Board denies pardon for Jennifer Helmedek after victims urge rejection

The Connecticut Board of Pardons and Paroles on Sept. 9, 2025, unanimously denied an absolute pardon for applicant Jennifer Helmedek, following extended testimony from the victim’s family and public input from the Office of Victim Services.

Board chair Deborah Smith Palmeri moved to deny the request, and Commissioners Joy Chance and Sergio Rodriguez joined her vote. The board said the seriousness of Helmedek’s role and the continuing impact on victims and their families weighed against erasing her criminal record.

Why it matters: family members and victim advocates told the board that Helmedek’s pardon would erase harms they said were long-lasting and severe. Those statements shaped the board’s decision to deny the application.

Family members told the board they opposed any pardon. Brian Bennett, the father of the victim, said in a prepared statement that Helmedek “set my daughter up to be robbed and murdered,” and criticized the pardon application as an attempt to erase the family’s loss. Angela Bennett, the victim’s mother, told the board the family lost both her daughter and an unborn grandchild and said she opposed a pardon because it would diminish the impact of those deaths.

Board discussion and decision: Chair Palmeri cited the “impact and injury to the victims and the victims’ families” when she announced the board’s reason for denial, saying that erasing the conviction would “diminish” the seriousness of the offense. Commissioners Chance and Rodriguez each recorded aye votes when the chair put the motion to deny; the board’s public record shows the denial was entered by majority.

Case background (as stated in hearing): Helmedek’s original sentence was lengthy and was later reduced after appellate review; her release date was noted in filings as February 2016. The board members said they had reviewed the applicant’s file, program participation and letters from employers and supporters, but emphasized the weight courts and prosecutors place on victim impact when considering pardons.

Victim input and board guidance: The Office of Victim Services organized multiple family statements and one family member addressed the board in person. Commissioners repeatedly told the applicant they recognized rehabilitation but that pardons also serve to balance community notice and victim impact. Several commissioners encouraged the applicant to expand community service and victim-focused outreach if she re-applies.

What’s next: The board recorded the denial in its minutes and advised the applicant of the outcome and the statutory process for reapplication. Attorney representatives and the applicant were given the board’s reason for denial on the record.

Speakers (selected): Deborah Smith Palmeri, Presiding Chair, Board of Pardons and Paroles; Joy Chance, Commissioner; Sergio Rodriguez, Commissioner; Jennifer Helmedek, Applicant; Attorney Dennison, counsel for applicant; Brian Bennett, father of the victim (victim family); Angela Bennett, mother of the victim (victim family); Office of Victim Services (representative: De Jesus).

Ending: The board’s decision leaves Helmedek’s conviction on public record and closes this application. Family members said the outcome acknowledged their continuing loss; commissioners said the decision reflects the board’s weighing of rehabilitation against victim impact.