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Forum Name: more and more JBR
Topic ID: 1567
#0, Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mikie on Jul-25-03 at 02:53 PM
LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-03 AT 03:21 PM (EST)
 
The death of Michael Helgoth was ruled a suicide by police. There was a connection to the Ramsey case because he had some sort of obsession with JonBenet, (according to a friend). In spite of the stun gun and Hi-Tek boots found in his room, there was no serious investigation to link him to the Ramsey murder. There was no search of his room. His house was demolished and razed to the ground. His family did not believe it was suicide; they think he was murdered. I also think he was involved in the murder of JonBenet. I think he was killed because he knew too much and was a threat to the real killer.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.longmontfyi.com/ramsey/storyDetail03.asp?ID=26
Carnes notes in her ruling that one man named in the Ramseys’ book, Michael Helgoth, committed suicide two months after the murder and one day after District Attorney Alex Hunter announced they were narrowing the search for JonBenet’s killer.
A stun gun was found near Mr. Helgoth’s body, as well as “HI-TEC” boots. Evidence in the case suggests that JonBenet’s killer used a stun gun on her. Unidentified shoeprints from HI-TEC boots also were found in the Ramseys’ basement.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://crime.about.com/library/weekly/aa111700c.htm
Why wasn’t his room searched?

You're on, Jameson: Make it count!
jameson
Steve, thanks for taking the question. Since I have only one, this is it - - "Why wasn't
Michael Helgoth's room searched when the sheriff's department advised that he may
need to be looked at? (after his suicide - when a stun gun and Hi-Tec boots were
clearly visible in the photos of his body..."

stevethomas
Re: photo you mention -- have you seen it? or is it someone "else" who is talking
about stun guns and hi-tecs? i agree, if bpd didn't take the opportunity to look at it,
even to discount it, it was a missed opportunity. but don't make hay out of something
in left field. those inside the case didn't think it was stun gun, based on medical
evidence. and the hi-tec boot has inherent chain of custody issues. thanks for the
questions, sorry the space allows for only such a short answer.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Posted on another forum:

http://www.voy.com/133358/944.html


Date Posted: 11:43:36 07/13/03 Sun by Rita Johnson

I spoke to a number of members of Helgoth's family. They BELIEVE that he was murdered. His uncle told me that when they discovered Michael; he was "crouched" down at the end of the bed under the covers with a pillow that had muffled the gun shot. They are sure he didn't commit suicide. BECAUSE of someone connected to TEAM RAMSEY that claims he was a friend; but was just "hanging" around the junkyard,they believe there it was suspiciously wanting him out of the picture....You figure! That same person BROKE into the house and stole items i.e. boots to be used as evidence against him. The person that did it admitted to me that he was connected to TEAM RAMSEY. Of course I did report it right away......Sometime ago. You figure??? Strangely it happened the DAY after Hunter said "we will get you!". I wonder why Schiller didn't show this guy in the movie. It really happened and would have been quite compelling to show the "intruder theory"? It seems like there's been a desperate attempt to find the needle in a haystack pointing to an intruder. Notice most of those who have been turned in as suspects by TEAM RAMSEY seem defenseless and certainly have no resource to combat the likes of TEAM RAMSEY. Rita
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


#1, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Margoo on Jul-25-03 at 03:15 PM
In response to message #0
Mikie, this last post you have quoted was posted by Rita JOHNSON, not Rita Brown.

Does Rita's post make any sense to anyone? First of all she claims the family has told her that they feel Michael's death was a homicide. Then she turns the "friend" of Michael's into a Team Ramsey member! That team sure is growing now that ANYONE who opposes Ramsey guilt or finds evidence that steers the investigation away from a Ramsey must be part of the "team".


#4, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 03:25 PM
In response to message #1
LOL, Margoo, we posted the same thought at the same time. Yes, Helgoth was supected and turned in posthumously by his friend. Rita's only a hop and a skip away from accusing "Team Ramsey" of murdering Helgoth. Stay tuned!

#17, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by one_eyed Jack on Jul-25-03 at 07:48 PM
In response to message #1
>Does Rita's post make any sense to anyone?

No.


#2, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 03:20 PM
In response to message #0
Rita's post is confusing "Team Ramsey" involvement after the fact (when a friend of Helgoth's turned over the HI-TEC boots to Ramsey investigators) with "Team Ramsey" focusing suspicion on Helgoth the innocent dupe. It was Helgoth's friend who first thought the BPD would be interested in his information, who then went to the Ramsey investigators when his information was dismissed, wasn't it?

