Never Quit Looking — Case File
Missing Person
Case ID#: 0140
VICTIM’S PHOTOGRAPH
Missing
Raylene Susan Helsley
May Also Be Known As: N/A
Unidentified Person Notice: In English, unidentified individuals are often known as “Jane Doe” or “John Doe.” This means the victim’s true name is currently unknown.
Biological Sex: Female
Age at the Time: 12
Country:
Date Missing: January 5, 1983
Brief Overview: Raylene Susan Helsley has been missing since 1983 from Ruston, Louisiana. The night before she was allegedly viciously beaten by her father. Police suspect the assault was fatal, but her body has never been recovered.
Public Awareness Notice: This case file is provided for public awareness and responsible information sharing. If you have relevant information, please contact the appropriate law enforcement agency.
Victim Description
Physical Description
Date of Birth
October 19, 1970
Age
12
Age Group
Pre-Teenager (10 to 12 Years Old)
Biological Sex
Female
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye Color
Blue
Ethnicity
Caucasian or White
Nationality
United States
Language(s) Spoken
English
Physical Build
Height (ft’ in”)
4'11"
Height (cm)
150 cm
Weight (lbs)
87 lbs
Weight (kg)
39.5 kg
Distinguishing Features
Scars & Other Marks
Raylene has a pale strawberry colored birthmark on the back of her neck, near her hairline. She also has a blue pencil mark scar on the top of her nose and upper lip.
Clothing & Accessories
Clothing
Description
- Floral purple, long-sleeved shirt
- Levi Jeans
- Boots
*NamUs says her shirt was “blue and green” and her boots were cowboy boots.
Description of Events
Disappearance
Date Last Seen
June 7, 2025
The Incident
The Alleged Assault
Raylene Susan Helsley, a 12-year-old girl, lived with her father, Raymond E. Helsley Jr., and her younger sister, Candace “Candy” (aged 8), in a trailer in Ruston, Louisiana. The family had previously resided in Natchez, Mississippi, where Raymond Helsley Jr. had been convicted of abusing Raylene, indicating a history of domestic violence. The household environment was reportedly volatile, with Raylene and Candace subjected to their father’s abusive behavior.
On the evening of January 4, 1983, an altercation occurred that precipitated Raylene’s disappearance. According to Candace’s testimony to the police, the incident began over a minor infraction: Raylene drank a Coca-Cola without her father’s permission. When she refused to perform jumping jacks as punishment, Raymond Helsley Jr. became enraged. The situation escalated rapidly, and he began physically assaulting Raylene. Candace reported that her father grabbed Raylene by the hair and beat her with a PVC pipe, striking her on the body and head. He later switched to a silver 14-inch pipe wrench, hitting her with such force that the wrench broke apart. Candace, frightened, retreated to her bedroom but later heard Raylene scream again, suggesting the assault continued.
The following morning, January 5, 1983, Candace saw Raylene lying unmoving on the couch before leaving for school. Raylene did not attend school that day, reportedly due to being unwell or injured from the assault. When Candace returned home from school, Raylene was gone, and her whereabouts have remained unknown since.
Raymond’s Explanation
Raymond Helsley Jr. claimed he left the trailer for approximately one hour on the morning of January 5, during which time Raylene disappeared. He insisted that she likely ran away. He admitted to striking Raylene with the PVC pipe but maintained it was old and brittle, causing minimal harm. He also disputed Candace’s account of the pipe wrench, claiming he had grabbed it from the sink (which was under repair) to clear space when Raylene began vomiting, and that Candace misunderstood the situation. He asserted Raylene was not seriously injured but was simply sick that morning.Your Attractive Heading
The Investigation
Candace would later testify that it was true that the PVC pipe was old and small; she also admitted that she never saw any blood. Nonetheless, police honed in on Mr. Helsley as the primary suspect, convinced he had murdered Raylene before hiding her body.
