Levi Boone Helm – Murderer, Cannibal & Thief
Levi Boone Helm, a name synonymous with depravity and brutality in the annals of the American West, remains a chilling figure. Born into a life teetering on the edge of civilization, Helm carved a path of violence and infamy, leaving behind a legacy of murder, theft, and even cannibalism. This is the story of Levi Boone Helm, a man seemingly devoid of conscience, whose actions shocked even the hardened frontiersmen of his time.
To understand Levi Boone Helm, it’s essential to place him within the context of the era. The mid-19th century American West was a land of opportunity and lawlessness, where fortune-seekers and outlaws alike flocked in pursuit of their dreams, or, in Helm’s case, their dark desires. While figures like Henry Plummer, another notorious outlaw, possessed a veneer of refinement, Helm was unadulterated savagery. He was a product of a brutal environment, but also a testament to the depths of human depravity.
Born in Kentucky, Helm’s family relocated to Missouri during his youth, placing him on the volatile border between established society and the untamed frontier. This formative period coincided with the waning days of the Santa Fe Trail, a vital artery of commerce and adventure. Towns like Independence and Westport pulsed with the energy of westward expansion, sending wagon trains laden with goods and hopeful pioneers into the vast unknown. This environment undoubtedly shaped the young Levi Boone Helm, exposing him to the harsh realities of frontier life and perhaps nurturing the darkness that would later consume him.
The allure of gold in California proved irresistible to many, including the already troubled Helm. He joined the westward rush, leaving behind a reputation as a quarrelsome and dangerous man. Even before setting foot in the Golden State, Helm was a murderer, a distinction that seemed to precede him wherever he went. His imposing physique and volatile temper made him a formidable presence, and he reveled in displays of strength and skill. It’s said that the community he left behind breathed a collective sigh of relief upon his departure, a sentiment that would likely be echoed by every settlement he subsequently inhabited.
The California goldfields became a stage for Helm’s violent tendencies. Amidst the chaos and competition, he found ample opportunity to indulge his thirst for bloodshed. He engaged in numerous duels, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. While violence was tragically commonplace in the goldfields, Helm’s actions eventually crossed a line, forcing him to flee California to escape the wrath of the miners.
Driven north and east, Helm sought refuge in the mountain placers, arriving at The Dalles, Oregon, in 1853. He gathered a group of companions, a motley crew of strangers bound by the shared pursuit of fortune. Their destination was Fort Hall, Idaho, with plans to eventually reach the settlements south of Salt Lake City. This journey would test their resilience and expose the true nature of each man, especially Levi Boone Helm.
As winter descended upon the rugged mountains of eastern Oregon, the party found themselves trapped in a desolate and unforgiving landscape. Their supplies dwindled, and the harsh conditions took their toll. An encounter with Native Americans further complicated their situation, forcing them into unfamiliar territory. Reaching Soda Springs on the Bear River offered a temporary respite, but their horses were exhausted, and their food was gone. In a desperate attempt to survive, they slaughtered their horses, using the hides to fashion makeshift snowshoes.
The group’s ordeal transformed into a harrowing march of desperation, a grim testament to the brutal realities of wilderness survival. As hunger gnawed at their bodies and hope dwindled, the weaker members succumbed to the elements. Helm, along with another man named Burton, possessed the strength to push forward, leaving their companions behind.
Near Fort Hall, Burton reached his limit and was left in an abandoned cabin. Helm pressed on, only to find the fort deserted for the winter. Returning to Burton, Helm claimed to have discovered that Burton had taken his own life. What followed was an act of unspeakable horror. Helm, driven by starvation and a chilling lack of morality, cannibalized Burton’s body. He consumed one leg and carried the other with him, a gruesome testament to his descent into barbarity.
Helm’s cannibalism wasn’t an act of desperation alone; he had allegedly discussed the possibility with his companions earlier in the journey, indicating a disturbing willingness to resort to such measures. He was eventually discovered by John W. Powell at a Native American camp. Powell, despite recognizing Helm’s dark nature, provided him with food and clothing and guided him to the settlements near Salt Lake City.
Adding another layer to Helm’s enigmatic character, Powell discovered that Helm carried a substantial sum of money, over $1,400 in coins, through his ordeal. He refused any payment from Helm, who, true to form, never expressed gratitude. Helm quickly abandoned Powell and embraced the dubious pleasures of civilization.
In Salt Lake City, Helm openly boasted of his cannibalistic act, reveling in the notoriety it brought him. He squandered his money, hired himself out as a Danite (a Mormon enforcer), and committed further acts of violence. His actions soon made him unwelcome, and he once again fled west, eventually returning to California.
While in California, Helm’s treachery reached new depths. He robbed and murdered a rancher who had taken him in and offered him refuge. Helm was incapable of gratitude or loyalty, his depravity seemingly boundless. He returned to Oregon and resumed his life of robbery and murder, adding to his already extensive list of victims.
By 1862, the mountain placers were attracting hordes of miners, and Levi Boone Helm inevitably surfaced in Florence, Idaho. There, he committed one of his most heinous acts, the cold-blooded murder of Dutch Fred. Fred, a renowned fighter, had not wronged Helm, but Helm was allegedly hired to kill him. He shot Fred, who was unarmed and unsuspecting, demonstrating his utter lack of honor.
The murder of Dutch Fred was so egregious that even the hardened inhabitants of Florence demanded justice. Helm fled north to the Fraser River in British Columbia, where he once again faced starvation in the wilderness. True to his pattern, he allegedly murdered and cannibalized another companion. The British authorities apprehended him and returned him to Portland, Oregon.
Helm was eventually tried for the murder of Dutch Fred in Florence, but the witnesses had vanished, and public interest in the case had waned. Helm escaped justice and drifted through various settlements, leaving a trail of violence and death. The exact number of his victims remains unknown, lost to the annals of the Old West.
The capture of Levi Boone Helm required courage and cunning. Three vigilantes apprehended him as he stood in the street, unaware of their intentions. Even in captivity, Helm remained defiant, claiming that he would have resisted had he known their plans. He initially denied ever killing anyone, even swearing on the Bible to his innocence.
However, Helm eventually confessed to murders in Missouri and California, admitting to imprisonment but denying being a road agent. He even implicated some of his associates in criminal activities, earning the ire of Jack Gallager, another prisoner, who condemned him for his betrayal.
Facing his impending execution, Helm remained remarkably composed. He claimed not to fear death, a sentiment that seemed genuine. He requested a glass of whiskey and maintained a detached demeanor.
On the day of his execution in Virginia City, Montana, a crowd of 6,000 gathered to witness the spectacle. Helm, standing on the gallows, showed more concern for a sore finger than for his impending demise. He mocked Jack Gallager’s fear and impatience, displaying a chilling indifference to the gravity of the situation.
In a final act of defiance, Helm declared his allegiance to the Confederacy and shouted, "Hurrah for Jeff Davis! Let her rip!" before leaping from the box, embracing his brutal end without remorse. Levi Boone Helm, the murderer, cannibal, and thief, had finally met his end, leaving behind a dark and disturbing chapter in the history of the American West.