Glen Taylor Helzer was born on July 26, 1970, in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of Gerry and Carma Helzer, who were both devout Mormons. Glen was not an only child; he had a younger sister named Heather and a younger brother named Justin. He grew up in a religious family and likely followed many of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Glen graduated from Ygnacio Valley High School. After high school, he served in the National Guard while living in Texas. He later went on a mission trip to Brazil for the Mormon Church. After completing his mission, he returned to the United States and worked as a stock broker for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

In April 1993, Glen married a woman named Ann. They had two daughters together. However, the couple faced challenges and separated in June 1996. During this time, Glen struggled with his mental health and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He went on disability in August 1998 due to his condition.

In 1998, Glen was excommunicated from the LDS Church because of his drug use. Around this period, he began to express unusual beliefs and declared himself a prophet. He developed a list of maxims called "The Twelve Principles of Magic." He sought to gather followers and make significant changes to the world, including plans that involved training Brazilian orphans. Glen and his brother Justin met a woman named Dawn Godman in 1999, and she became part of their lives shortly thereafter.

To fund his plans, Glen Helzer created a scheme to extort money from Ivan and Annette Stineman, an elderly couple in California. On July 30, 2000, he, his brother Justin, and an accomplice named Dawn Godman kidnapped the Stinemans. They forced the couple to write checks totaling $100,000 before murdering them.

On August 2, 2000, they killed Glen's girlfriend, Selina Bishop, to prevent her from giving information to the police. Glen had convinced Selina, who knew him as Jordan, to open bank accounts for him. He claimed he was inheriting money that needed to be hidden from his ex-wife. Later, Glen and Godman went to Selina's apartment where her mother, Jennifer Villarin, was visiting. Glen decided to kill Jennifer because she had seen him, so he murdered her and her friend, James Gamble, using a gun that belonged to Justin.

The police linked the five murders when they found dismembered bodies in duffel bags in the Sacramento River Delta. Investigators were led to the Helzers after finding a note from Ivan Stineman that mentioned Taylor Helzer. Friends of Selina recognized Glen from a photo. Police also discovered that the vehicles owned by Glen and Justin matched descriptions related to the murders. Fingerprints found in the Stinemans' van helped connect them to the crime.

On August 7, 2000, police arrested Justin Helzer and Godman at their home. Glen attempted to escape to a nearby house, where he threatened a woman for money, a gun, and a car. He was caught shortly after. Godman accepted a plea deal and testified against the Helzers, receiving a long prison sentence. Glen pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to death. Justin claimed he was insane, but he was also found guilty and sentenced to death. He later attempted suicide in prison and died by hanging in April 2013.