On January 7, 1983, the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office searched the family’s trailer and surrounding areas. Evidence collected included:
- A silver pipe wrench (referred to as wrench 1), identified by Candace as the one used in the assault. Its clamp and adjustment screw were missing, which possibly aligned with her claim that the wrench broke while Helsley was using it.
- A second pipe wrench (wrench 2), found in a toolbox on top of the silver wrench.
- A pillow and a blanket, both of which contained minute traces of human blood, though forensic testing could not confirm if it was Raylene’s.
- A drainboard.
Neither the blanket nor the drainboard were admitted into evidence at trial. The blood on the pillow and wrench 2 could not be definitively linked to Raylene, and the pillow’s connection to the case was deemed inadmissible by the court. However, the broken state of the silver pipe wrench corroborated Candace’s testimony about the severity of the assault.
Police focused on Raymond Helsley Jr. as the primary suspect, suspecting he murdered Raylene and disposed of her body. Their suspicions were fueled by:
- Candace’s detailed testimony of the violent assault.
- Helsley’s prior conviction for abusing Raylene in Mississippi.
- His failure of two polygraph tests and two psychological stress evaluations, which suggested deception. The judge later noted that these tests indicated Helsley may have buried Raylene’s body within 1.5 miles of the trailer.
Unfortunately, police were never able to prove Raylene was killed, nor was her body ever recovered.
Despite extensive searches of wooded areas, nearby rivers, and ponds in Union Parish, no trace of Raylene was found. A tip from a “reliable source” suggested her body might have been disposed of in the Ouachita River near Sterlington, Louisiana, approximately 50–60 minutes from Ruston. Authorities searched the river from Sterlington to Columbia and Monroe using boats, horseback, and foot patrols, involving around 35 officers. A woman fishing reported finding a bone along the riverbank, but police determined it was animal in nature. Rumors of clothing or human remains in the area were not substantiated. The river theory conflicted with the police’s initial belief that Raylene was buried near the trailer.
A separate report from a family in Natchez, Mississippi, claimed they saw Raylene after her disappearance, but this lead was investigated and yielded no results. (The Times 1983)
The Trial
Raymond Helsley Jr. was arrested on January 7, 1983, and charged with cruelty to a juvenile (La.R.S. 14:93) for the assault on Raylene. This would have been a felony charge and a ‘habitual offender’ proceeding (given his prior conviction for abusing Raylene in Natchez) may have substantially increased his sentence (Louisiana Laws). Unfortunately, the prosecution was forced to drop the ‘habitual offender’ element given that his Mississippi conviction was under appeal at the time.Your Attractive Heading
Additional charges were filed in August 1983 for the unlawful transportation, possession, and storage of explosives, stemming from his storage of high-explosive detonating cords, fuses, and blasting caps in the trailer, which he had transported from Natchez, Mississippi, in 1982. He accepted a plea bargain, confessing to the transportation charge in exchange for the prosecution dropping the other explosives-related charges.
Helsley pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to the cruelty charge. On June 7, 1983, he was convicted and sentenced to the maximum penalty of ten years of hard labor, a $1,000 fine, and court costs. The judge controversially considered inadmissible evidence, such as the failed polygraph tests, during sentencing. In 1984, Helsley appealed, and while the prison sentence was upheld, the fine and court costs were removed (457 So.2d 707, 1984).
No murder charge was filed due to the absence of Raylene’s body, leaving her fate unconfirmed.
Additional Information
In 1986, Raymond Helsley Jr. was a co-plaintiff in a class action lawsuit against the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office, alleging systematic torture of prisoners, including beatings, chemical assaults, and denial of medical care (Martin 1986). Helsley testified to being handcuffed, chained, and maced for hours, as well as being attacked by another inmate, resulting in severe injuries. These claims raise questions about the conditions of his interrogation and incarceration, potentially affecting the reliability of his failed polygraph and stress tests.
