Glen Taylor Helzer (born July 26, 1970) is a self-declared prophet, former cult leader and spree killer who founded and led the Children of Thunder.

[1] Helzer and his followers murdered five people as part of an extortion plot intended to culminate with Helzer taking over the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and hastening the return of Christ; among their victims was Selina Bishop, daughter of blues guitarist Elvin Bishop.

[4] Helzer graduated from Ygnacio Valley High School and served in the National Guard in Texas and as a missionary in Brazil.

[8] Glen Helzer and his brother Justin met Dawn Godman on Memorial Day 1999 at a murder mystery dinner hosted by a Mormon congregation in Walnut Creek, California.

[2][12] He had plans to train Brazilian orphans to assassinate Mormon leaders so that he could take over the LDS Church and start a self-help group called Transform America, which was intended to “create a state of peace and joy.”[9] Helzer collectively referred to himself and his followers as the Children of Thunder.

[10] The trio then murdered Glen Helzer's girlfriend, Selina Bishop, on August 2 in order to prevent her from potentially providing information that could lead to his arrest.

[9][13] The five murders were connected when police recovered duffel bags from the Sacramento River Delta, which contained the dismembered remains of Bishop and the Stinemans.