Kriti Mehrotra
It was in 2000 when Kerissa Fare’s entire world turned upside down as she found herself in the middle of two completely incomparable situations that no one could have seen coming. After all, as explored in ID’s ‘The Playboy Murders: The Centerfold and the Serial Killer,’ she was just about to get her big break as September’s Playmate of the Month when her past came knocking. So, instead of having fun at mansions or red carpets, she was suddenly facing officials in police stations and courts because her ex-boyfriend and his brother were accused of multiple heinous murders.
Kerissa Fare’s Reported Troubled Childhood Made Her Fall for the Helzer Brothers’ Charm
Born on December 31, 1976, as Keri Lynn Furman Mendoza to Brenda Gail Seifert and Wayne Thomas Furman in Orange County, California, Kerissa’s early years were far from ordinary. She actually primarily grew up without adult supervision owing to some of her parents’ issues. Yet, she still managed to do relatively well at school in terms of studies as well as extracurricular activities. In fact, she was not only a great cheerleader but also a key member of the track team at her high school, La Sierra High School in Riverside, before graduating and deciding to start afresh in 1995. Unfortunately, for a brief while, Kerissa found herself involved in a deeply abusive relationship, which is why she felt rather enchanted when she first came across Glenn Helzer in 1998.
According to her own accounts, she was serving as a barmaid in Concord when this patron caught her eye, only for him to then leave his card behind with instructions for her to buy herself a gift. She declined, but his confidence, honest intensity, and stockbroker ambitions had her intrigued to such an extent that she agreed to a date, unaware their bond would soon become much more. Kerissa ended up moving in with Glenn and his younger brother, Justin Helzer, shortly thereafter, which is where she remained almost until she decided to pursue a career in modeling. It was actually in early 2000 that she relocated to Southern California to hopefully get a chance to make it big in the industry, yet she always believed as if “it was special just to know [Glenn].” Therefore, by the time it was 2004 and she was called in to testify against a “childlike” Justin for his role in a quintuple homicide, she made it clear she was “surprised” by how things had turned out.
Kerissa Fare’s Testimony Against the Helzer Brothers Was Complicatedly Enlightening
Although Glenn had pleaded guilty shortly before his trial for the aforementioned 2000 quintuple homicide was to commence, Justin entered a not guilty plea by reason of insanity. Therefore, he faced trial for the accusations against him, and since Kerissa was deeply involved in their lives until just before the murders, she was called in to testify by prosecutors under immunity. However, because she failed to show up at the Contra Costa County court at the expected time, a warrant for her arrest was issued, only for it to turn out that she had missed her flight from Orange County.
Kerissa did arrive that same afternoon, later testifying to her ex-boyfriend’s undeniable charm and the environment in their home being “very loving… something I’d never experienced.” However, she also clarified that while Glenn gave her the confidence to get breast implants — which she paid for by working as a stripper — and send her photos to Playboy, he was always domineering to his brother. According to her statements, he would often tell Justin, “I am number 1, you are number 2,” before essentially controlling every aspect of his daily life while still coming across as positive.
Furthermore, Kerissa asserted her ex even gave her a drug problem by giving her ecstasy under the guise of aspirin one day after she had complained of a headache, which led to her addiction. As if that’s not enough, she confirmed that Glenn did indeed have a cult-like “12 Principles of Magic” manifesto that everyone close to him had to follow, but she hated it because of the strange rules it had. She then openly claimed that he used to speak of a “calling from God,” once took her to Mexico to buy date rape drugs, and also briefly discussed trafficking underage girls from Brazil. “I didn’t understand it,” she said. “It didn’t feel right to me,… the things he was talking about.” So, she eventually got out.
Kerissa Fare Seemingly Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life Today
After Kerissa relocated to Southern California in early 2000, it was Dawn Godman who moved in with the brothers as Justin’s girlfriend and later had a role to play in the numerous murders. While she pleaded guilty in 2003 in exchange for 38 years behind bars, her boyfriend was ultimately found guilty by a jury before being sentenced to death, just like his elder brother, Glenn, was sentenced to death. Following all this, it appears as if former barmaid turned stripper turned Playboy model and actress Kerissa chose to step away from the limelight for good so as to protect her privacy long term. Apart from being Playmate of the Month for September 2000, she had also appeared in various Playboy videos, but today, it seems like she is just leading a quiet life. From what we can tell, the 48-year-old is currently based in Northwest Meridian, Idaho, where she is surrounded by a strong support system in the form of loved ones at every turn.
Read More: Glenn and Justin Helzer: Where Are the Killers Now?
