The murder of Eige Sober-Adler
Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia · 1987
Overview
Eige Sober-Adler, 37, of Kensington, Maryland, was found dead on September 8, 1987, behind a Days Inn under construction on Centreville Road in Herndon, Virginia. Her car, in running condition and apparently abandoned, was about half a mile away on the Dulles Toll Road. Fairfax County detectives collected numerous items of evidence and, a police major later said, talked to a man who was a person of interest, but no one was charged and the case went cold. That man, Charles Helem, was later convicted of strangling his ex-girlfriend Patricia Bentley in 2002. In 2010 and 2017 he wrote to Maryland police claiming knowledge of the 2002 death of 19-year-old Jennifer Landry, then refused to be interviewed. In September 2021 Prince George's County cold case detectives tried again and he agreed; he confessed to Landry's death and gave information about an unsolved Fairfax County murder. Fairfax detectives interviewed him in October 2021, and police said he confessed to killing Sober-Adler with details only the killer would know. A grand jury indicted him on January 18, 2022. On December 8, 2022, Helem pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole. The Fairfax police chief said her parents had both died never knowing what happened to their daughter.
How it was solved
The case was solved by a confession from a prisoner who had been a person of interest at the time. Fairfax County police said detectives investigated the 1987 killing thoroughly and collected numerous items of evidence, but no arrest was made and the leads went cold; the evidence was eventually assigned to the Major Crimes Bureau's Cold Case Squad. A Fairfax police major said officers had spoken to Charles Helem after the killing and that he was a person of interest. Helem was convicted in 2003 of strangling Patricia Bentley in 2002 and was serving a life sentence at Red Onion State Prison. Prince George's County police said that in 2010 and 2017 he wrote to the Mount Rainier Police Department claiming knowledge of the 2002 death of Jennifer Landry, and both times declined to be interviewed. In September 2021 the county's Cold Case Unit tried again, and this time he agreed. Police said he verbally confessed to killing Landry and, while talking, gave information about an unsolved Fairfax County murder, so Prince George's detectives contacted Fairfax police. Fairfax detectives spoke with him in October 2021, and the Fairfax police chief said he confessed to the murder of Eige Sober-Adler. Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said detectives were able to corroborate the confession with details known only to the killer; officials did not make those details public. A Fairfax grand jury indicted Helem on January 18, 2022. Officials did not explain why he wrote the letters or why he finally confessed. On December 8, 2022, Descano announced that Helem had pleaded guilty and been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, to run alongside his other life sentences.
Sources
- Fairfax County and Prince George's County Announce Charges in Cold Case Murders (January 19, 2022)
“On Sept. 8, 1987, Eige Sober Adler, 37, was found deceased in the rear parking lot of the Dulles Days Inn in Herndon. Her vehicle was found abandoned about a half mile away.”
- Police: Prisoner with life sentence confesses to 1987 Herndon murder (January 19, 2022)
“Fairfax County Police Department said Charles W. Helem, 52, confessed to the 1987 murder and provided details only the killer would know, involving the death of 37-year-old Eige Sober-Adler.”
- Another serial killer? Murderer Charles Helem charged in two cold cases in Md. and Va. (January 19, 2022)
“Detectives were able to corroborate his confession with details only known to the killer.”
- Man confesses to 2 unsolved murders in Virginia and Maryland (January 20, 2022)
“Detectives attempted to speak to him in prison at the time, but he refused an interview. In 2017, Helem sent another letter, but he again refused an interview,”
- Convicted killer confesses to 2 cold case slayings in Virginia, Maryland, police say (January 19, 2022)
“Fairfax County Police Major Ed O'Carroll said police talked to Helem after the killing and he was a person of interest.”
- 2 cold case homicides tied to convicted murderer, police say (January 19, 2022)
“Helem allegedly confessed to the murder during an interview with Fairfax County detectives in October, officials said.”
- Police charge convicted murderer with two cold case homicides (January 20, 2022)
“Helem had twice sent a letter in 2010 and 2017 to the Mount Rainier Police Department claiming knowledge about Landry's death but turned down requests for interviews from authorities following both instances.”
- Charles Helem Linked To Murders Of Eige Sober-Adler, Jennifer Landry
“Authorities said they were able to link him to the two-cold case murders after Helem, a former truck driver, confessed to the crimes while incarcerated at the Red Onion State Prison in Virginia.”
- Virginia convicted murderer now charged with 2 cold case slayings after confessions: authorities (January 2022)
“Charles Helem, 52, is currently serving a life sentence at a Virginia state prison in the death of Patricia Bentley, a 37-year-old mother who was found strangled in her home in Chantilly, Virginia, in 2002.”
- JUST IN: Serial killer gets life in prison for 1987 Herndon murder (December 8, 2022)
“The Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney announced today that Charles Helem was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for murdering 37-year-old Eige Sober-Adler, whose body was found in a field near the Dulles Toll Road on Sept. 8, 1987.”
- Convicted murderer Charles Helem confesses to 1987 Va. cold case murder, police say (December 8, 2022)
“Under the agreement, Helem will be transferred to Maryland to plead guilty to the murder of Landry and serve the remainder of his life sentence.”
- PGPD Charges Suspect for 2002 Homicide Cold Case; Suspect Also Indicted for 1987 Murder in Fairfax County (January 19, 2022)
“In 2010, Helem sent a letter to the Mount Rainier Police Department claiming to have knowledge about Landry's unsolved murder. PGPD detectives attempted to speak to him in prison at the time, but he refused an interview.”