even to live her family along with her beloved dog Boris offered her some comfort to cope with her grief Helen started a Blog called Planet grief which became increasingly popular as a writer she decided to turn the blog into another book on the

blog she shared her feelings of loss how she was dealing with her grief and the challenges of living alone after 22 years of partnership Helen's books which she dedicated to her late husband resonated deeply with many women who had experienced similar losses her fans connected with her through the blog leaving comments and interacting with their favorite author in one interview Helen mentioned that blogging helped her release all the emotions she had been holding inside since Jon's death allowing her to express her deepest pain Helen had to learn to live alone doing the shopping for one

dining out by herself all while dealing with an immense sadness Helen often mentioned people who had lost their spouses but still had children to live for she however had no children and felt that apart from her dog Boris she had no one to live for nonetheless she was grateful for her supportive family who helped her through the dark time of her life after publishing her book Helen started to come back to life she began socializing meeting new people mainly through her blog she connected with others who had experienced similar losses it was through this that

she met Ian a man who had lost his wife in 2010 Ian had two sons and his wife had suffered from epilepsy one day while Ian was out shopping his wife had a seizure in their Garden by the time he returned it was too late to save her Ian became a great source of support for Helen their relationship began as a deep friendship but over time they realized that the tragedies that had brought them together might also give them a chance to build something beautiful eventually they became a couple and Helen started Living her life

to the fullest again Ian moved into Helen's large house in Royston which had five bedrooms three bathrooms a pool and a garage a dream home for many Ian an engineer by profession had been out of work for about 6 months due to health issues but he eventually recovered Helen meanwhile continued with her writing and decided to dedicate her next book to Ian the man who gave her hope for a brighter future the book included a special dedication at the end you are my happy ending Helen treated Ian's Sons like her own and they lived together

in her home she knew they had struggled with the loss of their mother so she tried to be there for them even though she understood she could never truly replace her the couple eventually got engaged and they were planning their wedding but everything changed on April 11th 2016 Helen left the house but Ian wasn't worried at first she had left him a note explaining her absence however 4 days later at the insistence of Helen's family especially her brother and mother Ian reported her disappearance hi everybody it's Helen um I'm a writer and I'm also the

founder of the planet grief blog and this was a Blog that I started in June 2011 which was about four months after my husband drowned at the end of February 2011 and when I started the blog I didn't have any ideas about having pretty pictures or fabulous fonts I just wanted to write I just wanted to get out there and it was never originally intended for anybody other than myself and then two or three other widows and it snowballed um to reach tens of thousands of people from what I understand from what we what we've

discussed and what I've been told by the investigation is that Helen um was last on Monday the 11th of April yeah is that correct y okay I want would like you to take me through what happened that day this is where I can't remember very well I'll tell you what I can remember but what some of I can remember is maybe what I've said since and when I've looked in the diary things like that okay just that day start with that day if that if you're comfortable starting with that day that's the day that we

would like to concentrate on for as long as you're comfortable with that well I remember bit of it the first B I remember is we loaded the car or had unloaded my car with an old ju and some boxes L St to the dump then then she was in her office for a while I went back to bed for a while so I was tired and my wound still hurt then she went out in the car just to get some milk or something milk and bits but came back almost instantly I was upset because something

had happened you said I'm never going to drive again I was about that was about the time I was about to go off to get my wom dressed I said shall I stay you she said yes if possible these are not the exact words really really I know they're not the exact words so I phoned up and rearranged my afternoon no I rearranged the appointment for the dressing to the afternoon no I didn't do that then now Helen then said well if possible make it this afternoon then you can take the stuff to the solicitors

at the same time because she's selling a flat in for in Newcastle so she had the stuff on the side ready to go to the flat and I've managed to do that and then I don't remember much until I woke up in a chair in my office and it was pretty close to W to go and then I'm not sure that this is right is I'm not sure he right at some point I saw the M on my desk from heaven and at some point I had to dash out because I was late so could

see I could be late so not dash yet I'm pretty sure hel and wave goodbye to me but when I think back I'm not so sure so maybe she did maybe she didn't so I was in a rush then so then I went and I can't remember what I did what all do I did this thing but I definitely ended up with the doctors at some point and when I woke up I was sort of woozy and bit I felt a bit like I'd been on morphine in hospital and then I remember thinking should I

