The woman known as Helen Jewett is known to history primarily for the court case surrounding her murder. Born in Maine to a working class, alcoholic home, she was christened Dorcas Doyen. Her mother died when she was very young, but other than a few facts little is known about her earliest years. She likely grew up in difficult circumstances, and probably was neglected as a child.

When she was about twelve years old, her father sent her to work as a servant in the home of the prominent Chief Justice Nathan Weston, of the Maine Supreme Court. She remained there until she reached eighteen. During that time she observed the lifestyle of the family's children, particularly the daughters. Seeing their fine clothes and the opportunities they had to attain education and other refinements made the young woman long for the same. She was occasionally allowed to join the daughters in some of their activities, and likely was the recipient of high-quality hand-me-down articles of clothing. However, due to her humble station and lack of connections and family background, she knew she would not be able to enjoy such a lifestyle as an adult.

While she was living in the Weston home, she apparently also honed her sexual skills. It is not known for certain if she acquired the skills through relationships with Weston and other male household members, or among other servants. What is known is that she left the home at age eighteen, moved to Portland, Maine, and became a prostitute. Later, she moved to Boston and finally settled in New York. In each place she used assumed names. In New York she attained a high level of popularity amongst those who sought prostitutes.

Her favorite color was green, like her eyes, and she often dressed in green dresses. She was known for strolling down the streets each day, letter in hand, ostensibly going to the post office to mail her letter. She worked for several high-end New York brothels, and also worked as an independent prostitute. She had quite a following of men eager for her favors. She was popular not only because of her sexual skills, but because of the persona and mystique she developed for herself. She was also popular because she presented herself as more refined and educated than most other prostitutes. She viewed herself more as a courtesan than a common whore.

However, she came to a bad end in 1836. The madam of the upscale brothel in which Helen was working discovered her battered body. It was determined that she had been murdered sometime after midnight and struck on the head three times with a sharp object. The coroner's report suggested the blows came from a hatchet. The corpse was in the bed, as though sleeping, and that the blows were unexpected. There were no signs of struggle. After striking his victim, the murderer set fire to Jewett's bed. Her body was charred on one side.

Tenants of the brothel were questioned, along with the madam. A nineteen-year-old man named Richard P. Robinson was arrested on suspicion of murder. He was one of her most regular clients. While he denied the charges, it was noted that he expressed no emotion when he was brought before her corpse. However, the testimonies of various witnesses and the discovery of a cloak at the murder scene that matched one of Robinson's, hurt his defense, and he was soon indicted for Jewett's murder.

The trial was one of the most famous of the age. Since most of the witnesses were prostitutes, the judge dismissed their testimonies. The jury returned with a not guilty verdict in less than thirty minutes. Some years later, personal letters written by Robinson were discovered. Within them was evidence that he was capable of violent and deviant behavior. His supporters then turned on him, realizing he must be guilty after all. Robinson left the East coast for Texas, to start a new life. He became a respected frontier citizen.