#3, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mikie on Jul-25-03 at 03:23 PM
In response to message #2
LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-03 AT 03:26 PM (EST)
 
Right Margoo, how dumb of me. I corrected the name.

The fact is that until there is clearance of the Ramseys in no ambiguous terms, people will still believe in their guilt. Since the real killers are not identified or even mentioned by investigators, people have every right to believe whatever their instincts tell them...which is a sorry state but a fact.

As for the friend yes I think you are right, the friend told a team Ramsey investigator Ollie Gray, I believe. Gray had no connection to Helgoth, as far as I know. Perhaps others can clarify.

This thread was not intended to be about Team Ramsey guilt, but simply whether Helgoth was murdered or committed suicide.


#6, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 03:38 PM
In response to message #3
Mikie, most of those posters would be totally out of sync in the real world of police investigations and admissible evidence. In their fantasy world, male DNA in panties and under the fingernails of a murder victim can be explained away by eating cracked crab with blood left by the chef, or wearing underwear that carried nasal mucus from Asia, or a zillion other silly stories. I've never seen DNA evidence tossed out based on such nonsense.

Helgoth's stun gun, his HI-TECs, the circumstances of his suicide and a possible motive in the Valmont-Pearl Street development project all add up to Helgoth being worth a second look. I don't think anyone, with the possible exception of his 'friend', ever accused Helgoth of murdering JonBenet. We don't know if his friend thought he did it or not. Could be the person who turned over the boots was hoping to collect the reward if Helgoth couldn't be ruled out.


#5, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Margoo on Jul-25-03 at 03:33 PM
In response to message #2
The most compelling indication that Helgoth's "suicide" may have been a homicide seems to be that pillow and the trajectory of the bullet that killed him.

Thomas's answer to Jameson's question brings up "chain of custody" of those boots, but WERE THE BOOTS EVER compared to the HI-TEC print regardless of that chain of custody? Does Thomas know anything about those boots or the stun gun? We see evidence of Thomas dismissing the stun gun because "those inside the case didn't think it was a stun gun". He asks Jameson if she has seen those photos or just heard about them. Has he seen them?


#7, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 03:43 PM
In response to message #5
I think Henry Lee examined the boots. Thomas justifies dismissing Helgoth as a suspect because he doesn't believe a stun gun was used on JonBenet. One has nothing to do with the other! If Helgoth had a stun gun, and some marks on JonBenet might have come from a stun gun, good detective work would be checking out the marks made by the type of stun gun Helgoth owned and looking into his handwriting, alibi and DNA.

#8, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by AvidReader on Jul-25-03 at 03:48 PM
In response to message #7
Wasnt Helgoth's family put out of business by Access Graphics. The AG building is on the site where the Helgoth business (junk yard I believe) once was.

#9, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 04:08 PM
In response to message #8
It wasn't quite that direct - Valmont Auto Parts, a salvage yard, wanted to sell the land for private development but due to contamination issues was restricted. The City of Boulder ended up buying the land at a fraction of the asking price and eventually developed the Pearl St. Mall where Access Graphics was located. John Ramsey never personally "ripped off" the Helgoth family but I can see where Helgoth could feel Ramsey profited at the Helgoth's expense, AG being the billion-dollar tenant on what was formerly the Valmont property.

#10, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by AvidReader on Jul-25-03 at 04:18 PM
In response to message #9
thanks Smokey

appreciate that explanation


#11, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mikie on Jul-25-03 at 04:26 PM
In response to message #10
I'm really vague in my memory about when AG was acquired by Lockheed and when Ramsey left and when Helgoth property was bulldozed. I thought AG didn't exist when the property was confiscated by the city. Can anyone give a sort of timeline?

#12, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Smokey on Jul-25-03 at 05:25 PM
In response to message #10
Jeff Shapiro covered "Boots" (Helgoth) with this synopsis:

Boots

As I wrestled with my personal investigation of Wolf, I heard about "Boots." Once upon a time, Boots lived with a local woman and her 4-year-old blonde daughter, until the two had an explosive argument that led to their break-up. The woman accused the man of masturbating under his blanket while her daughter was sitting on his bed. Boots lived in a small shack at a local junkyard on Valmont Road, where he also worked.