be driving but obviously I did so I went to the doctor's all the dump or maybe I went to the dump next day G not I'm not sure and then I also went to the sister definitely when I got to solister he went through the paperwork i' taken I realized I'd only taken very old paperwork I'd left half of here so I dashed back well I dashed back I wrote back I'm sure what happened saw the other paperwork on the side shouted for Helen Helen wasn't there so I thought she was I thought that stage

she was just walking the dog his neighbors I went back to Sisters his only in town just dropped the paper didn't stay dro the paper up and came home H still wasn't here and then then I started to think she has gone she has gone to board stairs have you had any new visitors anyone introducing themselves into your into your life either by telephone by turning at the house in person no one swings to mind at all now Ian mentioned to the police that Helen owned several properties and was quite wealthy she often visited a

cottage on the outskirts of Kent where she liked to retreat for peace and quiet especially when she needed to focus on her writing Helen's brother John went to check the cottage but she wasn't there this prompted the investigators to take the case more seriously more than a week had passed without any word from Helen the police decided to question Ian about the day Helen left he said the morning had been like any other they spent the first few hours together had breakfast and then Helen left him with some bags to take out these were filled

with unwanted clothes and books Ian then went to see his doctor and later met with a lawyer as Helen had been planning to sell one of her properties he also had lunch with his sons that day and he recalled seeing Helen playing with Boris her beloved darkend in the evening Helen locked herself in one of the rooms as she often did when she wanted to write and Ian went to bed when he woke up he found the note she had left saying she had gone away but would be back soon since Helen wasn't at the

Kent Cottage the police started searching the surrounding areas speaking with neighbors putting up posters with her photo often featuring Boris alongside her they searched garages and other spaces where people stored things considering the possibility that someone might be holding her against her will despite their efforts there was no sign of Helen investigators then decided to track Helen's phone it turned out that on the day Ian reported her missing April 15th 2016 her phone had connected to the wi-fi at the Kent Cottage but something didn't add up because her brother had checked the place and she

wasn't there although her phone had connected for a few seconds which meant she must have been there it was soon Switched Off and all incoming calls went straight to voicemail the investigators also checked Helen's bank account and noticed that after her disappearance several new transactions appeared someone had altered the monthly amount Helen transferred to the joint account she shared with Ian originally she transferred £600 but on the day of her disappearance someone increased this to 4,000 what's more they discovered a £3,000 purchase made on Arsenal's website for year-long tickets to important matches the detectives knew

it was Ian who made the purchase he was a huge fan never missing a game and was often seen at the stadium in London watching with great enthusiasm Ian had likely changed the monthly transfers as well the detectives wanted to resolve this quickly but when they arrived at the couple's home they were shocked it wasn't just the detectives who were surprised Helen's family was too because Ian had flown to Spain for a holiday specifically to mayorca it was clear that Ian hadn't been involved in the search for his fiance at all the family was puzzled

he hadn't organized any search effort nor had he participated in them even strangers who didn't know Helen volunteered to help but not Ian he stayed in Spain for two weeks and the detectives knew they needed to talk to him however they had no choice but to wait for his return since Ian hadn't broken any laws and wasn't initially a suspect he was free to travel as he pleased but when he came back he was arrested on suspicion of having taken Helen's life Ian chose to remain silent when asked whether he had killed his fiance he

didn't deny it or say no for the detectives his silence spoke volumes you're the last person to see her alive you wait 4 days to report her missing you're vague about your movements on the 11th at best vague you take a duvet to the tip on the 11th you don't report a missing for four days the following day you go to broadstairs I don't know why why did you go there did you see Helen on 16th because according to the technical information we've got her phone is in broadstairs and you're in broadstairs was Helen there

she wasn't was she there is transactions where it clearly shows from what I've seen that you have taken money or someone has taken money which I believe to be you from her account into your joint account which you have obviously access to therefore you've now got access to an extra £12,000 you will have benefited from her death is that correct you why' you say that financially you would have benefited from her death would you not say did anyone force you to carry out the murder of Helen Bailey the detectives decided to dig deeper into Ian's

background they suspected that Helen was no longer alive as she had been miss ing for more than two months without any contact if she had wanted a break she would have checked into a hotel used her credit card or contacted her family disappearing Without a Trace was out of character for her as we know emergency calls are recorded and the detectives decided to review Ian's call to the dispatcher did he sound nervous or calm however it wasn't just the tone of his voice that was suspicious but also what he said or rather what he did

didn't say he didn't know how tall Helen was her eye color or even when her birthday was Ian's Alibi for April 11th 2016 was also checked while he did have an appointment with a doctor the visit was initially scheduled for early in the morning but Ian had postponed it to a later time without explaining why he also had a meeting with a lawyer that day a lawyer who was handling Helen's Affairs and assisting with the sale of her property the lawyer recalled that Ian was very anxious and insisted that the house be sold immediately saying

