Her houseman, Jack Matlick, gave conflicting accounts of her return to Chicago. His stories didn’t add up: he claimed she flew back, but no one on the flight remembered her; he said she stayed home that weekend, but friends couldn’t reach her; he said she left early Monday with little luggage, but she usually traveled extensively and meticulously planned trips. He also forged her signature on $15,000 in checks, benefiting himself. Matlick destroyed her diaries, though her brother said she instructed this in case of emergency.

Suspicion fell on Richard Bailey, a con man who preyed on wealthy women. He had introduced Helen to expensive horse investments, potentially scamming her out of a large sum. Bailey refused to cooperate with investigators. He was later convicted on multiple fraud charges and conspiracy to commit murder (linked to Brach’s disappearance), although he denied involvement in her death. He got a life sentence, reduced to 30 years.

Years later, Joe Plemmons, a horseman, confessed to killing Helen on behalf of Silas Jayne (a mobster with ties to Bailey) and others, claiming they incinerated her body. He said Helen was murdered to prevent her from reporting Bailey’s scams. Plemmons’s confession provided a ruby ring allegedly from Helen, but it lacked sufficient DNA evidence. His testimony was also inconsistent.

Despite Plemmons’ confession and the circumstantial evidence against Bailey, Helen’s body was never found. The case remains a mystery, with several key players dead or serving prison sentences, and no solid proof tying all loose ends together. The inconsistencies and conflicting statements make it difficult to determine the full truth surrounding Helen Brach’s disappearance.