On Feb. 13, 1997, DA Hunter had a press conference in order to send a message to JonBenet's unknown killer: "You will pay for what you have done, and we have no doubt this will happen." The next day, Valentine's Day, Boots was found dead in his apartment. Supposedly, he had killed himself with a shotgun. Immediately, he became another "possible suspect"-albeit a dead one-in the Ramsey murder.

But the theory that JonBenet's killer got spooked and took his life had a gaping hole in it: The suicide began to look like a murder. Boots was right-handed and the bullet's trajectory went from left to right. In addition, someone had placed a pillow in front of his chest before firing the gun, something professional killers do to muffle the noise of a gunshot. In addition, Boots was a former military sharpshooter and parachutist who had been trained to use an M16 Rifle and hand grenades. I wondered: If Boots was a sharpshooter, why the odd trajectory?

When police took crime scene photos at Boots' apartment, two items grabbed their attention. Not only was there a pair of Hi-Tec climbing boots by the dead man's feet, there was a stun gun beside his hand and a Taser in the distance. Supposedly, Boots also owned a baseball cap with the letters "SBTC" on it. Later, a friend of Boots found a videotape in the dead man's apartment that intrigued police. It was footage of a newscast from a couple of years before. The news story featured an unsolved case involving a kidnapped and murdered 6-year-old girl. Was the newscast a random recording left behind by someone else? Or was it a trophy of some kind?

Since the ransom note refers to at least two other kidnappers, Lou Smit believes it's possible more than one person was involved. It was strange that some of the exact items used in JonBenet's attack had been found next to his body. Had the second kidnapper killed his ex-partner hoping to get police detectives off his trail? If so, his ploy failed. Even though Smit and I found the Boots' story compelling, Boulder police weren't biting-at least not hard.



#13, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mikie on Jul-25-03 at 05:46 PM
In response to message #12
LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-03 AT 05:47 PM (EST)
 
Taser.
Hi-Tek Boots.
Video of 6 year old girl kidnapped and murdered.
Trajectory problems.
Pillow to muffle sound. (If you kill yourself you don't care about waking up the neighbors.)
Crouched under the covers.
Death "Goth" tattoos.
edit: SBTC hat?
And BPD says it's a suicide not related to Ramsey?

Obviously BPD was not interested in solving the Ramsey case.


#15, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mint_Julep on Jul-25-03 at 06:11 PM
In response to message #13
What really nauseates me is the way Thomas dismissed this suspect, who really looks good for the crime, after all his sanctimonious mewing about being committed to justice for JonBenet. It is well that he's a carpenter now (if he still is).

#16, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Justice_seeker on Jul-25-03 at 06:13 PM
In response to message #13
LOL, that Rita is nutz!! I remember when she began posting, she was ranting about an Internet conspiracy involving Team Ramsey saying some of us Ramsey supporters were being paid to post on the Internet. I think part of her (supposed) book was to be about identifying and exposing the conspiracy/conspirators. Need I say more........ LOL

#25, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Carolyn_Sue on Jul-28-03 at 03:48 PM
In response to message #13
>Taser.
>Hi-Tek Boots.
>Video of 6 year old girl kidnapped and murdered.
>Trajectory problems.
>Pillow to muffle sound. (If you kill yourself you don't
>care about waking up the neighbors.)
>Crouched under the covers.
>Death "Goth" tattoos.
>edit: SBTC hat?
>And BPD says it's a suicide not related to Ramsey?
>
>Obviously BPD was not interested in solving the Ramsey case.

Heart drawn on JB's hand
Killed or suicide on valentine's day


#14, Several points
Posted by DonBradley on Jul-25-03 at 06:04 PM
In response to message #0
Jurisdiction: Although different agencies were involved, it does not seem that the competency level was all that different.

Land: There is more than one parcel involved, I believe. Also the agenda for the zoning appeals are online if anyone is interested, and I believe they go back that far but am not certain. I don't recall the URL offhand.

I would think anyone angry would take on the Chairman of the appeal board or his daughter or something, however one of the main tenants was AG when the property was later developed, so perceptions may have changed a bit.

I don't know if Helgoth committed suicide with or without assistance. Some of his family members have doubts, there are things about the angle of entry that are 'possible, but not probable' according to some posters.

Certainly one man felt sufficiently motivated to break into the property and turn the boots over to a private detective, so he felt his acquaintance was probably involved.

The remote mountain cabin that was leased for Dec 1996 may have been simply for hunting/fishing/etc, but we have no idea.