he was in a hurry however the lawyer told him there was no way to rush the process since Helen was the legal owner and the sale could only proceed in her presence the Doctor Who Saw Ian on April 11th also mentioned that he seemed distracted and wasn't able to answer questions clearly he wasn't behaving like his usual self which the doctor noted because he had met Ian before and noticed the change in his behavior it was true that later that afternoon Ian spent time with his sons had lunch with them and then returned home the

detectives knew they had only circumstantial evidence and it would be difficult to prove Ian's guilt in court so they decided to search the couple's property thoroughly the search took two days and the investigators were determined to find even the smallest clue that could link Ian to Helen's disappearance after 2 days with no results they were ready to call off the search but just as they were wrapping up a neighbor came forward she asked when they would finish because she couldn't sleep due to the noise from a generator when she learned that the search was ending

she asked a question that changed the entire investigation and sealed Ian's fate the neighbor asked if they had checked both septic tanks as one was in front of the house and the other was in the garage the detectives had no idea there was a second septic tank in the garage when they went to check they found Helen's car parked on top of it likely to prevent the detectives from finding the tank moreover the investigators recalled their first visit to the couple's house on April 15th after Helen was reported missing Ian had acted nervously when he

saw the detectives looking into the garage he kept asking why they were checking there that's when the detectives connected the dots he had already been worried that they might find something there 3 months after Helen's disappearance on July 15th 2016 Helen and her dog Boris were found in the cess pit located in the garage the detectives knew that given the conditions of the cess pit Helen's body was unrecognized iable as was boris's the decomposition made it impossible to determine the exact cause of death but the investigators believed that Ian had suffocated Helen with a pillow

cutting off her oxygen it remains unclear whether she was still alive when he threw her into the cess pit Boris may have also been thrown in while still alive one of the neighbors admitted to seeing Ian dispose of a duvet which may have contained traces of blood however after three months finding that duve was nearly impossible I'm arresting you on Su of the murder joking and of disposing her body in a manner to lightly toct the corer and of theft of money repelling by okay so you do not have to say anything but it may

harm your defense if do mention in question something that you need to court anything you do say may be given evidence you understand that oh gu so right why okay we're going to speak to you at the police station right Poli station so what need what needs to happen you need to before get some clothes on okay and then you need to go to the police station and these officers will transport you to the police station why I don't understand what's happened we can't discuss we can't discuss it at the moment we we'll talk you

when we get to the police station all right where is she toxicology tests revealed that Helen had been taking strong sedatives for an extended period medication that could only be obtained by prescription while Helen had never used such drugs Ian had the investigators suspected that Ian had been giving these drugs to Helen possibly for weeks or even months before taking her life likely mixing them into her food or drinks Helen was completely unaware that she was being drugged she had been searching the internet for answers ansers trying to figure out why she was constantly tired

falling asleep at her desk or even while driving unbeknownst to her she was driving under the influence of these strong sedatives despite the overwhelming evidence Ian continued to deny his guilt during the trial in January 2017 he changed his story though no one believed it he claimed that years earlier he had financial troubles and two businessmen Joe and Nick had demanded repayment of £500,000 according to Ian they threatened to kidnap Helen if he didn't pay but he didn't have the money and was too afraid to go to the police fearing for Helen's life this story

seemed completely implausible to everyone the idea that kidnappers had returned Helen's body to the garage without Ian knowing anything made no sense the story didn't add up and no one believed it additionally Ian didn't show any signs of distress after Helen's disappearance he didn't search for her or seem concerned when Helen's phone briefly connected to Wi-Fi in the cottage in Kent Ian likely did that himself to throw off the investigation what was most shocking was that he didn't even pretend to care where Helen was he knew she was dead and was so confident in his

plan that he purchased a year worth of tickets to Arsenal games and went on vacation Ian was sentenced to life impr imprisonment with a possibility of parole after 34 years that could have been the end of the case but it wasn't investigators decided to look into the death of Ian's wife Ian had presented himself to Helen as a widower someone who had endured a great tragedy according to documents his wife had died from an epileptic seizure however further investigation was conducted and evidence from Mrs Stewart's brain which had been donated to Medical science was used

