Diane Helms, a 44-year-old Black woman, was one of four women killed and set on fire in Miami between August 1995 and March 1996. The victims, all Black women who struggled with addiction, were found beaten, burned, and partially clothed in or near Miami’s inner city.

Authorities arrested Francisco del Junco, a Cuban immigrant who came to the United States during the Mariel boatlift in 1980, after a woman who had been assaulted by him months earlier flagged down police when she recognized him. In custody Del Junco confessed, gave detailed accounts of each killing, and reenacted the crimes at the locations where the bodies were found. Investigators interviewed more than 500 people and at one point pursued a suspect known only as Dread.

Del Junco denied a racial motive despite the consistent race of the victims. He was charged in the four murders and in 2002 received life sentences. Does anyone have information about Diane Helms, her life, or where she spent time in Miami’s inner city?