#18, RE: Several points
Posted by one_eyed Jack on Jul-25-03 at 08:05 PM
In response to message #14
If such a photograph really exists, I think it quite interesting that there are doubts about his death and all kinds of incriminating evidence right near the body. Sounds like a set-up. Without more evidence, all we can do is speculate.

#19, RE: Several points
Posted by Rainsong on Jul-25-03 at 08:08 PM
In response to message #14
Since I came into this late, would someone tell me where the info on Helgoth and his death can be located? And where was Shapiro's article published? The Globe?

Rainsong


#20, RE: Several points
Posted by Smokey on Jul-26-03 at 01:46 AM
In response to message #19
LAST EDITED ON Jul-26-03 AT 02:27 AM (EST)
 
Rainsong, Jeff Shapiro's article was published in the Boulder Weekly here: http://www.boulderweekly.com/archive/122001/coverstory.html

Helgoth's death (if I remember correctly) and the Valmont property sale came to light in forum discussions when his friend turned in the HI-TEC boots for testing to Ramsey investigators, who turned them over to the BPD.

Boots owner was tested by police http://web.dailycamera.com/extra/ramsey/2000/01aboot.html

JonBenet prosecutors stand pat
http://denver.rockymountainnews.com/extra/ramsey/0901rams2.shtml

Home Depot, Louisville talking after Boulder discouraged offer
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:JYARYYMojn4J:bcn.boulder.co.us/business/BCBR/1995/aug/real.html

Owners plan to redevelop former Goodyear building
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:f-yRJyRiWSwJ:www.bcbr.com/oct98/real2.htm

Edited to add one more article where Helgoth's name is mentioned in connection with the Ramsey case:

http://www.longmontfyi.com/ramsey/storyDetail03.asp?ID=26

If not Patsy Ramsey, who? The unusual suspects
By Travis Henry

"Carnes notes in her ruling that one man named in the Ramseys’ book, Michael Helgoth, committed suicide two months after the murder and one day after District Attorney Alex Hunter announced they were narrowing the search for JonBenet’s killer.

A stun gun was found near Mr. Helgoth’s body, as well as “HI-TEC” boots. Evidence in the case suggests that JonBenet’s killer used a stun gun on her. Unidentified shoeprints from HI-TEC boots also were found in the Ramseys’ basement."


#21, $2.4 million
Posted by Mikie on Jul-26-03 at 09:14 AM
In response to message #20
Gosh thanks, Smokey, that's a great collection of articles. The Home Depot offered $1 million no questions asked. But the city bought it for $2.4 million. I thought someone said it was bought for a dollar or something like that.

"The city of Boulder purchased the land for $2.4 million to incorporate it into 115 acres of park space in the area."

So is it now a mall or is it a park? Or both?


#22, RE: $2.4 million
Posted by AvidReader on Jul-26-03 at 09:45 AM
In response to message #21
i think this is it Mikie

http://web.dailycamera.com/pearl/main.html


#23, RE: $2.4 million
Posted by DonBradley on Jul-26-03 at 11:58 AM
In response to message #21
>The Home Depot offered $1 million no questions asked. But
>the city bought it for $2.4 million. I thought someone said
>it was bought for a dollar or something like that.
Okay, we don't need a full title search, but I think there should be more precise attention to which parcels of land you are talking about. My recollection is that there were two separate parcels the family owned and had disputes with the city over developing.

The city would not grant an access easement and the value of the parcel to any developer would be affected by that.


#24, I'm only familiar with the Auto
Posted by Maikai on Jul-27-03 at 10:04 PM
In response to message #23
Parts Valmont property, and IMO, the owners made a killing...but must have had a smart lawyer. They could use their previous offers in negotiations with the City....or else the city would have had to have condemned the property, and that usually costs them more. The land was zoned industrial---use as a junk yard for auto parts. Sounds to me like they got a "big box" price. The owners get a nice chunk of change---and the auto parts business was declining anyway---the city gets more green space, and keeps the big box guys out.

Hard to say if Michael Helgoth was upset about this----his sister also had cancer, and died after he did. I don't believe Access Graphic had anything to do with this transaction.