to help convict her husband it was revealed that she had likely died in the same way as Helen Ian had claimed that he tried everything to save his wife when he called emergency services but the tests showed that no resusitation attempts had been made the detectives knew why Ian didn't want his wife to regain Consciousness he had wanted to collect the £400,000 insurance payout after his wife's death many people were shocked when Ian's first action was to buy a new sports car Ian was stunned when the investigators discovered that he had taken his wife's life

in 2010 he had believed he would never be caught or convicted for that but fortunately Justice prevailed in 2022 he stood trial again and received another life sentence which ensured he would never be released okay having left prison property time now is 105 watch uh Mr Stuart I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of your late wife di on Friday you taking T Friday the 25th of June one say anything but it may harm your defense if you do not men when question something which you lat to R Court you do say may evidence

have you got nothing better to do than make we can discuss this at Forwood police station which is where we going okay tell me exactly what's happened my wife's had a fear I think she she's she's she's in the garden she's in the Gard right you need to slow down okay because you she's uh she's she's she's in the garden she's she's unconscious okay are you with the patient now I'm just indoors in the man I'm just you see her from where you are yeah yeah how old is she please she she's 45 47 is

she breathing I don't think so I've try I've turned her to try and put in recovery position but I can't do it she she just Flo back I think she's had a fit you think she's had a fit well I think so she does have epilepsy right pump the chest hard and fast at least twice per second right we're going to do this 600 times or until help can take over okay doing it you need to count out loud sir so I can hear you one two one two one is that fast enough right listen

you need to be one two three four one two three 4 one two three four that's it well done two three four one two three what was her CES there how long had you been um with Diane before you R the ambulance you tried to do anything to bring her around did you check whether she was breathing how did check if she how long will you whip her before you ran the amb said I found Diane lying on the patio she was unconscious and then he said I went inside to get the cordless house done

so presumably you had been out there with her before you R the hand it is that right you went to get the cordless house phone where did you go once you had that phone are you inside the house when you made the call did you call 999 immediately did you do anything else there you didn't think she was breathing he said I've tried I've turned her to put her in the recovery position but I can't do it she's just flopped back can you describe to us how you put her in a recovery position or how

you tried to his sons who couldn't believe that their father had killed their mother received compensation of the nearly 400,000 insurance payout only £185,000 remained which the court divided between the two sons as for Helen Ian would have inherited a significant amount of money up to4 million because Helen had several properties all of which were left to Ian in her will Ian likely got inv involved with Helen because he knew she was wealthy and took advantage of her vulnerability during a difficult time he exploited the fact that she was grieving the loss of her husband

Helen a woman Yearning For Love quickly fell for him Ian's Sons were in complete shock when the truth about their father emerged they never expected this from him they recall their mother's death as the most devastating time in their lives their mother Diane was a wonderful woman well-loved by everyone at the time of Diane's death both Stewart boys were out of the family home Oliver who was 15 was at school and his older brother Jaimie who was 18 was taking his driving test prosecutors stated that Ian Stewart initially managed to deceive medical professionals by suggesting

that Diane had died from an epileptic fit however later brain tests revealed that her breathing was likely restricted by an outside Source Oliver recounted that someone from either the police or Ambulance Service informed him that his mother had passed away holding back tears he told the jury that he was the one who identified her body when asked by defense Barrister amjad Malik how his father was at that moment Oliver replied in bits Oliver described his parents relationship as loving caring kind and family oriented Jaimie who was 18 at the time told the jury that he

was taking his driving test on the morning of his mother's death he recalled that when his driving instructor brought him home they saw three ambulances outside the house Jaimie said his father was in tears extremely upset and that their neighbor and paramedics were trying to console him Jaimie also mentioned that although his mother had epilepsy and took two tablets every morning he had never seen her have a fit during his lifetime he did recall hearing raised voices between his parents the week she died but couldn't hear the details of the conversation he also said that

although his parents occasionally argued it wasn't a frequent occurrence when asked about his father's Behavior at the funeral jimie described him as devastated Oliver shared that when he first saw the ambulances outside the house he initially thought oh Dad's going to have another spell in the hospital as Ian had the rare long long term condition myasthenia gravis which causes muscle weakness Ian was a calculated and heartless man taking the lives of two innocent women including the mother of his children all for financial gain despite his attempts to cover his tracks Justice caught up with him

and he was sentenced to life in prison his sons shocked by the truth about their father were left to Grapple with the devastating loss of their mother who had been a beloved figure in their lives Stuart's story stands as a chilling reminder of how greed can drive a person to unimaginable cruelty please share your thoughts on this story in the comments below thank you for listening to the end until next time