It was supposed to be a week of celebration. Just forty-eight hours after walking across the stage to receive their diplomas, the lives of two promising young women ended in a dorm room at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The news hit the tight-knit "Pioneer" community like a physical blow. Honestly, when you think of a quiet college town in Wisconsin, you don't imagine a tactical team swarming a residence hall during finals week.
But that's exactly what happened on May 19, 2025. Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, both 22, were found in Wilgus Hall following what police described as a "disturbance." By the time the sun went down that Monday, the campus was in mourning, and the details that eventually trickled out from the police reports were nothing short of haunting.
The Tragedy at Wilgus Hall
Wilgus Hall isn't just some random building. It’s where Kelsie Martin spent three years helping other students. She wasn't just a student; she was the Assistant Resident Director. People knew her. She was the one who checked in on you when you were stressed about a test or feeling homesick. Kelsie had just graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. She was from Beloit and clearly had a bright future ahead of her.
Hallie Helms, on the other hand, was an elementary education major from Baraboo. She had transferred to Platteville in early 2023. She also graduated that same Saturday, earning magna cum laude honors. On paper, these were two high-achieving women at the finish line of their college careers.
Around 4:00 p.m. on that Monday, a 911 call reported a disturbance. Witnesses later told investigators they heard arguing coming from a room, followed by a loud bang. Some reported hearing two gunshots. When officers entered the room, they found both women. Helms was pronounced dead at the scene. Martin was med-flighted to a hospital in Madison, but she didn't make it.
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What the Investigation Uncovered
The "isolated incident" label used by the university early on was a polite way of saying something much darker. Preliminary autopsies and the final police report confirmed the worst: it was a murder-suicide. Hallie Helms had shot Kelsie Martin before turning the gun on herself.
Investigators found a blue spiral notebook belonging to Helms. This wasn't just a class notebook. It contained drawings of the Wilgus Hall floor plan and writings about obtaining a weapon and hurting others. It's the kind of evidence that makes your stomach drop.
According to the police report, Helms' internet history was a trail of red flags:
- Over 200 searches about buying guns online.
- Inquiries on how to write a will before death.
- Searches about whether a family can be sued for damages after a person dies.
- "Things to do before you die."
The Warning Signs Nobody Could Quite Piece Together
There’s this thing people do after a tragedy where they try to find the "why." Sometimes there isn't a neat answer, but in the case of Kelsie Martin and Hallie Helms, there were cracks in the foundation.
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Helms' former roommate told police that Hallie had asked some pretty disturbing questions, like, "If you were to kill someone, how would you do it?" Teachers described her as quiet but "odd." Most tellingly, Helms hadn't been recommended for her teaching license because of poor academic performance and had basically stopped showing up to class weeks before graduation.
The irony? Kelsie Martin was actually the one who had requested a welfare check on Helms because of those missed classes. Kelsie was doing her job—trying to help a student who seemed to be slipping through the cracks.
The Aftermath for the Pioneer Community
The university canceled final exams for the rest of the week. You can't ask students to focus on Calculus when their RA was just killed. Chancellor Tammy Evetovich talked a lot about the school's ability to "care deeply for one another," and while that's a nice sentiment, the reality on the ground was pure shock.
Students were seen being escorted out of Wilgus Hall with their belongings in trash bags while the state crime lab vans sat outside. It’s an image that doesn't leave you. The tragedy sparked massive conversations about campus security and, more importantly, how mental health is monitored for students who are about to graduate and lose their support systems.
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Key Takeaways and Moving Forward
Looking back at the timeline, it's clear this wasn't a random act of violence. It was a targeted event fueled by a mental health crisis that was documented in a notebook but never effectively intercepted.
If you are a student or a parent, there are real things to watch for:
- Drastic changes in attendance: Helms stopped going to class weeks before the incident.
- Dark "hypothetical" questions: If someone is asking about the logistics of violence, it’s a red flag, not a joke.
- The Graduation Gap: The period immediately following graduation is high-stress. The safety net of the university disappears, and for some, that pressure is too much.
For anyone currently struggling or who knows someone in a similar headspace, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7. You can call or text 988 anytime.
The most proactive thing we can do now is take welfare checks seriously. If someone is acting out of character, don't just "let it go." Kelsie Martin tried to help, and while this story ended in tragedy, her instinct to check in on a struggling peer is something that, in other circumstances, saves lives every day.