Helen Voorhees Brach (born November 10, 1911 – disappeared February 17, 1977) was an American multimillionaire widow whose wealth had come from marrying into the E. J. Brach & Sons Candy Company fortune; she endowed the Helen V. Brach Foundation to promote animal welfare in 1974. Brach disappeared on February 17, 1977, and was declared legally dead in May 1984. An investigation into the case uncovered serious criminal activity associated with Chicago stable owners including Silas Jayne and Richard Bailey. More than a decade later Bailey was charged with, but not convicted of, conspiring to murder Brach; he eventually received a long sentence after being convicted of defrauding her.
Helen Brach was born on November 10, 1911, on a small farm in Unionport, Ohio. Helen married her high school sweetheart in 1928; the couple had divorced by the time she was 21. Brach found work at a country club in Palm Beach, where she met and married a millionaire, Frank Brach. The couple built a home in Fisher Island, Florida, shortly afterward. The couple purchased another home in Glenview, Illinois closer to their Chicago factories. Helen and Frank spent most of their time in south Florida.
Helen Brach was born on November 10, 1911, on a small farm in Unionport, Ohio. Helen married her high school sweetheart in 1928; the couple had divorced by the time she was 21. Brach found work at a country club in Palm Beach, where she met and married a millionaire, Frank Brach. The couple built a home in Fisher Island, Florida, shortly afterward. The couple purchased another home in Glenview, Illinois closer to their Chicago factories. Helen and Frank spent most of their time in south Florida.
Brach was declared dead in 1984. No one was ever convicted in Brach's disappearance, although Bailey was sentenced to 30 years in prison for defrauding her.
According to a case filed in the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit, Bailey, the owner of Bailey Stables and Country Club Stables targeted wealthy middle-aged or older women with little knowledge of the horse business who had recently been widowed or divorced. In 1975, Bailey's brother, Paul, sold her three horses for $98,000; unknown to Brach, Bailey also participated in the sale, and the horses were worth less than $20,000. Brach also bought a group of expensive broodmares. Early in 1977, Bailey arranged an extensive showing for Brach, hoping to persuade her to invest $150,000 in more horses. An appraiser Brach hired recommended she invest nothing in training one of her original three purchases, contrary to the $50,000 estimate of the trainer recommended by Bailey.
In 1989 the investigation was reopened and turned up evidence of criminal activity by associates of Bailey such as Silas Jayne, Bailey was charged with conspiring with several others (named but not charged) to kill Brach, however, some (including her brother) questioned if Bailey had in fact been guilty of this.
