Helen was leaving the Brothers Family Restaurant in Detroit, when she was attacked by Onumonu, who beat her to death, before dumping her badly beaten body in an alley behind a church. She had suffered a broken right collarbone, broken sternum, nine broken ribs, and had defensive wounds on her hands and arms. Her car was found at another church three miles away, slightly burned by a fire that was intended to destroy the vehicle, but only burned the front seat. A Kevlar glove was found in the backseat, which was tested for DNA twelve years later, which was matched to Onumonu, who was already in prison.