#26, RE: Several points
Posted by Carolyn_Sue on Jul-28-03 at 03:49 PM
In response to message #14
>Jurisdiction: Although different agencies were involved, it
>does not seem that the competency level was all that
>different.
>
>Land: There is more than one parcel involved, I believe.
>Also the agenda for the zoning appeals are online if anyone
>is interested, and I believe they go back that far but am
>not certain. I don't recall the URL offhand.
>
>I would think anyone angry would take on the Chairman of the
>appeal board or his daughter or something, however one of
>the main tenants was AG when the property was later
>developed, so perceptions may have changed a bit.
>
>I don't know if Helgoth committed suicide with or without
>assistance. Some of his family members have doubts, there
>are things about the angle of entry that are 'possible, but
>not probable' according to some posters.
>
>Certainly one man felt sufficiently motivated to break into
>the property and turn the boots over to a private detective,
>so he felt his acquaintance was probably involved.
>
>The remote mountain cabin that was leased for Dec 1996 may
>have been simply for hunting/fishing/etc, but we have no
>idea.

Mountain cabin -- beaver hair?


#27, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by jameson on Jul-28-03 at 04:38 PM
In response to message #0
>The death of Michael Helgoth was ruled a suicide by police.
TRUE

>There was a connection to the Ramsey case because he had
>some sort of obsession with JonBenet, (according to a
>friend).
FALSE

> In spite of the stun gun and Hi-Tek boots found in
>his room, there was no serious investigation to link him to
>the Ramsey murder. There was no search of his room. His
>house was demolished and razed to the ground.
The police refused to do a serious investigation there - - seems to me they simply refused to do it because they thought they had the killers identified. They were wrong, of course.... but that didn't matter.
They didn't take thingsfrom his room that may well have been related to the Ramsey case- - and I am not talking just about the boots and stun gun - - both found next to his body. There was even more - - but the BPD didn't seem to care.
The house was actually bought by the city and demolished by the city so they could have more open space. Searching the house at that point might have helped the Ramsey investigation, but again, the BPD chose to ignore the opportunity.
A friend of Helgoth - John Kennedy - thought that something in there might solve the case - he went in and grabbed some stuff - - and was arrested for burglary.
Go figure.
I think the Helgoth question needs to be reviewed by the new team.

>His family
>did not believe it was suicide; they think he was murdered.
Some, maybe not all. That's true.

From the chat with Steve Thomas:


>jameson:
> Steve, thanks for taking the question. Since I
>have only one, this is it - - "Why wasn't
> Michael Helgoth's room searched when the
>sheriff's department advised that he may
> need to be looked at? (after his suicide - when a
>stun gun and Hi-Tec boots were
> clearly visible in the photos of his body..."
>
>stevethomas
> Re: photo you mention -- have you seen it? or is
>it someone "else" who is talking
> about stun guns and hi-tecs? i agree, if bpd
>didn't take the opportunity to look at it,
> even to discount it, it was a missed opportunity.
>but don't make hay out of something
> in left field. those inside the case didn't think
>it was stun gun, based on medical
> evidence. and the hi-tec boot has inherent chain
>of custody issues. thanks for the
> questions, sorry the space allows for only such a
>short answer.

Steve Thomas gave a non-answer - - and included a question in it that I was not allowed to respond to.
Yes, I saw the photo -
yes it was a missed opportunity - - I was asking why they missed it - and he didn't answer.
The chain-of-custody "issues" were a crock. Later those same boots WERE taken by the BPD to the CBI for comparison. The chain of custody then was certainly longer - - but still the evidence could be used - - and Thomas knew that as well as I did.


>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rita Johnson posted that "...when they discovered Michael; he was "crouched" down at the end of the bed under the covers with a pillow that had muffled the gun shot."

That is wrong - I have the autopsy - we posted it long ago - - and I have seen the photos - - Rita is absolutely wrong. I think she is fishing for information - - since it doesn't matter to the Ramsey case, I see no reason to give it to her. But Michael was NOT "crouched" or under the covers.


Rita, I think, makes up this crap as she goes along. Please don't bother bringing her posts here. It is garbage.



#28, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mikie on Jul-28-03 at 05:09 PM
In response to message #27
So then what is the truth? He was on the floor? On the bed? On top of the covers? Can you describe it jameson? Was the body moved for the photo?

#29, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mint_Julep on Jul-28-03 at 05:23 PM
In response to message #27
And is it true that he had a baseball cap with "SBTC" on it?

#30, RE: Was Helgoth Murdered?
Posted by Mint_Julep on Jul-28-03 at 05:27 PM
In response to message #29
It's just occurred to me that every time I write a check for cash at my local bank, I make it out to "S.B.&T." - State Bank and Trust. Just add C for Colorado.