The Follow-Up
In 2011, a woman claiming to be Candace posted on a true crime forum (Websleuths), stating she was 37 and had lived in foster homes and with her grandparents after Raylene’s disappearance. She mentioned visiting her father in prison as a child and meeting him once after his release at age 18 but had since cut contact. She expressed hope that Raylene was alive but acknowledged the unlikelihood, and she provided DNA for comparison against unidentified remains. The authenticity of this post could not be independently verified.
If the post is valid, The Suitcase Detective is pleased to know she has moved on and matured into a strong woman her sister would be proud of. We wish Candace all the best and hope that someday she finds the answers her family deserves.
Multiple Victims?
No
Rumored Sightings
A separate report from a family in Natchez, Mississippi, claimed they saw Raylene after her disappearance, but this lead was investigated and yielded no results.
Additional details
Related Persons
Description
Raymond Helsley Jr. was Raylene’s father and is suspected of having killed her in a fit of rage one evening. He was male, Caucasian or White, middle aged.
Places of Interest
Disappearance
City
Ruston
State or Province
Louisiana
Country
Postal Code (Zip Code)
Latitude & Longitude
General Location
Town or City
Photo Gallery
Resources
Articles & Other Written Works
- Charley Project (2017) ‘Raylene Susan Helsley’. 19 June. Available from: Link
- Clarion-Ledger (1983) ’10-year sentence for beating daughter’, 3 August
- Forum (WebSleuths), ‘LA – Raylene Helsley, 12, Ruston, 5 January 1983 ‘, Available at: Link
- Martin, P. (1986) ‘Prisoners claim beatings, scaldings’, The Times, 21 July.
- Martin, P. (1986) ‘Jail abuses push parish into decree’, The Times, 22 July.
- NCMEC
- The Daily Advertiser (1983) ‘Man charged with child abuse’, 16 February.
- The Times (1983) ‘Trial date set in abuse case’, 30 April.
- The Times (1983) ‘Girl, 8, testifies father beat sister’, 7 June.
- The Times (1983) ‘Father convicted of cruelty’, 8 June.
- The Times (1983) ‘Man guilty of child abuse’, 8 June.The Times (1983) ‘Girl, 8, testifies father beat sister’, 7 June.
- The Times (1983) ‘New charges for Helsley’, 22 July.
- The Times (1983) ‘Clues sought along river’, 12 August.
- The Times (1983) ‘Lawmen continue search’, 14 August
- The Times (1983) ‘Laboratory tests awaited’, 19 August
- The Times (1984) ’12-year-old still missing, and child abuse implicated’, 1 January
- The Town Talk (1983) ‘Child abuse trial begins for father of missing girl’, 7 June.
- Walker, G. (1983) ’10 year sentence given for child beating’, The Times, 3 August.
Contact Authorities
Police, Relevant Agencies, & Other Useful Personnel
Important Notice
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For the most accurate guidance, please contact the relevant embassy in your country or your own country’s embassy or consulate in the country involved.
Contact Information — United States of America
Agency 🏢
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Phone Number 📞
Emergency Phone Number 🚨
Website 💻
Email Address 📧
IDD Prefix
011
Country Code
+1
Additional Contacts
- National Crime Information Center (NCIC) — Website
- Crime Stoppers USA — Locate a Program
- National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) — Website
- National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) — Website
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I was the teacher that first turned Mr. Helsley for child abuse in Natchez, Ms before he moved to Farmerville. I have never forgotten that child and the impact she had on our school and my life. I have kept many of the articles that came out of Farmerville.
Good thing you did; I just wish it could have saved this poor child’s life somehow. So thankful you tried.
Really seeking information. Anything!
I dont think Anyone doubted his guilt. It’s just sad he got to LIVE! …AND ASK ABOUT MOM . SOMEONE PLEASE! I lived in this neighborhood and this made an impact on my childhood…I’m Raylene’s age my sister is Candace’s age. This made Monsters REAL to us!
Tragic, I feel that the father did this. He is an evil animal but he will answer for his evil one day.