Kill for Thrill (11 page)

As a show of solidarity, Michael lifted his jacket, pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Helman.

“Give us the money,” he said.

Randy Helman opened the register and slid what few bills remained in the drawer into the palm of his hand. Casually, he pushed them toward Michael. Michael impatiently clutched at the bills and then crammed them into his pocket. Having emptied the drawer, Randy Helman pushed it closed and looked at John Lesko as if to say, “It’s your move.”

While Michael was gathering the money, John pulled some yellow electrical wire from his pocket. He walked behind the counter where Helman stood and, working feverishly, wrapped the wire around Helman’s wrists. Turn after turn, he wound the wire tighter and tighter. When he had finished with Helman’s wrists, he moved to his ankles. He needed to be sure that they would get away. Michael joined him.

Bent industriously over Helman, John and Michael were unaware of Charles Veshinfski, who, while they were busy ordering Helman to the floor, had pulled into the parking lot. It was part of his daily routine—every morning he stopped at the 7-Eleven to buy a paper. On this morning, Charles Veshinfski would not get his paper.

1. The State Correctional Institute at Rockview, located in Centre County Pennsylvania. Rockview is the only correctional institution in Pennsylvania authorized to carry out the death penalty.
Photograph courtesy the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
.

2. Leonard Miller’s senior high school photo, taken circa 1976.
Photograph courtesy Dr. William Kerr
.

3. Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Kiski 1 Regional Police Academy graduating class. Leonard Miller is standing at the center of the back row.
Photograph courtesy James D. Clawson
.

4. Booking photos of John Lesko and Daniel Montgomery. Lesko is pictured on the left, and Montgomery is on the right.
Photograph courtesy the
Valley News Dispatch
, Tarentum, Pennsylvania.

5. Trooper Thomas Tridico, Pennsylvania State Police, shortly after graduation from the State Police Academy, circa 1947.
Photograph courtesy Thomas Tridico
.

6. Apollo Borough Police Station as it appears today. Located at 405 North Pennsylvania Avenue, the facility is no longer in use but remains essentially unchanged since January 3, 1980, the night on which Leonard Miller was shot.

7. Joe’s Steakhouse, located on Route 22 in Delmont, Pennsylvania, circa 1970. Travaglia and Lesko abandoned Peter Levato’s Ford Grenada in the cornfield behind this restaurant on December 27, 1979.
Photograph courtesy Monica Meehan
.

8. Sergeant Thomas Tridico lecturing at the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, circa 1970.

Photograph courtesy Thomas Tridico
.

9. Thatcher’s Motel, located on Route 22 in Delmont, Pennsylvania, as it appears today.

10. Thatcher’s Motel, as it appears today.

11. Lobby and office of Thatcher’s Motel as they appear today.