#31, Mikie
Posted by jameson on Jul-28-03 at 05:35 PM
In response to message #30
fully dressed, on the bed, over the covers, stretched out, certainly not crouched under the covers. There is more but I will leave it at this -- there is good reason to believe it was not a suicide. The big thing in my mind is the path of the bullet, damn near impossible to get a bullet to follow that route if you are shooting yourself.

I don't know if Helgoth killed JonBenét, but if there was more than one person there that night and one wanted to put the crime on the other - - - why NOT try to make it look like a suicide and leave a stun gun and the boots there.

I have a few questions about that crime scene myself - -like where did the pillow end up? It wasn't left lying on his chest.


#32, RE: Mikie
Posted by Mikie on Jul-28-03 at 06:07 PM
In response to message #31
Thanks jameson. As Shapiro wrote, the trajectory was from the left but he was right handed, suggesting he did not commit suicide. They cannot recognize homicide in that town. People hit themselves on the head and jump into a hole, pulling plywood over the hole as they fall. People become contortionists, shooting themselves in the back. BPD is a farce, but at least the homicide rate is low.

#33, Valmont--not unhappy to sell
Posted by Maikai on Jul-29-03 at 01:14 AM
In response to message #32
The owner's weren't unhappy about selling the auto parts yard--they were having problems selling to the big boxes---they ended up getting $450,000 less than one of their offers, but still a good deal. Of course, that meant Michael would have to move...and he worked there since a teenager. Nothing was ever revealed as to why he would commit suicide:


DAILY CAMERA
SEA OF WRECKED CARS COULD BECOME PARK
Tuesday, July 23, 1996
Section: MAIN
Edition: FIRST
Page: 1A
By LISA MARSHALL Camera Staff Writer

If the Boulder City Council decides to buy up to 101 acres along Valmont Road for a large community park, children will someday kick a soccer ball in what is now a sea of wrecked cars. Families will picnic in what once was a thriving poultry farm.

But finding a farm fresh egg or a part for an old Chevy in Boulder could be tricky.


"There are a lot of people who are going to be sad to see us go," said Dick Helgoth, 59, whose family has run Valmont Auto Parts - the last auto yard in town - for nearly four decades. Helgoth said Boulder County land regulations and neighborhood covenants that prohibit people from working on their cars at home have taken the profit out of running a junk yard. Despite the family's rich history on the land, they are eager to sell.
"It's a different business than it was back when Dad started it," he said. "Back then, if you carried Ford or Chevy parts, you had it all."

The Parks and Recreation Board on Monday recommended the city buy as much land as possible on the Valmont Corridor site for $13.5 million. The City Council will give final consideration to the site Aug. 6.

The city is negotiating details of cleaning up the area, but landowners have agreed to deliver the sites "'clean," said Wally Cameron, who handles real estate purchases for the city. He would not release the prices of individual parcels within the site.

The Helgoths expect it will take about five months to sell off the usable parts from some 2,000 cars, hire a wrecking company to crush the remaining auto skeletons and plow away debris, allowing for leftover petroleum to evaporate.

"Then we'll take it easy for a couple of years. We haven't had much time to vacation," said Doug Helgoth, 49, who has run the business with his brother, Dick, since 1961.

Next door, K.C. Schneider is preparing to tell tenants, who have stored large mechanical equipment in his outdoor storage area for five years, they'll have find another storage place.

"It's probably one of the last inexpensive storage areas around and a lot of the people that run their little businesses don't have any place to go," said Schneider, who grew up riding horses and picnicking on the 24-acre property that used to be a farm.

Even a few family dogs are buried out there, he said.

"It may not look like it now, but it's going to be a great park site," said Schneider, struck by the beauty of the Flatirons behind the field of rusty cars and trailers on his lot. "Everyone is taking a little less money to see it as a park because they are obviously people who have owned property here for decades and care about Boulder. I can't wait to take my kids on a picnic out there."

While thrilled with the prospect of seeing a park there, Schneider said he views the land deal as the end of an era, a reflection of Boulder's move toward being an economically exclusive community.

"Every town needs a junkyard," he said.

Across the street, where the Boulder Valley Poultry farm has doled out eggs for local groceries and individuals since 1960, Mildred Vaughan is less enthusiastic about selling her family's 22.5 acres to the city.

Vaughan, 78, is afraid she'll lose her connection with the people of Boulder if she can't sell them eggs anymore. "They are really down in the dumps about not being able to get their farm fresh eggs," she said.

But Vaughan said she will bite an offer to clean up and sell "only if the price is right."